This section covers both Scotland and England and includes statements by politicians (all parties) and government documents (all departments). The format of this section is a chronological list of document summaries arranged by publishing date.



September 2007

Tenant-power housing plan faces the axe (21st Sep 2007)
An ambitious plan to break up Scotland's largest block of former council homes into small, tenant-run associations is set to founder because of a lack of resources and lukewarm support from ministers.

Community asset fund offers £30m (20th Sep 2007)
A £30 million fund to help local authorities transfer publicly-owned buildings to community organisations has opened for applications.

Making local petitions more effective (20th Sep 2007)
Confident Communities' - speech by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears

August 2007

Scottish Executive Third Sector Team reconfiguration (9th Aug 2007)
A reconfiguration of the Scottish civil service as it relates to the Third Sector is taking place - it’s clear that the dust hasn’t settled yet. As far as we can gather there is now a Scottish Executive Third Sector Team split into two sections.

July 2007

Residents to get say in spending decisions (19th Jul 2007)
Local areas across England are to be given a "community kitty" so that residents can control how millions of pounds are spent on regenerating their neighbourhoods, according to the new communities secretary.

Communities Scotland sets targets for 2007/08 (5th Jul 2007)
Ten new targets "will give the housing and regeneration agency operational certainty while Ministers consider the most effective organisational structures to support national, regional and local delivery of its policies."

Mini-democracy in the making (4th Jul 2007)
Hazel Blears, the new communities and local government secretary, has long been a champion of giving power to neighbourhoods, but can she persuade councils that it's the right thing to do?

June 2007

Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government (21st Jun 2007)
A priority for Communities and Local Government is to support the voluntary and community sector to become more sustainable and enterprising.

Parliament Called To Review Means For Citizens' Voices To Be Heard (14th Jun 2007)
The Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament have urged to review their consultation and participation practices; to reinstate funding for the Scottish Civic Forum and to adhere to the Scottish Parliament's Participation Handbook.

May 2007

Regeneration upheaval in SNP Scotland (25th May 2007)
After moving into the top spot in Holyrood, new first minister Alex Salmond plans to trim departments and scrap Scotland's regeneration agency. Such renovations could have a major impact on the country's renewal, says Jamie Carpenter.

April 2007

'No major barriers' to community asset transfer (17th Apr 2007)
A government review into the community ownership and management of public assets will conclude that there are "no substantive barriers" to the transfer of public assets to community organisations, it has emerged.

March 2007

Lottery to manage £30m asset fund (30th Mar 2007)
Lottery good causes distributor the Big Lottery Fund will manage a new £30 million fund to help community-led organisations to own and run under-used local authority buildings, the Cabinet Office confirmed this week.

Big Lottery Fund announces Scotland committee and pioneering urban grant (15th Mar 2007)
The Committee that will take devolved decisions on Big Lottery Fund grants in Scotland has been named, along with the announcement of the first urban project to receive funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Growing Community Assets scheme.

Feburary 2007

Scottish Executive criticised for further delays to action plan (7th Feb 2007)
The Scottish Executive has been criticised for failing to produce a regeneration action plan it said would be available at the end of last year.

January 2007

Bill passed to secure future of crofting (29th Jan 2007)
The Scottish Parliament yesterday overwhelmingly backed a Bill to revitalise Scotland's crofting communities.

Citizen forums ‘will ask tough questions about the role of Citizen and State’ (15th Jan 2007)
New social research published today shows what people think and expect from the State and public services. And a new project of 'citizen forums' will be faced with real-life examples of the choices government faces, and advise it on policy.

Taskforce calls for £50m local pot (15th Jan 2007)
Up to £50 million a year should be provided to increase community involvement in local decision-making, a government-backed taskforce recommended this week.

December 2006

2,500 post offices face closure (18th Dec 2006)
Opposition warns, "This is the death knell for thousands of local shops and rural businesses that depend on their local post office."

October 2006

Kelly to give councils more powers (27th Oct 2006)
Powerful local mayors could be introduced without the need for a referendum, under a radical overhaul of councils unveiled on Thursday.

September 2006

Government green light for city economic bodies (22nd Sep 2006)
Organisations with the remit to deliver economic development and physical regeneration across entire conurbations have been given the green light by the Government.

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