The document discusses new community rights introduced in the Localism Act, including the Right to Bid, Right to Challenge, neighbourhood planning, and Right to Build. It outlines the aims and processes for each right, potential challenges for local authorities in implementing them, and questions about extending the rights to other sectors and services.

1. The Rights: to bid, challenge, build and neighbourhood planning LGiU Civil Society Innovation Network 23/02/2012 Hulya Mustafa – Deputy Director, Big Society and Community Rights

5. Community Right to Bid The Community Right to Bid is a radical new community right. The aim is to give communities a fair chance to bid to take over land and buildings that are important to them This will help local communities to save important community assets, tackle social need and build up resources in their neighbourhood.

6. Community Right to Bid Current Position Where we are: Plan to lay regulations in April, bring in to force as soon as possible after subject to Parliamentary approval. How will it work?: • Nominations: Local voluntary and community groups, Parish councils and Neighbourhood Forums. • Local authority lists asset if an “asset of community value”. • When / if put up for sale, the six months “window of opportunity”. • More time, fairer chance to bid.

10. Community Right to Challenge A right for VCS bodies, charities parish councils and relevant authority employees, to express an interest in running relevant authority services, where they believe they can do so differently and better. If the expression of interest is accepted, the authority must carry out a procurement exercise for the service.

11. How will the Right work? Relevant services subject to challenge Voluntary or Community Group Charity Parish Council Relevant Authority Staff Expression of Interest Relevant Authority Accept Accept with modification Reject Relevant authority undertakes procurement exercise in line with legal requirements No procurement triggered; relevant authority publishes reason for rejection 1 2 3 Time during which expressions of interest, can be submitted Time for authorities to reach a decision on expressions of interest Time between accepting expressions of interest and starting a procurement exercise

12. Community Right to Challenge Current Position We are finalising secondary legislation and it will be laid in Parliament shortly. We expect the Right to come into force by April 2012. We will issue statutory guidance when secondary legislation is laid. We aim to have support in place by end of April to align with commencement of the Right as part of the overall package.

16. Neighbourhood Planning New right for neighbourhoods to draw up local plans with statutory weight Communities will have greater influence in deciding where facilities should go through local referendum On completion a neighbourhood development plan (NDP) or order (NDO) will become part of the local development plan.

20. The Right to Build The Community Right to Build will allow communities to bring forward small scale developments. This will include the - new homes, communities facilities or businesses – in their neighbourhood.