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Locality responds to the English Devolution White Paper

Locality's reflects on the English Devolution White Paper, launched on 16th December.

The English Devolution White Paper was launched on Monday 16 December 2024, laying out the government’s plans to make devolution the default setting across a range of government policy areas.

Armstrong, Chief Executive of Locality, said:

“The English Devolution White Paper has shown that this government understands the huge potential of devolving powers to the people, and communities, who are best placed to make decisions. This marks a significant shift towards giving people more control over the future of their areas.

Crucially, the White Paper emphasises the need for the right powers at the right level, with devolution not stopping with mayors but flowing onwards into neighbourhoods and communities.

We applaud the introduction of the Community Right to Buy, a key demand of the We’re Right Here campaign. Giving communities the first option to buy land or buildings of community interest when they come up for sale will help protect the places and spaces our communities love and rely on. We know long-term sustainable funding streams will be vital in maximising the value of this powerful new right.

The White Paper makes it clear there is scope for further community rights, particularly through strengthening partnerships between councils and communities. This is a huge opportunity to bring to an end decades of over-centralisation. We look forward to working with the government to help make it happen”.