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"...delivery involves citizens, it is not simply done to them." Barry Quirk / Inspiring Quotes 8

Contents 1 Articles 2 Village cinema 3 Random facts 4 Related topics 5 External links

[edit] Articles

• Local involvement leads to happier communities
• National Standards for Community Engagement, Scotland

[edit] Village cinema

[edit] Random facts

• In April-June 2009, 35 per cent of people felt they could influence decisions in their local area; this is lower than in 2001 (44 per cent), 2007-08 (38 per cent) and 2008-09 (39 per cent).
• Eighteen per cent of people felt they could influence decisions affecting Britain; this is lower than in 2001 (25 per cent), 2007-08 (20 per cent) and 2008-09 (22 per cent). Source: Citizenship Survey: April - June 2009, England, Communities and Local Government, 29 October 2009

• In the past year only 3 to 4 per cent had been involved in an actual decision affecting their community and less than a third (32 per cent) were aware of how to go about getting involved, September 23 Source: Communities and Local Government, September 23, 2009

• Only 39 per cent of people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area. 22 per cent feel they could influence decisions affecting Great Britain, January 29 ^[1] Both measures remain unchanged since 2007/08 but both have fallen since 2001. These findings come from the Citizenship Survey: April - September 2008 (covering the first two quarters of data from the 2008-09 survey).

• Just 38 per cent of respondents to the Citizenship Survey (April 2007 - March 2008) felt able to influence decisions in their local area whilst only 39 per cent of people were involved in some kind of civic participation such as attending a public meeting, signing a local petition or contacting a local councillor. The findings tally closely with data from this year's local elections which showed average voter turnout at around 40 per cent or less. Source: Communities and Local Government June 26

• six in ten people do not feel they are given an adequate say on how local council services are run;
• more than 9 in 10 people believe accountability of councils could be improved;
• nearly four in 10 people do not feel councillors are representative of their communities and six in 10 do not believe they adequately reflect their views.

Source: Communities and Local Government, March 5 2008

• 37 per cent of people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area. 20 per cent feel they could influence decisions affecting Great Britain. Source: 2007 Citizenship Survey, Communities and Local Government. Both measures have fallen since 2001 where they were at 44 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

[edit] Related topics

The London Borough of Lewisham has developed ward assemblies. ^[2]

[edit] External links

• Openly Local making local government more transparent

• Opening Up Local Government Information: APPSI Presentation, September 17, 2009. APPSI = Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information

• RebootBritain (PDF)

• Summary of the Evaluation of the Impact of the National Standards for Community Engagement, July 2008 The Scottish Government / Scotland Resources

• Post Party Politics, Involve's first political pamphlet (February 2006) sets out an agenda for rebuilding a new politics designed around people, wherever they are, not politicians.
• People & Participation, Involve's first publication (November 2005). Practical detail about methods of participation.
• National Planning Forum's 2005 Good Practice Guide to Community Involvement in Town and Country Planning
• Beyond the Ballot - 57 democratic innovations from around the world, Graham Smith, Published by The POWER Inquiry
• Participatory Planning for Sustainable Communities, Department for Communities and Local Government (It is difficult to find a date on this publication, but a rerefence in the appendices suggests the research was done in 2003)

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References

1. ↑ Communities and Local Government, January 29
2. ↑ www.idea.gov.uk, November 2008