Are the Locality Groups Working?

A group of community associations (CAs) recently attended a meeting at Swindon Borough Council with Mr Matt Gott, Director of Policy, Partnership & Communications.  A large number of CAs all over Swindon have been very concerned about the organisation of the Localities, particularly the role of the Chair, the perceived diminution of the community view and the lack of consistency about how the groups are organised.

In response to these concerns Mr Gott explained to the CAs that:

1. As policy setters the councillors are solely responsible for the running of the Localities. 
2. The officers do not have any input into them or responsibility for the Localities.
3. There is no place for any standard format or rules and it is up to each Locality Chair (not elected by the group) to set these down with or without the input of other councillors/partners or CAs.
4. As a result of point 3. the Locality agenda is at the sole discretion of the Chair.
5. If any CAs have any problems with the format then they must sort these out with the Chair.
6. If this does not lead to a satisfactory outcome then the CAs should approach the other councillors in the Locality.
7. If this fails then the CA representatives, who are non-political in their community roles, can always exercise their ultimate right of veto at the ballot box.
8. The Localities are political because they are run by elected members and the CAs must deal with this.
9. As there are all-out elections being held in May 2012 then the Localities have become a focus for heightened political tension and this is reflected in their arrangements.

This may be the worse-case-scenario but it is troubling none-the-less.  If you have a councillor who is not listening or taking account of the CAs then how can you have community engagement?  If the same councillor has a personal agenda then what is the point of the Locality?  If this is the case then the councillor can take decisions on behalf of the Locality without having to engage with anyone at all. If these arrangements continue then Localities are likely to be around for a short time and the community may have to form their own groups until such time as their elected councillors provide consensual representation, transparency and accountability.