Join Tony Burton in a live discussion on Civic Voice's discussion forum at noon tomorrow (Tuesday 11 January) to discuss the reforms and hear what other civic societies are saying.
Join the discussion forum here, or if you are unable to participate, but would like to ask a question, email info@civicvoice.org.uk
It only takes a minute to register to share your views if you follow these instructions
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On www.civicvoice.org.uk click Join Forum (foot of page)
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Click Register (top of page)
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Fill in the member registration
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You will be sent an email (to the email address you registered with) containing a link to activate your account.
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Click the link and your account will be activated
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You can now participate in the discussion
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The Localism Bill receives its first full debate in the House of Commons on Monday 17thJanuary - known as Second Reading. Civic Voice is already actively lobbying MPs and has met with the Planning Minister Greg Clark MP and key civil servants.
A copy of our draft Second Reading briefing to MPs is available here. Please feed any comments back to info@civicvoice.org.uk by 11am tomorrow (Tuesday 11 January) or via Civic Voice Live. This is to meet the deadline required to reach MPs in advance of the debate.
A copy of the final briefing will be posted here late on Tuesday. Where you have good connections with your MP(s) then it would be a great help if you could contact them and draw attention to the issues we are raising before the end of the week. You may wish to send them a copy of the briefing. Do let us know if you contact your MP so we can keep in touch.
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Planning Minister Greg Clark MP wants to hear your questions and to answer them. If you can send in the questions you most want addressed then we will put them direct to the Minister and publish his replies.
Send your questions for Greg Clark MP by 5 Febuary to info@civicvoice.org.uk
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Civic Voice will be playing a very active role in shaping the Localism Bill on its passage through Parliament throughout 2011. We have already drawn attention to some potential risks to conservation areas and listed buildings and engaged the Minister in thinking sympathetically about a community right of appeal among other things.
There is a great deal in the Bill which we can welcome, especially the overall aim of delivering a “power shift� to local communities and the series of new rights, including the right to prepare neighbourhood plans.
We will have most impact where we can bring your practical experience and local examples to bear on the debate. We particularly need examples of:
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Your efforts to develop sympathetic planning policies or development proposals for an area which have been rejected by local councils and which would be helped by the new arrangements for neighbourhood planning
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Planning applications where developers have not involved you until much too late in the day
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Community assets, such as civic buildings or open space, being sold off by local authorities without thinking enough about their social benefit
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The loss of important local shops and other services, such as pubs, because no planning application was required to change the use of a building
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Weak local authority action to tackle illegal advertising or graffiti.
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We welcome comments on any aspect of the Localism Bill and are particularly interested in your views on:
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The proposed new neighbourhood plans and how these can be improved?
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The effect of introducing neighbourhood development orders through which planning permission is granted via the neighbourhood plan?
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What practical support by way of facilitation or independent advice would be most helpful to civic societies in taking a lead in preparing a neighbourhood plan or working with a parish or town council?
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What other changes to the planning system would help give communities more power or provide extra safeguards (e.g. enforcement, community rights of appeal)?
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The new “community right to buy� which provides powers to list important community assets to be identified in advance and gives community groups the opportunity to put together a bid to take them on if they are put on the market?
Please send these to info@civicvoice.org.uk and tell us if you want to join an email group of interested civic volunteers and/or attend a workshop.
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The Government has announced how it intends to review the current suite of planning policies and consolidate them into a single document - the national planning policy framework. Views are being invited on the priorities in the current policies before consultation on a draft framework in 2011. There is more information here. Tell us which existing planning you most want to save and vote on our poll on the website home page here
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We are discussing the possibility of a series of workshops about the new neighbourhood planning arrangements which will provide civic volunteers with a real feel for the opportunities they offer. Civic Voice is also looking at the role we can play in supporting community groups more widely by putting them in touch with expert enablers who can support and advise. Both of these might benefit from Government funding geared towards supporting this core work. Do let us know at info@civicvoice.org.uk if you would be interested in a workshop on the proposed planning changes.
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