'Petition power' to be outlined

4:26am Wednesday 9th July 2008

New powers for English citizens to use petitions to demand action from their local authority are to be outlined by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

A package of reforms designed to put more power over local decisions in the hands of ordinary people will include a greater public say on how budgets are spent; more accountability for Town Hall chiefs; and stronger means of obtaining redress when things go wrong.

The measures, contained in an empowerment White Paper entitled Communities in Control, will also include changes to make it easier to get an elected mayor.

In a new survey, some 70% of people said they had signed petitions - 42% of them within the last year - and 90% said they believed councils should take them into account when making decisions.

But just 21% of those questioned thought that councils did listen to the views expressed in petitions, and of those who signed only 48% were satisfied with the way the council responded.

Ms Blears is expected to say that the White Paper will shift power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens.

The Department for Communities and Local Government described the document as "an important step in rebalancing power in local communities to ensure that the voice of local people is heard and acted on, and where it isn't, people have the levers to make a difference themselves if they so choose".

The package will also include extra money for community organisations, measures to engage young people in local politics and a new duty for councils to promote democracy.

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