I read in Inside Housing recently that councils will be getting even more funding to consult with their communities. The government is keen to see under-represented groups (particularly those within social housing) have a say in what happens in their communities.
The £5 million ‘planning empowerment’ fund will ensure that decision making becomes more consultative throughout. We strongly believe that this is the right approach to take. We know from our own experience, that if you consult people on issues that affect them, they are more likely to offer their support in the long-term.
We recently undertook some research into how ‘so called’ deprived communities operate. We were keen to understand what had happened to the communities of the 1950’s where people left their doors open and children played safely in the streets.
Communities where people invited their neighbours to watch television in their homes if they didn’t own their own TV set and the bulk of the weekly shop took place at the corner shop.
Nowadays, we barely know our neighbours, lock our doors and have our children barely out of our sight. Our shopping is undertaken in vast, faceless supermarkets and we would be hard pushed to recognise the cashier. So where is our community?
The answer, according to our research, is in Britain’s council estates. Only here is community live and well.
I read in Inside Housing recently that councils will be getting even more funding to consult with their communities. The government is keen to see under-represented groups (particularly those within social housing) have a say in what happens in their communities.
