UK signs up to local democracy agreement
Author: DCLG |
The new protocol to the Charter of Local Self-Government was agreed by Ministers from across Europe at a Conference in Utrecht yesterday. It sets out that citizens in States across the Continent should be engaged at every stage in local affairs from voting in their elected representatives to being consulted on local policy that matters to them.
It builds on the commitment of the UK and other States to strengthening local democracy and creating strong effective councils that can represent their communities’ needs.
Key measures highlighted in the agreement include:
* Involving local people in consultations, local referendums and petitions;
* Ensuring complaints and suggestions about services are dealt with and responded to;
* Making special efforts to get people who face particular obstacles to participating in democratic procedures involved;
* Giving people access to official local authority documents;
* Encouraging the use of new technology to help people participate such as on-line/telephone voting registration