Update on Localism Act

The Localism Act received Royal Assent on 15 November 2011.

Although the Act contains a number of important measures, most of these are not yet in force.
The Act contains a number of enabling provisions. These give the Secretary of State power to introduce regulations and guidance that will make the measures ‘live.’ We anticipate that the key areas will come into force from April 2012 onwards.

The government has published a Plain English Guide to the Localism Act which summarises the main measures under four headings:

• new freedoms and flexibilities for local government
• new rights and powers for communities and individuals
• reform to make the planning system more democratic and more effective
• reform to ensure that decisions about housing are taken locally

Although the Act is 497 pages long, the implications of some of the key measures will not be clear until the Secretary of State has introduced regulations and guidance. The council has produced a The council has produced a detailed briefing on the Localism Act detailed briefing 352kb on the Localism Act; this includes the implications for Wiltshire and next steps. We will keep you updated on major developments.

More information available on the council's website: 

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityandliving/localismact.htm