Introduction of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Today the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has had it’s first reading and so begins the Parliamentary process.

The tight grip of Westminster on local councils has frustrated, fragmented and stifled growth across our country for far too long. Nobody knows this better than local leaders, trying to deliver change while being restrained by top-down micro-management.

Devolution fixes that, with this Bill delivering freedom to local leaders to make decisions for their local areas, unleashing more growth and more opportunities for people as part of our Plan for Change.

England has fallen behind from the rest of the world in modernising how decisions are made, but devolution prioritises people and partnership over paperwork and politics. This Bill will deliver changes including

• Community Ownership of pubs, shops and social hubs through a new Community Right to Buy meaning communities will have the first opportunity to purchase local assets when they are put up for sale.

• Community Voice in local decision making through effective neighbourhood governance giving residents more of a say.

• More Rights for Mayors as the champions of their region, with new licensing powers for rental e-bikes and new planning powers to kickstart growth.

• Efficient Public Services through ‘Strategic Authorities’ acting across larger economic geographies so that areas can work together and increase connectivity, such as integrated transport networks.

• Local Growth Plans to turbocharge economic growth in local economies and put more money in people’s pockets.

• Local Audit System to restore transparency in council’s spending and streamline the system.

• Ban Upward Only Rent Reviews (UORR) clauses in commercial leases, which pit landlords against businesses and can make rents unaffordable and cause shops to shut.

From bus tickets to health care appointments and from education to job opportunities, deepening devolution across the country means everyone in every region will have more of a say in the day-to-day issues on their doorstep.

Today is a huge day for devolution, and a huge day for communities like Oldham across the country, I’m proud to have been involved in delivering this Bill.