Localism Act 2011

Long title

To make provision about the functions and procedures of local and certain other authorities; to make provision about the functions of the Local Commission for Administration in England; to enable the recovery of financial sanctions imposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the United Kingdom from local and public authorities; to make provision about local government finance; to make provision about town and country planning, the Community Infrastructure Levy and the authorisation of nationally significant infrastructure projects; to make provision about social and other housing; to make provision about regeneration in London; and for connected purposes.

Summary

<p>The Bill will devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities more control over housing and planning decisions.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><p>The provisions relating to councils include:</p><ul><li>giving councils a general power of competence</li><li>allowing councils to choose to return to the committee system of governance and allowing for referendums for elected mayors in certain authorities</li><li>abolishing the Standards Board regime and the model code of conduct, and introducing local accountability and a criminal offence of deliberate failure to declare a personal interest in a matter</li><li>giving residents the power to instigate local referendums on any local issue and the power to veto excessive council tax increases</li><li>allowing councils more discretion over business rate relief</li><li>providing new powers to help save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and giving voluntary and community groups the right to challenge local authorities over their services.</li></ul><p>The housing provisions will</p><ul><li>abolish the requirement to have a Home Information Pack</li><li>reform the Housing Revenue Account system</li><li>provide for a new form of flexible tenure for social housing tenants</li><li>allow local authorities to discharge their duties to homeless people by using private rented accommodation</li><li>give local authorities the power to limit who can apply for social housing within their areas</li><li>abolish the Tenant Services Authority and provides for a transfer of functions to the Homes and Communities Agency</li><li>amend the way in which a social tenant can make a complaint about their landlord</li><li>improve the ability of social tenants to move to different areas.</li></ul><p>The planning and regeneration provisions will</p><ul><li>abolish Regional Spatial Strategies</li><li>abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission and return to a position where the Secretary of State takes the final decision on major infrastructure proposals of national importance</li><li>amend the Community Infrastructure Levy, which allows councils to charge developers to pay for infrastructure. Some of the revenue will be available for the local community</li><li>provide for neighbourhood plans, which would be approved if they received 50% of the votes cast in a referendum</li><li>provide for neighbourhood development orders to allow communities to approve development without requiring normal planning consent</li><li>give new housing and regeneration powers to the Greater London Authority, while abolishing the London Development Agency.<br></li></ul>

Progress through Parliament

1. 1st reading· Commons

   13 December 2010 – 13 December 2010

2. 2nd reading· Commons

   17 January 2011 – 17 January 2011

3. Programme motion· Commons

   17 January 2011 – 17 January 2011

4. Money resolution· Commons

   17 January 2011 – 17 January 2011

5. Committee stage· Commons

   25 January 2011 – 10 March 2011

6. Ways and Means resolution· Commons

   17 May 2011 – 17 May 2011

7. Programme motion· Commons

   17 May 2011 – 17 May 2011

8. Report stage· Commons

   17 May 2011 – 18 May 2011

9. 3rd reading· Commons

   18 May 2011 – 18 May 2011

10. 1st reading· Lords

    19 May 2011 – 19 May 2011

11. 2nd reading· Lords

    7 June 2011 – 7 June 2011

12. Committee stage· Lords

    20 June 2011 – 20 July 2011

13. Report stage· Lords

    5 September 2011 – 17 October 2011

14. 3rd reading· Lords

    31 October 2011 – 31 October 2011

15. Money resolution· Commons

    7 November 2011 – 7 November 2011

16. Programme motion· Commons

    7 November 2011 – 7 November 2011

17. Consideration of Lords amendments· Commons

    7 November 2011 – 7 November 2011

18. Royal Assent· Unassigned

    15 November 2011 – 15 November 2011