The End of Localism?

It is two years since a new prime minister was welcomed by the community secretary, Eric Pickles, to his department. As Pickles chanted: "What do we want?", a crowd of civil servants obligingly chorused: "Localism, localism, localism." That was then. Now, Pickles has effectively signalled the end of an ill-defined localist concept that promised much. Attempting to put a gloss on a volte-face that sees Whitehall gain immense powers over house-building and commercial development, Pickles could only joke about his new-found "muscular localism".  Tied to proposals for the centralisation of local NHS assets in a new, standalone company – the antithesis of localism – the powers represent, in reality, muscular centralism. For "big society", read big government bent on privatising an NHS estate inherited often from local councils and charities.  On the planning front, Pickles has now ruled that councils can be ignored when applications for large developments are tabled. They will be determined by a fast-track process at the already overworked Planning Inspectorate. The last government established an Infrastructure Planning Commission to do just that. Pickles scrapped it.  With the economy tanking, ministers are directing their fire at a planning system they claim is restricting development. Not so, retorts Sir Merrick Cockell, Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association. He insists a record backlog of 400,000 homes that have received planning permission nails the lie that councils are to blame for the shortage of new properties.  Read more on the Guardian website.