Tessa was pleased to host an event to provide information on the Localism Act and the how it can be used by local people to empower their communities.
Tessa welcomed Councillor Richard Kemp to a meeting at the Poolbridge Meeting rooms in Blackford titled ‘What the Localism Act means for Neighbourhood Planning in Somerset’. Richard is an experienced Liverpool Councillor and is currently a member of the Local Government Association. Richard has an extensive knowledge of the Localism Act and the opportunities it presents for local people.
There is not a subject which attracts more interest locally than that of planning and development and Tessa has many conversations and receives huge numbers of letters and emails from people who have ideas about how their communities might meet the challenges of, for example, finding new locations for affordable housing and the best and most sustainable ways of saving and producing energy.
The packed event attracted over 50 people from community groups and parish and district councils amongst others, all of whom who were eager to find out more about localism.
Tessa said: “This was a fantastic event and it was excellent to see people from all parties and none at what was a very informative afternoon.
The next session I’m going to organise will be about housing and looking at ways of ensuring local people have priority over affordable and social housing in rural areas like our part of Somerset.’’
Tessa Munt
2nd July 2012