We will shortly be gathering for the ‘Glastonbury of local government’, the LGA’s annual conference in Harrogate.
We need to combine forces to be more effective, for example, shaping the direction of travel of the new Government on devolution and planning.
It is critical that we keep democracy near to our residents and for services to be delivered at the most local level.
Councillors are our bastions of democracy, closest to the people we serve.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework and who joined one of our group sessions to shape our response.
You all spoke passionately about the impact of the new top-down housing targets and how the planning system is not the blocker in the creation of homes people can afford.
Without a national energy plan, we seem to be at the mercy of speculative energy developments who industrialise vast areas of good farmland for 40 years or more, tied under expensive long-term contracts on fast-outdated solar technology.
Meanwhile, an estimated 630,000 acres of commercial roof space lies vacant.
Representing local government at the Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change, I have seen first-hand how the technology has moved on to be much more versatile, leaving our food-growing land for local use and profits kept in the UK.
I look forward to seeing many of you at conference to discuss these issues and more.
- For more information about the LGA’s political groups, see our website.