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Local government minister, Bob Neill, has urged councils to ‘seize the initiative' and use radical new powers to deliver improved public services, despite this week's tough finance settlement. The coalition's long-awaited Localism Bill – the centrepiece of ministers' devolution plans and Big Society ambition – was published on 13 December, the same day as the finance settlement. As expected, it will hand councils the much-touted ‘general power of competence', allowing authorities to undertake any activity in the best interests of their community, providing it is not already prohibited by law. The Bill could also introduce powerful, directly-elected mayors to major English cities, provide residents' groups with the opportunity to run local public services, and hand councils and residents powers over local housing and planning issues. Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, said Whitehall was ‘getting out of the way and letting councils and communities run their own affairs'. Speaking to The MJ, Mr Neill said: ‘The challenge now for the local government world is to step up to the plate and seize the opportunities.' Mr Neill accepted the ‘tough' finance settlement – which will necessitate swingeing cuts across town halls – could restrict the use of some new powers. But he played down criticism that, in the midst of the tough financial climate, ministers should have devolved new financial powers to councils through the Bill. Such powers could follow in next year's finance review, but critics have suggested councils would be reluctant to use new powers and expand their activities while making cuts – unless they could raise extra revenues. ‘The fact that councils may not choose to use new powers is, in my view, not a strong argument for not giving them. The whole idea is that these are powers that can be used in times of plenty and times of some constraint,' Mr Neill said. Institute for Public Policy Research director, Ed Cox, last week suggested ministers had not adequately explained how they would ensure the community empowerment tools within the Bill – such as the right to take over failing local services – would not be ‘hijacked' by vested interests. He feared the ‘sharp-elbowed middle classes', for example, could demand services at the expense of less vocal sections of the same neighbourhood. Mr Neill said: ‘We want people to use these new powers, but there will be checks and balances. So the local authority has got a fair bit of control as far as that's concerned.' However, he warned ministers would not ‘prescribe' a ‘rigid' definition of a community or neighbourhood. Asked where the new powers would leave the local government sector in 10 years, he concluded: ‘I hope it's a sector that is much more self-confident… and which genuinely realises it has much more control over its own destiny.'

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WHITEHALL

Minister pins hopes on new powers to deliver

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