Wellbeing powers to promote 'economic, social or environmental well-being' passes to local councils
New guidance on what is known 'well-being power', aimed at English local councils (parish, town, village, neighbourhood, and community councils) has been published. It discusses the extension to eligible local councils of the Power to Promote or Improve Economic, Social, or Environmental Well-Being.
The power will enable eligible councils to do anything which they consider is likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental well-being of their area.
The well-being power is very broad; specific examples of the kind of action an eligible council may take are set out in section 2(4) of the Local Government Act 2000.
It is concerned with the extension to those councils of the power to promote or improve the economic, social, or environmental well-being of their area. This guidance sets out the Government’s policy in relation to the exercise of the well-being power by those councils. The provisions extending the well-being power to local councils came into force on 31 December 2008.
These measures make it easier to set up new local councils and promote diversity through the appointment of additional councillors.
The extension of the well-being power is a central component of these reforms. The Government’s purpose in extending the well-being power to eligible councils is to give communities greater flexibility to act on their priorities and to facilitate joint working between local councils and their partners in the private and public sector.
This will provide greater opportunities for local councils to improve the quality of life and health
of their communities. The introduction of the well-being power for principal authorities enabled them to move away from their necessarily cautious approach to innovation and joint action which had previously limited their
contribution to the improvement of the quality of life of their communities. It is hoped that the extension of the power will do the same in relation to local councils.
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