Councils have the power to shape national policy

Imagine if councils had the power to challenge the policies that hold them back and – better still – the power to promote legislation to drive the changes they seek. They do.Local government is all about delivering change: transforming lives and areas in ways that are visible and immediate. It shapes life chances, confronts structural inequality, and, often quietly, reshapes national policy through evidence, relationships, and practice. But some of its powerful tools remain largely unused, not because they don't matter but because they have been forgotten.The 2007 and 2010 Sustainable Communities Acts give every council the right to submit proposals to central government for changes to law or policy that would improve the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their area. Government is legally required to respond.When the first call opened in 2008, councils submitted more than 300 proposals. It was a powerful recognition that local government often has the answers that Whitehall lacks. Many of those early ideas are now national policy or legislation, some directly through the Act, others because it created the momentum for change.The Act was strengthened in 2010, moving to an open call so councils could submit proposals at any time. Yet it is now never used. Demand is so low that the government website is a decade out of date, with submission details no longer functional, a telling sign of neglect.Yes, it could be misused for political mischief, but that has never been its real purpose or power. Its real strength is as a practical problem solving tool, giving ministers a steady pipeline of ideas grounded in local experience.It has worked before. Under previous governments, 37% of first round proposals were implemented or partly implemented and influenced later reforms including the Localism Act.Its potential remains huge. In 2014, Norwich City Council used it to challenge the unregulated demolition and change of use of pubs, helping pave the way for the Community Right to Bid.Between 2014 and 2017, Newham LBC built support from 91 local authorities for a proposal to reduce the maximum stakes on Fixed Odd Betting Terminals to £2 and tackle gambling-related harm. While the proposal was unsuccessful at the time, it generated the momentum that delivered legislative change a few years later.Separately, councils already have the power to promote legislation to Parliament through Local or Private Bills.The Cheltenham BC (Markets) Bill, which would allow the council to introduce local market byelaws and give it new enforcement powers, is a live example.As the King's Speech approaches and the Government sets out its legislative ambitions, there is an opportunity to deepen collaboration between national and local government.Historically, these Bills have been narrow and place specific, affecting a single council or area. But that matters far less in an era of strategic and mayoral authorities. As governance footprints grow, so too does the potential reach and significance of locally promoted legislation.In some cases, this power is set out explicitly. The Greater London Authority Act gives the GLA the right to promote local Bills in Parliament for the benefit of London. Strikingly, that power has never been used.Why? Partly because central government now relies heavily on secondary legislation for these types of changes, and partly because policy change is usually expected to flow from government Bills. But a major deterrent is cost. Promoting a Bill requires specialist parliamentary agents and counsel, and the expense can be prohibitive for individual authorities.Yet the landscape is changing. England is moving toward larger strategic authorities, bigger budgets and more place based policy-making. In that context, it is no stretch to imagine more regional legislation tailored to local realities.Gordon Brown's Commission on the UK's Future explicitly pointed in this direction, arguing that decentralisation in England could be supported by a new, streamlined process to initiate local legislation in Parliament.The ability to shape legislation, rather than simply lobby for it, may yet prove to be one of local government's most under appreciated tools.Every central government, of whatever political persuasion, eventually will reach a point of idea stagnation, struggling to deliver the visible, meaningful change the public demands.Local government does not face that problem. It is where delivery happens, where complexity is navigated, and where solutions are tested daily.As the King's Speech approaches and the Government sets out its legislative ambitions, there is an opportunity to deepen collaboration between national and local government.The Sustainable Communities Acts and the powers to initiate legislation were designed precisely to make local government a genuine partner in shaping national policy. It is time to use them as intended.Alison Potter is assistant director – policy, parliamentary and political engagement at the Local Councils Network

Title

LEGISLATION

Councils have the power to shape national policy

By Alison Potter | 05 May 2026

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING