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Local people given budget power Voters given local budget powers
(about 1 hour later)
People in England will have a direct say in the priorities for council budgets under new government plans. Plans to give people a greater say in how English councils spend their money have been unveiled by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.
Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears has announced pilot projects in 10 areas. She announced 10 pilot schemes where residents will decide spending priorities for budgets ranging from £200,000 to £23m.
Residents will decide on how budgets from £200,000 to £23m are spent, from recruiting more police to providing play areas. Ms Blears told the Local Government Association it would give some of the most powerless people a voice.
She addressed a conference of the Local Government Association, which has questioned public desire for the plans. But the Lib Dems dismissed the announcement as "gesture politics".
Local debates Neighbourhood pride
It was Hazel Blears' first major speech since taking over from Ruth Kelly following Prime Minister Gordon Brown's reshuffle. In her first speech as Communities and Local Government Secretary, Ms Blears said for many people, sitting on a council committee was "not an exciting prospect".
Under the plans, large amounts of council spending would be decided by residents, through local debates, votes and public meetings. But she said she wanted them to get involved with spending on their neighbourhoods and feel proud of their area.
The Guardian newspaper reported that councils would have to hold ballots before deciding where money should be targeted. Democracy should be about much more than casting a vote every few years Hazel BlearsCommunities Secretary
Although similar projects have already been run on a smaller scale with community grants, Ms Blears said the idea would be extended to cover major parts of local council funding. They would decide whether more money should be spent on services like local police, cleaning up parks and refuse collections.
Democracy should be about much more than casting a vote every few years Hazel Blears Ms Blears, a former councillor, said it was not about "bypassing councils", but aimed at getting local people and councils together.
People will be able to choose whether they want to spend more money on services like extra community safety wardens to tackle anti-social behaviour, new play areas, cleaning up parks, or extra CCTV.
The aim is for every neighbourhood to have control of a "community kitty" within five years.
The LGA, itself under new leadership, believes it would be better to devolve the money to frontline councillors who could consult on how the money was spent in their wards.
Power shift
Ms Blears, a former councillor, said it was not about "bypassing councils", but aimed at getting local people and the councils together.
She said: "Democracy should be about much more than casting a vote every few years.She said: "Democracy should be about much more than casting a vote every few years.
"It should be a daily activity, not an abstract theory. Local people know the needs of their area better than anyone.""It should be a daily activity, not an abstract theory. Local people know the needs of their area better than anyone."
We would give people a lot of power to spend a lot of money David Cameron 'People's purse'
The 10 pilot areas are Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Birmingham, Lewisham, Bradford, Salford, Sunderland, Newcastle, Southampton and St Helens.The 10 pilot areas are Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Birmingham, Lewisham, Bradford, Salford, Sunderland, Newcastle, Southampton and St Helens.
In an earlier speech to the conference, Conservative leader David Cameron said he wanted a more "decentralised country, with local people in direct control of the decisions that affect them". A spokesman for her department said it was up to each area to work out how to take decisions but options included city-wide ballots, local panels, or public meetings.
His party wants to abolish regional assemblies and hand their powers to local councils and to phase out ring-fenced grants to give councils more control over their spending. Ms Blears said the aim was for every neighbourhood to have control of a "community kitty" or "people's purse" within five years.
Mr Cameron also backs more powerful elected mayors for major cities to help raise the profile of local government. Rather than a partnership between local and central government, this is more Whitehall dictatorship Andrew StunellLiberal Democrats
"Today, Hazel Blears has announced that she is giving people a little bit of power to spend a little bit of money," he said. Ms Blears was addressing the conference of the Local Government Association, which has questioned public desire for the plans.
It believes it would be better to devolve the money to frontline councillors who could consult on how the money was spent in their wards.
For the Lib Dems, Andrew Stunell said it was "nothing more than gesture politics" which would not give people a bigger say.
Ring-fenced grants
He said it would be better to give councillors more powers to "stick up for their areas on vital decisions such as planning and licensing decisions".
He added: "It also means ending government micro-management of council spending.
"In the last decade the amount of council spending coming from ring-fenced grants has increased from £1.6 billion to £7.2 billion.
Today Hazel Blears has announced that she is giving people a little bit of power to spend a little bit of money David CameronConservative leader
"Rather than a partnership between local and central government, this is more Whitehall dictatorship. "
In an earlier speech to the conference, Conservative leader David Cameron said he wanted to abolish regional assemblies and hand their powers to local councils, as well as to phase out ring-fenced grants.
He also backs more powerful elected mayors for major cities to help raise the profile of local government.
"Today Hazel Blears has announced that she is giving people a little bit of power to spend a little bit of money," he said.
"By contrast, we would give people a lot of power to spend a lot of money.""By contrast, we would give people a lot of power to spend a lot of money."