Creating sustainable communities

Partnership in Power - Draft Final Year Documents

DRAFT - This is a discussion paper only. The content of this document does not necessarily reflect Government or Labour Party policy.

Introduction

Labour believes in building strong communities, where people can live together in mutual tolerance and respect, where families can thrive and feel secure. We want more affordable homes built to high standards of design and environmental sustainability. We want improved transport links so people can travel speedily and easily, bringing families closer together, helping business to prosper, and helping people into work.

We are committed to ensuring that, as Britain grows, it does so within the bounds of environmental sustainability. Climate change is the greatest long term threat facing the world, and with Labour in government, Britain has helped to lead the world in winning international agreement on what needs to be done. Our groundbreaking Climate Change Bill will make Britain the world's first nation to adopt a long term framework for transition to a low carbon economy and society. Alongside this framework, we are putting in place measures to enable and support organisations, communities and individuals to reduce the environmental impact of their lives.

We are working to deliver the new homes that Britain's young families, and prospective first time buyers need. In doing so we will promote the idea of mixed and sustainable communities. We will avoid the housing policy mistakes of the past while ensuring a step change in supply to deliver new homes for those looking to buy or rent in the private or social sector. In delivering new housing, and in some cases new communities, we will ensure that the necessary transport links and amenities are in place.

Our devolutionary agenda will also help to drive improvement in our communities. We believe in a decentralisation of power — from the centre to the local authority level, and from there on out to communities. We believe that local services can be better planned and delivered when the people who rely on them are fully involved.

Creating Sustainable Communities is concerned with a wide range of cross cutting issues which directly affect both quality of life in Britain's communities and the impact of our lives and work on the environment.

Environment and climate change

Labour has a record of action on climate change. We have displayed leadership at home and abroad, are well on our way to achieving Britain's Kyoto target, and, with Labour's groundbreaking Climate Change Bill, will set the world's first legally binding long term framework for transition to a low carbon economy. Labour's ambitious approach to tackling climate change promotes a safer environmental future for Britain and the world, while we work with communities and households to make Britain's homes, streets and neighbourhoods cleaner and greener.

International leadership

No country has done more in recent years to advance international action on climate change. With Labour, Britain has played a leading role in pressing for and delivering international agreement and action. The Stern Report on the economics of climate change, commissioned by the Prime Minister, has had a powerful influence on international opinion and now forms the basis of both UK and global action.

In Bali in December, a historic breakthrough towards achieving a comprehensive global climate deal by 2009 was reached. For the first time, all developed and developing countries have signed up to bring together all the world's countries to negotiate on a climate treaty going beyond 2012. It has been agreed that the world needs a long-term global goal for reducing emissions and that action needs to be guided by science. Labour in government will continue to prioritise the pursuit of global agreement, working to ensure in particular that key players such as the US, India and China play their part.

Labour is working to promote and support international action as well as agreement. In 2007, Gordon Brown announced the creation of a new £800 million international Environmental Transformation Fund, which will help developing countries to access clean energy, adapt to climate change, and support reduced emissions from deforestation. And in Europe Labour has given strong support to the '2020' package of measures to reduce the EU's emissions by 20 per cent, strengthen the Emissions Trading Scheme and increase the use of renewable energy.

Moving towards a Green Economy

When it becomes law, Labour's groundbreaking Climate Change Bill will set a binding target of at least a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, and 26-32 per cent by 2020. The Bill establishes a Committee on Climate Change (CCC) which will advise the Government on setting five-year carbon budgets. The Government will have to produce a delivery plan to meet the budgets, and to report annually on progress. This system will ensure transparency and accountability.

Whilst we are legislating for at least a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, we recognise that our understanding of climate science and economics has developed significantly since that target was set. That is why we will ask the CCC to advise us, at the same time as it considers the first three five-year budgets, whether our 2050 target, which is already stronger than most other countries, should be raised to 80 per cent.

Moving towards a low carbon economy offers major economic opportunities for British businesses and jobs. Through its manufacturing and innovation strategies the Government is actively looking at ways to support UK firms in developing the goods and services necessary to meet our environmental targets, and to export abroad.

'The move towards a low carbon economy provides a unique opportunity to promote and support a major role for the UK manufacturing industry in the development, manufacture and production of low carbon energy sources and energy efficient products.' GMB

Working with communities and individuals

Labour is working to ensure that families and individuals are given the information and the means to play their own part in tackling climate change and making Britain cleaner and greener. In doing so, we can also help people to save money through greater energy and water efficiency.

All of us have to play our part to act on CO2. We need a national movement to address the changes we all have to make. Even small changes can make a big difference and we are helping people to work out their own carbon footprint and what they can do to reduce it with the online carbon calculator.

We have introduced a new 'Act on CO2' advice service, which will offer a home health check providing advice on energy saving as standard but also on water saving, waste reduction and recycling and green travel options if desired. It will connect people with offers from energy companies for discounted or free energy saving products such as cavity wall and loft insulation, and offer a range of other financial support packages through programmes such as Warm Front. We will look at how this can contact people buying and selling homes with poor energy ratings to connect them with grants, loans and other support to get the work done to improve the rating on their homes.

We are also taking action to reduce the impact of consumer economic activity. Only five per cent of the energy used in an inefficient light bulb is converted to light — the rest is wasted. If every household in the UK changed one regularly used bulb to an energy efficient alternative, it would save enough energy to close down one large power station. We are working with retailers and energy suppliers to phase out inefficient light bulbs, so traditional 150 watt bulbs were phased out by January 2008, 100 watt bulbs will be phased out next year, 40 watt bulbs the year after that and all high-energy light bulbs by 2011.

Recycling has quadrupled in the last decade and Labour's waste strategy for England will deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to at least 9.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2020, through waste reduction, reuse, recycling and sending less biodegradable waste to landfill. We want to enable the recycling of as wide a variety of products as possible and will continue to invest in improved recycling facilities for local authorities.

We are also moving to eliminate single-use disposable bags in favour of long-lasting and more sustainable alternatives. If sufficient progress is not made by the retail sector, we will introduce legislation to impose a charge on single use carrier bags.

Personal carbon trading is a potential way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our system of taxation must always strike the right balance between protecting the environment, protecting the most vulnerable in society and maintaining sound public finances; and there remain many questions about whether a personal carbon trading scheme could be a proportionate, effective, socially equitable and financially viable approach. Therefore, the Government has developed a pre-feasibility work programme that will deliver an initial view on the value of personal carbon trading compared to other approaches to reduce individuals' carbon dioxide emissions.

'There is a link between recycling and socio-economic conditions — for example not every home has space for a range of containers for various types of waste. Therefore more recycling points should be made available, and help given to people to sort recyclables more effectively.' Chelmsford CLP

Energy

Labour is working to ensure the security of Britain's energy supply in an insecure world, while increasing the proportion of our energy that comes from low-carbon sources. With a third of power stations needing to be replaced by 2020, we will provide a strong legislative framework for investors to deploy energy infrastructure that is clean, safe and secure.

A mixed and secure energy supply.

Britain currently imports around 10 per cent of its gas. This is projected to increase to well over 50 per cent by 2020. We will become a net importer of oil by around 2009. Such dependence on increasing imports of oil and gas will bring new risks in an unstable world where energy demand is rising (by over 50 per cent between 2004 and 2030) and energy supplies are becoming more politicised.

To ensure future energy security, for Britain and indeed the rest of Europe, there is a clear need to diversify and add new sources of supply. Energy markets, energy security and climate change are interconnected. We need to work with the rest of Europe to manage risks to our security of supply.

The Strategic Energy Review looked at areas where the EU could work together better — although abiding by the basic principle of subsidiarity. EU Member States remain responsible for their own energy supplies and resources, but acting together at European level can improve energy security for all. The most effective means of ensuring security of supply is a fully effective EU single market, so that gas and electricity can be freely traded throughout the EU and consumers can access secure supplies at competitive prices. While Russia will remain a significant source of gas imports to Europe for the foreseeable future, we must actively develop energy relationships with potential suppliers in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Meanwhile here in Britain it is vital that we continue to work to ensure a diverse energy mix, with greater deployment of renewables, carbon capture and storage and offshore gas infrastructure, while enabling energy companies to bring forward plans to build and operate new nuclear power stations as part of the our strategy for a secure, low-carbon energy mix.

Bringing forward low-carbon energy

The Government has committed to achieving the UK's share of the EU target for 20 per cent of all energy to come from renewable sources. This will involve a major expansion of renewable electricity, heat and transport. We are already strengthening the Renewables Obligation, which places an obligation on electricity suppliers to source an increasing proportion of electricity from renewable sources, to drive greater and more rapid deployment of renewables in Britain. For example we have amended the Renewables Obligation to give more support to new and emerging technologies such as offshore wind, wave and tidal by banding the obligation to provide different levels of support to different renewables technologies. We are now undertaking a major review on how we can increase renewables further to meet the 2020 target, and will issue a consultation document this summer before a final strategy in the spring of 2009. We will also look for ways in which we can support the decentralised production of energy where this is viable.

Our commitment to renewables is already visible. In the last year, we have announced the go-ahead for several major wind farms including the London Array, reinforcing our commitment to renewable energy and combating climate change. The Thames Estuary project will consist of up to 341 wind turbines and when completed will be able to generate enough electricity to power one in four homes in Greater London. We have also initiated a feasibility study for a Severn Barrage, which has the potential to generate up to five per cent of Britain's electricity.

Nuclear power is another low carbon source of electricity, currently supplying around 20 per cent of the UK's demand. The Government believes it will be in the public interest for new nuclear power stations to be built and will facilitate this by streamlining the planning and licensing processes. But nuclear power stations will not receive public subsidy, and will pay for the full costs of decommissioning and waste disposal.

Labour also supports the development of carbon capture and storage technology (CCS), which has the potential to reduce the carbon emissions from fossil fuel power stations by up to 90 per cent. We have launched a competition for one of the world's first commercial scale demonstrations of CCS — this will help reduce costs and risks for future projects and put Britain in the lead on the design, construction and operation of CCS. We are creating a regulatory framework to enable private sector investment in CCS projects while also protecting the environment — for example by putting in place a licensing regime for storing carbon dioxide offshore.

'Nuclear generation has a role as part of a balanced energy policy, contributing both to a reduction in carbon emissions and maintaining security of energy supply. It should not be considered as an alternative to renewables, but as part of a balanced energy mix.' Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross CLP

Energy efficiency

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is the centrepiece of Labour's commitment to energy efficiency, now covering 46 per cent of the UK's emissions. In addition Labour established the Climate Change Levy (CCL), a tax on energy use which encourages businesses to improve their energy efficiency. Together with Climate Change Agreements whereby energy intensive industries receive an 80 per cent rebate on CCL in return for delivering quantified emissions reductions, it is estimated that the CCL package will save around 22 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2010, equivalent to taking more than 5 million cars off the road.

Now, for larger but non-energy-intensive businesses we will introduce the 'Carbon Reduction Commitment', the world's first mandatory carbon trading scheme aimed at large commercial and public sector organisations, such as banks, supermarkets and large local authorities. This will be a cost-effective scheme that will save over a million tonnes of carbon per year by 2020, while enabling business to continue to show real leadership in tackling climate change.

In the domestic sector, Labour has committed to making all new homes built after 2016 carbon neutral. In April 2008 Labour introduced the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), an expanded obligation on electricity and gas suppliers to meet targets for the promotion of home energy efficiency. Over the next three years CERT is expected to lead to the insulation of 5 million homes and a further 3 million homes receiving other energy saving measures, saving more than 4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year by 2011. The scheme will also support microgeneration.

Tackling fuel poverty

Every household in the UK should be able to heat and light their homes affordably. However, for some people, meeting basic energy needs accounts for a disproportionate share of income. And despite the progress Labour has made since 1997, recent high energy prices have contributed to fuel poverty.

Under the Warm Front scheme, over £1.2 billion has been spent to assist one and a half million people since the scheme began in 2000. Warm Front can provide a package up to a maximum value of £2,700 to cover improvements such as loft insulation, central heating and draught-proofing. The combination of Warm Front funding of just over £800 million for the 2008-11 period and the focus on low income and elderly consumers through the priority group obligation in the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) mean that spending on energy efficiency and other measures in low income, elderly and disabled households is expected to rise by £680 million to around £2.3 billion compared to the previous spending period.

Labour is committed to trebling the total level of energy company social assistance support £56 million per year to £150 million per year over the next period. We are working with Ofgem and the energy companies to determine how this will be achieved and will legislate if necessary. We are also working with Ofgem and Energywatch to encourage vulnerable customers to use the energy market to get the best deal. We are also committed to working with Ofgem to see that customers are getting a fair deal on pre payment meters.

A sustainable and integrated transport network

Transport is central to Britain's economic and social success and wellbeing. Promoting environmentally sustainable transport and supporting economic growth are not mutually exclusive. Whilst individuals and business continue to value mobility, they have also become more concerned about the adverse impacts of transport on climate change, health and quality of life, and about their own travel experience.

Labour is working now to address the challenges of the future. We have reaffirmed our policy of providing long-term stability of funding for transport. Public spending on transport will have doubled in real terms over the twenty years from 1998-99. We must ensure that this continued investment in the country's networks, together with our other policies, underpins a nationwide transport system that continues to support the UK's economic prosperity.

We believe in a passenger and user focus in our transport policies. We must increase our understanding of the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and road users, rail, bus, and aviation passengers and of international and domestic freight transporters. Our policies must improve every part of their travel experience, from leaving their front door to arriving safely at their destination.

Public transport and promoting sustainable travel

Rail

Britain now has a railway which carries more people and more freight than it has in over 50 years. While we cannot be complacent, it is now safer than ever before. Reliability, which declined sharply during extensive nationwide track testing is now good and improving on most lines. And the finances of the industry are stable and improving. Network Rail is on course to improve efficiency by nearly 33 per cent in five years, and strong growth in demand means that passenger services require less subsidy.

Labour's goal is now to increase capacity on Britain's rail network. In our 2007 rail White Paper, Labour set out the most positive statement about the growth and development of Britain's railways in 50 years. We have set out in detail what we are committed to delivering to 2014, and a long term strategy going beyond that time.

We have announced fully funded plans for over 1,300 new carriages — nearly 100,000 new seats — on Britain's railways between now and 2014, alongside spending of £5.5 billion on Thameslink, and £600 million to improve stations and tackle bottlenecks at Birmingham New Street and Reading. We are spending £150 million on the refurbishment of 150 other stations and have made a clear commitment not to close rural lines. All of this comes, of course, in addition to Crossrail, a major new rail development for London and the South East linking Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west right across the capital into Essex and Kent in the East.

We have set ourselves the long-term goal of doubling the level of demand rail can accommodate. A new generation of inter-city express trains will come into service from 2016, and we are supporting investment in in-cab signalling which will allow more trains to

operate per mile of track. We are also supporting a strategic freight network which improves connections between regions and ports. We will start work now on developing options for new rail lines or further electrification so that we are ready when decisions need to be taken in future.

We must also focus on delivering what passengers want: a better experience of rail travel, better, safer stations, action to tackle crime on the rail network, and a simpler structure of fares. While cheaper, advance booking fares have been welcomed, many find current rail fare structures overly complicated. In future, rail fares will be simpler. The names of fare types will be common across the network, regardless of operator. A simpler fares structure will make it much easier for passengers to know that they have obtained the right ticket for their journey at the best possible price. It will also make it easier for staff to advise on ticket choices and for operators to present accurate and straightforward advice online.

Buses

With Labour, bus patronage continues to increase year-on-year, reversing a trend that dates back to the 1950s. Now we must take steps to further encourage the use of buses and to enable local authorities to ensure the quality of local service provision.

We are empowering local authorities to meet local transport needs in the light of local circumstances. We will enable local authorities to promote more effective partnership between local authorities and bus operators and allow greater flexibility to implement 'quality contracts' schemes in areas where local authorities need to take greater control over bus services in order to ensure a more reliable service. We will also give local authorities the power to review and propose their own arrangements for local transport governance to support more coherent planning, management and delivery of services.

Since 1 April 2008, all elderly and disabled people in England have been able to travel free off-peak on any local bus service in the country. Following the successful implementation of this measure, we will take stock before looking at how we can further encourage greater bus patronage. We will continue to support local bus transport in rural areas through the Rural Bus Subsidy.

In order to maximise the popularity of bus services as a mode of travel of choice, we must also seek to ensure that the voice of the passenger is heard. We will create an influential new bus passenger champion to represent the interests of bus passengers.

'It is important that people feel safe on all parts of the public transport system. If not, they will not use the system, deciding either to stay at home or use the car' Unite

Low carbon travel

41 per cent of all journeys are less than 2 miles, a distance easily cycled in less than 15 minutes. If we can make it easier and more attractive for people to make these journeys on bicycle or foot, we could have a considerable impact on congestion and air pollution.

Cycling has a major role to play in any sustainable transport strategy. It helps to tackle local congestion and air pollution and offers people more opportunities for exercise. Labour has announced record investment of £140 million for cycling over the next three years, helping children learn to cycle safely and adults rediscover their bikes.

We expect this will allow an extra 500,000 children to be cycle trained to the Bikeability standard by 2012. It will also mean building 250 more safe cycle routes to schools, and up to ten more Cycle Demonstration Towns and the first large Cycle Demonstration City. Current Cycle Demonstration Towns have used Government funding to provide bike parking spaces at schools; provide personal travel planning programmes; create secure storage at workplaces and shops; and build more cycle routes - thereby increasing cycling levels significantly.

Our 'Sustainable Travel Towns' scheme is proving successful. The 5 year project aims to demonstrate the effect a sustained package of 'Smarter Choice' measures can have on the way people choose to travel when coupled with infrastructure improvements. Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester were selected from more than 50 local authorities in England who expressed an interest in becoming demonstration towns. In 2009, when the five year behavioural survey results are available, these pilots will allow us to measure the success of such schemes and learn lessons about how we and local government can better promote and enable sustainable local travel in all local areas.

Roads and congestion

As we travel more, and as traffic grows, tackling congestion becomes increasingly demanding. There are six million more vehicles on our roads today than in 1997, and there are more two-car households than no-car households. Traffic is set to continue growing - much of it on roads and motorways that are already operating at close to capacity during busy periods.

If congestion is left to grow unchecked, it will increasingly disrupt people as they go about their daily lives. Rod Eddington, in his Government-commissioned transport study, estimated that unless we take action, congestion could cost us an extra £22 billion in wasted time by 2025.

There is a continued role for investment in building and widening roads. But financial and environmental constraints demand that we must also make the best possible use of existing capacity to improve journeys for road users.

We will continue to explore and trial the technologies and systems that could underpin a national road pricing scheme in the future. However we do not as yet have all the answers as to how such a scheme would work and how peoples' concerns could be met. So we will focus on tackling congestion where it is greatest now - in our urban areas and on our motorways.

London has shown what can be done by investing in public transport together with introducing a congestion charging scheme. We believe that other towns and cities across England can benefit from this approach. We are therefore committing £200 million a year up to 2019 for similar congestion-busting packages through the Transport Innovation Fund.

'If road pricing schemes are to enjoy public support, and be seen to be fair, they must not penalise essential users and low paid workers. Transport authorities must, if they are to include road pricing as part of their integrated transport strategy, set out practical and affordable alternatives to car use' UNISON Labour Link

To tackle congestion on motorways we will extend the successful 'active traffic management' concept more widely, while locking in the benefits of new capacity through car share and tolled lanes. Active traffic management aims to help keep the traffic moving by making the best possible use of the space available on our existing motorways, for example by directing motorists to use the hard shoulder as a running lane at certain times. The feasibility study into extending the successful pilot on the M42 near Birmingham has identified around 800 lane kilometres of England's motorways which could soon benefit from this approach. Safety must be paramount, but by providing emergency refuge areas and monitoring traffic carefully, the pilot shows that safety levels have not been compromised.

To ensure that road transport plays its part in meeting our emissions reduction target, we will need lower carbon cars, used more efficiently and facing more of the environmental costs of their pollution. We are restructuring vehicle excise duty (VED) to incentivise motorists to purchase fuel efficient vehicles.

Aviation

As a global hub for finance, trade, and culture, Britain's competitiveness is supported by aviation in an integral way; fast, effective connections to international markets are essential to our future success. And aviation is important not just to our economy and for jobs, but to families and individuals. Travelling abroad can enrich and improve our lives in many ways. However, aviation is also making an increasing contribution to worldwide growth in carbon emissions, and with other areas of the economy delivering reductions in emissions, aviation needs to play its part.

For these reasons Labour supports the sustainable growth of aviation as set out in the Air Transport White Paper published in 2003 - subject to meeting strict local environmental conditions on noise, air quality and surface access. At the global level we are leading the way in pressing for aviation to be included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as soon as possible. This will cap emissions from the aviation sector, so that any increase in emissions must be fully offset by requiring airlines to pay for equivalent emissions reductions from elsewhere. To ensure that we can take a fully-informed decision on whether and how to include these emissions in our targets, the Government will ask the Committee on Climate Change for its independent advice on the impact of including aviation emissions in our targets and on a methodology for doing so.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor has announced a change to the way aviation is taxed. The existing Air Passenger Duty will be replaced with a 'per plane' tax from 1 November 2009. By moving to taxing planes rather than passengers airlines will be encouraged to operate more efficiently and to assess environmental impact.

Local Government and Communities

Labour believes in delivering social justice to all wherever they live. That means that we insist on national standards in key areas and that we fund local services to help deliver this fairly. But we are clear that the best way to govern ourselves and to deliver excellent services is in most cases through decentralisation and devolution. We believe that wherever possible we should pass influence, power and control to the people, to local institutions and groups, to front line staff and to local councils. We do this because we trust the people to be the best authors of their destinies, and want to see power spread through our society.

Labour's approach is rooted in the idea that local people and communities possess the ingenuity and common sense to run their own affairs and collectively solve their problems, given the right framework of resources and support from central government.

The Labour Government has signed a landmark concordat with the Local Government Association which enshrines the rights and responsibilities of central and local government in England, establishing the principle of devolution and decentralisation at the heart our constitutional relationships.

'Labour should champion devolution and localism - transferring power from town halls to local communities in a feasible and sustainable way. We are committed to the community empowerment agenda, putting people in charge and giving them more power over their lives and shaping where they live. This needs to be accompanied by a commitment that power will be devolved where a lower level of government is best able to deliver the solution.' LGA Labour Group

We want to see revived and efficient local government, with strong, visible and accountable local leadership, as the key driver for greater devolution. We want to build on the record investment in local councils, so that local people can expect first-class services, tailored to their own expectations and needs.

Labour wants to build strong, cohesive communities, where people from different races, faiths and backgrounds can live side by side in peace and tolerance, each strong in their identity and heritage, and all united in shared values and sense of Britishness.

Strong local authorities and leadership

Labour wants to promote strong, responsive local authorities and visible and accountable local leadership.

We see local councils as the paramount local agency, commissioning and delivering services, creating strong neighbourhoods, promoting local democracy, and the legitimate forum for local party political debate and contests. We want to see local councils in their true light as vibrant, political, democratic organisations, run by democratically-elected councillors, served by professional officers, and not as units of local administration or run by unelected officials. Within our national targets, reflecting our priorities for social justice, we have reduced the national performance indicators and targets so that local authorities and their partners are better able to respond to local needs and demands. As local councils' standards and performance continues to improve, we aim to devolve more responsibilities to local authorities.

We have given local communities the choice of directly elected mayors for their towns, and where adopted, elected mayors have proved effective and popular with residents. We have recently legislated to make it easier for mayors to be adopted as we believe that this model, where communities choose to adopt it, can provide greater levels of accountability and stronger local leadership.

We believe that we can create stronger local government, which means more to citizens, by promoting the adoption of more responsive and efficient structures. This is why we recently allowed areas to come forward with proposals to move to unitary governance structures many of which we have now adopted. We have also given councils the freedom to move to whole-council elections and single member wards. Meanwhile, we are making it easier to set up parish councils by enabling local authorities to make decisions and put in place appropriate community governance arrangements, taking account of the views of local people — with local residents able to initiate a review of community governance by petitioning their council.

We will continue to support and develop the role of the local councillor, and in particular seek to promote greater diversity among those seeking to become involved in civic life — we want to see more councillors from different social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, more women and more young councillors. We will ensure that every council has provision for youth involvement, for example youth mayors and panels.

We believe that cities play an increasingly important role as engines of economic growth in our global economy. Strong cities make stronger regions and strong cities need strong regions. We will work closely with and support groups of local authorities in city regions in developing Multi-Area Agreements to facilitate greater collaboration on economic development across local government boundaries.

Excellent local services

Council services have been improving in recent years thanks to extra investment, councillors' leadership and the hard work of council workers, but we believe in continual reform and improvement to keep pace with the rising expectations of local people. Labour in government seeks to guarantee the quality of local services, and to aim for equity, which is why we have inspections and targets. To remove these would be a recipe for chaos and unfairness. But we also recognise that we need to give councils more space to meet local needs in a way that fits local circumstances, and greater flexibility to pursue local priorities. This is why we have radically reduced the number of performance indicators and targets from up to 1,200 to around 200.

We have made provision for better local outcomes through Local Area Agreements (LAAs), with a strengthened leadership role for local authorities so services are better co-ordinated, closer to communities and better value for money. Labour believes in promoting the importance of local partnership working to delivering excellent services.

We will work with local authorities to ensure that Local Area Agreements are presented to the public in an accessible way, so that communities can see clearly what is being done to improve local services and quality of life

We especially want to see an end to the 'nine-to-five' culture of local services and explore with local authorities and agencies the best way to ensure round-the-clock services for residents which mirror the best services in other sectors. We recognise that people live ever more busy lives, with longer and more irregular hours, and our local services should reflect modern life.

Labour supports social enterprises, and the co-operative and mutual sectors. We want to see a major expansion in the role of social enterprises, and will encourage local authorities and other agencies to work in partnership with them, as well as with local business. We will continue to value and support so-called 'social entrepreneurs', the inspirational individuals who create and lead change in their communities.

As with all elements of the taxation system, we will continue to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of the council tax system. We support Sir Michael Lyons' conclusion that a property tax should be retained. However, there are challenges which must be addressed, such as affordability and fairness. Council Tax Benefit is key to helping those on low incomes and we will continue working to improve take-up. Meanwhile, we have brought in pilots of schemes to encourage more recycling so promoting 'good behaviour' via incentives.

Putting communities in control

In tandem with more powers and resources for local councils, we will devolve more power and control to local communities and citizens (so-called 'double devolution'). We believe that community-based organisations and campaigns have a vital role to play in running local services, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, supporting families, regenerating rundown neighbourhoods, bringing different faith groups together, engaging young people, and supporting people who want to become community champions. We see these local organisations as an essential bulwark of our democracy, giving people the chance to develop the core skills of local politics and advocacy, and creating 'active citizens'. We will continue to pass more powers to local communities through schemes such as participatory budgeting, which give local people a say over how investment is spent; more citizens' juries and citizens' panels to guide decision-making and the development of public policy; and an acceleration in the process of asset transfer, so that community groups can own and run everything from swimming pools, markets, disused shops and pubs, to major leisure facilities and land. We will encourage and support community groups to take on assets and run them to the benefit of local people. We should allow councils to innovate in new ways to involve people, for example through petitions, referenda, and on-line.

Stronger communities

As we expand our house-building programme, redevelop our town and city centres, and invest in the regeneration of our deprived neighbourhoods, we will ensure a high standard and quality of design, architecture and planning. We aim to continue democratising our planning system, ensuring a strong voice for local communities, and ensure planning decisions can be made effectively and swiftly.

We will work with the best British and international architects and designers to create beautiful, inspirational and inclusive buildings, public spaces and public works of art. We will use good design to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, and climate change.

We will work to ensure that no-one in Britain is disadvantaged by where they live, and continue to invest in deprived neighbourhoods to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, drugs, teenage pregnancies, and worklessness. We have made strides to tackle many of the problems created by the Tory years, but persistent pockets of unacceptably high unemployment remain. We will target our Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) to get people into work, as the surest method of tackling poverty and social exclusion.

We will deliver a new £45 million capital grants programme to renew England's seaside resorts. The grants are the first to be made as part of Sea Change, a new funding programme which aims to kick start wider economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in culture and heritage - promoting inspiring, creative and innovative projects, which bring with them a sense of pride, enjoyment and celebration.

Strong, cohesive communities are the most resistant to messages of hate and violence from political and religious extremists. We will support individuals who make a stand against violent extremism, and we will provide platforms for people to challenge violent extremism with confidence. Labour's vision remains for a society where people with different faiths and viewpoints can co-exist, and where there is a full role for faith-based organisations in the community. But we stand full square against people who peddle hatred, racism, anti- Semitism, homophobia and religious intolerance, and will root out and tackle individuals and organisations promulgating such views.

Local councils and other local groups, campaigns, and voluntary organisations such as Neighbourhood Watch, have a vital role to play in tackling crime, anti-social behaviour, noisy neighbours, and vandalism, fly-tipping, street drinking and out-of-control dogs. Labour believes that everyone has the right to live free from intimidation and fear in their own home and on their street, and we will continue to use the full range of powers to crack down on anti-social behaviour. We want a society where people play by the rules, respect one another, and where rights are balanced by responsibilities.

There is more on our approach to anti-social behaviour in the Crime, Justice, Citizenship and Equalities document.

Delivering High Quality Affordable Housing

Labour believes everyone should have access to a decent home, at an affordable price. We have made real progress since 1997 in tackling Britain's housing challenges. There are over a million more home owners; we have brought a million social homes up to decent standard and taken action to cut homelessness by two thirds.

But we need to respond to today's challenges. Labour has announced ambitious plans for 3 million new homes by 2020 - homes which are desperately needed by young families, key workers and first time buyers across the country. These new homes will be well designed, with higher environmental standards, and linked to transport, schools and health infrastructure.

Our commitment to building new socially rented homes — including stretching targets for the number of family sized homes - will help us tackle the unacceptable overcrowding that still exists in the some parts of the country. In addition, this will enable us to continue to reduce the number of statutorily homeless families in temporary accommodation.

Bringing forward new affordable housing

The building of new affordable housing is central to meeting future housing need. Labour has signalled its intent to significantly increase the supply of new affordable housing — with a target to deliver at least 70,000 more affordable homes a year by 2010-11, including 45,000 new social homes. In 2007, for the first time since 1983, the number of new social homes provided outstripped the number lost through right to buy. This is an important milestone.

Clearly many challenges exist on the way to meeting our ambitious goals. There is a serious need for more long-term investment by the public and private sector in new affordable housing and Labour is committed to achieving this.

We are particularly aware of the need for growth in the number of social houses. To increase the supply of social housing over the next three years, Labour has provided investment of £8.4 billion to be shared across the regions. Every region is to receive at least a five per cent increase every year over the next three years — with areas of greatest need receiving far more than that.

We have also brought forward proposals which will make it easier for local authorities and housing associations to increase the supply of social housing. We will bring in measures which will give councils new freedoms to increase social housing supply, including the building of new social housing. We are working with fourteen local authorities to develop Local Housing Companies which offer new ways of realising our ambitions for a new generation of social housing.

Well performing councils will be able to access housing grants formerly reserved for housing associations (councils with ALMOs (Arms Length Management Organisations) or special venture vehicles will be able to apply for social housing grants). They will also be able to keep hold of full rents from new social housing and get their full cash back from sales to tenants, unlike at present where part is pooled and recycled, thus removing a major block to direct local authority development.

Building on the work of the pilots which were conducted with six local authorities, looking at the costs and benefits of councils operating outside the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), we have announced a review of the HRA. The findings of this review will help us ensure that we have a sustainable, long term system for financing council housing.

Previous planning policy has not yet provided enough new land for affordable homes quickly enough. For example, currently, around 60 per cent of medium and large residential schemes do not include any contribution to affordable housing under Section 106 agreements (legal agreements between local planning authorities and developers, which impose obligations on the developer as a condition of planning approval). This is not good enough.

This is why we have given councils greater powers to bring forward more key worker and social rented housing on smaller sites. Labour is now working to unblock the planning system and ensure that more land is released for development, with new incentives for councils and developers to bring forward land more quickly.

We must recognise the different and varied housing needs in different parts of the country. Shortages of affordable housing in the countryside endanger the long term sustainability of many of our rural communities. Quite simply, in many villages it is difficult for young people on relatively low incomes to find affordable housing, to buy or to rent. We will work with communities to look for appropriate and innovative ways — including possible community land trusts and agreements with land owners - to provide the homes that are desperately needed, whilst protecting the natural beauty of our countryside.

'The shortage of affordable housing can only be resolved by a significant increase in housebuilding. We support growth, but also recognise that it must be accompanied by investment in schools and transport to be successful.' Luton North CLP

Supporting home ownership

There are more than a million more home owners than in 1997. Thousands of social tenants have got their foot on the housing ladder through Right to Buy and Right to Acquire. In addition, 95,000 first time buyers — including many key workers - have been helped by Labour's shared equity and shared ownership schemes.

We will continue to provide shared equity support, and will work with industry to look to extend current products and develop new products, for first time buyers in order to help more people realise their dream.

Promoting mixed communities

In his independent report on the future role of social housing, Professor John Hills found that single tenure estates in deprived areas were particularly associated with social problems and high levels of tenant dissatisfaction.

Labour wants to promote the development of mixed and stable communities, characterised by a mix of tenures, where social tenants live side by side with owner occupiers, and the socially rented home is indistinguishable from the privately owned home next door. For Labour housing is a social justice issue. We have always understood the vital safety net provided to the most vulnerable people in our society by social housing and housing benefit. This will remain.

The residualisation of social housing means that some estates suffer from concentrated pockets of intergenerational poverty and worklessness. Labour should not be prepared to accept that there is no more we can do to unlock the talent in these communities. We have introduced the Housing Options Service to provide more holistic advice to tenants and potential tenants about not just their housing, but other needs too. This is also why we are working with stakeholders to see how we can realise the potential of social housing to be a springboard to opportunity for tenants. The new Homes and Communities Agency will look further at how to promote mixed communities.

'Local authorities must ensure that new housing developments are of a genuinely mixed nature. Addressing the complex needs of vulnerable people within the provision of housing could help reduce crime, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour. Worklessness must be tackled in partnership with social landlords." Manchester Gorton CLP

Sustainable housing development

We must ensure that the increased level of house building to which we are committed does not have an impact on our ability to achieve our emissions reduction targets. Labour has announced that from 2016 all new homes should be zero carbon, with milestones that by 2010 new homes should emit 25 per cent less carbon; and by 2013, 44 per cent less carbon. We have already exempted Zero carbon homes from stamp duty.

The Government invited local authorities and developers to bid for the right to develop up to ten new Eco Towns. Eco-towns will be the first new towns since the 1960s and offer us an exciting opportunity to build the houses we need for the future, in a way that promotes our desire for sustainable communities and helps us to meet our climate change objectives.

They will provide a vital boost to affordable housing across the country — between 30-50 per cent in each location. We want them to follow the most ambitious European models, where half the households do not rely on a car. To help achieve this, major facilities such as schools and health centres should be located within 10 minutes walk. Emphasis will be placed on the need to create open and friendly communities with an acre of parkland for every hundred homes

Meanwhile, we have reinforced our commitment to retaining robust protections of the greenbelt and putting better planning at the heart of efforts to cut carbon emissions.

Quality accommodation in the private and social sectors

The Decent Homes scheme has helped to deliver £20 billion investment for major improvements in social housing conditions — lifting over one million children out of cold, damp or poor housing. Labour has announced further investment of £2.4 billion in the ALMO programme over the next three years. We expect that this will bring a further 150,000 homes up to standard. And we are investing almost £2 billion to fund improvements to local authority owned and private sector stock.

We are establishing a new watchdog for social tenants which will listen to tenants' concerns and have powers to ensure they are getting a good service. Housing Association tenants will be given new powers to trigger inspections of their landlords if they are providing a poor service. The watchdog will be able to impose sanctions, including setting and issuing fines against landlords and housing associations which are, for example, taking too long to carry out repairs or are not engaging properly with tenants. Meanwhile, where housing associations provide a good service and tenant satisfaction is high, the regulator will act to cut red tape.

It is also right that we seek to empower tenants with a greater level of choice, including the ability to re-locate. There are 'choice based lettings' schemes already operating successfully in around 60 per cent of areas. This scheme allows tenants to express a preference about the location and type of accommodation they want to live in. This will be rolled out across England by 2010. In addition, we are considering reforms to the 'reasonable preference' categories in order to better support tenants who want to move in order to take up employment opportunities.

The private sector is growing as a proportion of rented housing and there is broad agreement that it has the potential to contribute more to people's housing choices. To this end, we have launched an independent review of the private sector. The review will look at how the sector might do more to contribute to the choice for those who need rented accommodation. Specifically the review will look at issues around the quality of stock, behaviour of landlords, tenure and the impact of Buy to Let. It will also examine the impact of demographic and social change on future demand and supply. Labour councils are already working in partnership with good private landlords for the benefit of tenants. We will work with them to see what more can be achieved.

Labour has legislated to regulate Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) which in some areas are characterised by poor maintenance, inadequate safety measures and the exploitation of tenants particularly students and migrants, to the detriment of the whole community. Labour will work with local authorities, student organisations, tenants groups and others to ensure this legislation is improving the standard of HMOs and will keep under review what more can be done tackle bad landlords.

Homes left empty by their owners are also a major cause for concern. People living near derelict properties find their own homes are devalued as a result. They also represent waste and missed housing opportunities. We have introduced powers for local authorities to take on the management of empty properties by issuing Empty Dwelling Management Orders.

Rural Affairs and Animal Welfare

Labour is working to support strong rural communities by tackling unemployment, expanding rural economic opportunity and safeguarding rural public services. We believe in sustainable rural communities with well-paid jobs and affordable housing, developing rural business and industry; and ensuring a sustainable future for our farming and food industries. Meanwhile, we will protect and enhance the natural environment of our countryside for future generations.

While rural communities face many of the same challenges as those urban and suburban areas, in some cases those challenges are more pronounced, and sometimes require different solutions. For example, rural housing and transport are both key issues that can in some places present more acute need. We will continue working to ensure the needs of rural communities are met and that rural issues are mainstreamed across policy making.

Farming

We are committed to a strong and prosperous farming sector that nurtures our countryside and biodiversity, contributes towards Britain's food security, and provides environmental goods and services like flood defences, storm protection, climate regulation, habitats and healthy soils.

British farming can be an industry that, because of the quality, safety, environmental and animal welfare standards of the food and other products it makes, is profitable and competitive domestically and internationally.

We will help ensure that the industry works together collaboratively to meet the challenges it faces, and manages the risks we face effectively. We will share greater responsibility for decisions that affect farmers with the farming industry, as we help the industry move towards greater financial independence, through our cost and responsibility sharing programme and reforms.

We will help farmers embrace their environmental responsibilities — tackling climate chance, managing water and the soil — and see them as essential to its long term economic success, rather than a threat to it. We are committed to spending £3.9 billion in the next Rural Development Programme in England; the major part of which will be devoted to agrienvironment schemes under Environmental Stewardship, improving the quality of our countryside for people to enjoy and for our wildlife.

We will also continue to ensure that our response to animal diseases such as foot and mouth, bluetongue, bovine TB and avian flu is robust and effective.

In Europe, we will press for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to reduce market management, with farmers producing for the market, and the taxpayer paying for the delivery of public goods — particularly environmental ones — which the market cannot provide.

We will also work with the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming, including through piloting anaerobic digestion to generate renewable energy from farm waste.

The marine environment and fisheries

Labour believes ensuring clean, safe, healthy, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas are key to our wider environmental objectives. We seek to ensure biodiverse marine ecosystems that function effectively and help to mitigate climate change; clean bathing waters that are safe for people to use, and marine resources put to best use in ways that benefit coastal communities and society more broadly. We also believe that the fishing industry performs a vital economic activity, but needs to be effectively managed to protect both stocks and broader environmental sustainability

We will introduce a groundbreaking Marine Bill, which will transform the way we manage the marine environment and introduce a globally pioneering marine planning system. We will introduce a better system for managing marine resources, so that we can make the process by which developers gain consents simpler, while ensuring that we manage potential conflicts between uses of the sea, and ensure sustainability. New measures will also enable us to open up coastal access.

We are committed to effectively managing flood and coastal erosion risk. Spending on protection from flooding has nearly doubled in the last ten years to an estimated £600 million in 2007-08. We will continue to deliver a steady increase in funding in the coming years.

Animal Welfare

Labour has a proud record on animal welfare. Over the past ten years, we have introduced laws which banned practices such as drift net fishing and fur farming, set minimum standards for animal welfare, banned the testing of cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco on animals, set tougher sentences for crimes of cruelty against animals and gave the Commons a vote on fox hunting, which resulted in the practice being banned.

New laws brought in by Labour make owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met, including the need to provide a suitable living environment and diet and to protect their animals from pain, injury, suffering and disease. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison. The new laws also increase to 16 the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age.

Labour has consistently opposed the annual Canadian seal hunt. In government we are seeking an EU-wide ban on the commercial import of listed products of harp and hooded seals. If the hunt continues, it is vital that the Canadian Government continues to closely monitor the hunt and ensures that seals do not suffer improper treatment or are killed inhumanely.

We will continue to extend protection for animals, including improving meat chicken regulation, reviewing animal transport rules and developing welfare labelling.

We will also maintain an export licensing system for horses, protect the Dangerous Dogs Index, improve the dangerous dogs legislation and look at new regulatory controls for greyhounds and web screening of animal fights.

'Environmental diplomacy must reach beyond climate change to other issues such as conservation and animal welfare, and these should be viewed as an essential part of the UK's diplomatic mission' International Fund for Animal Welfare

Arts, Culture and Sport

Arts, culture and museums

Since 1997 Britain's arts and cultural institutions and have seen a renaissance with unprecedented funding investment, combined with the introduction of free admission to museums and galleries. This has transformed the quality and accessibility of our world class national treasures and visits to former charging museums have almost doubled since 2001; among children there has been a 70 per cent increase in visits.

Programmes to support museums and galleries outside London have attracted 750,000 new visitors and attendance at regional theatre has increased by 40 per cent with a 60 per cenmt increase in the number of pupils benefiting from educational work in theatres. This has all been possible thanks to the 76 per cent real terms increase since 1997 in arts funding.

The challenge now is how we use this access to enable the talents of everyone in Britain to flourish, especially young people. That is why, with Creative Partnerships, we have enabled over 330,000 students in the most deprived wards in the country to work with local arts and cultural organisations. With the establishment of the Youth Culture Trust Labour is committed to ensuring that every child has access to five hours of arts, music and culture every week.

Labour believes that the arts and cultural institutions can help bind our communities together and will continue to support world class artistic and cultural institutions in Britain, while working to broaden access for all to a rich and varied artistic and cultural life.

The BBC is an important and valuable part of Britain's cultural life. We aim to secure a strong BBC; to maintain world class standards and a trusted brand across old and new media; and to ensure that every person in Britain gets to share in the benefits of digital technology through Digital Switchover between 2008 and 2012. We also wish to see a vibrant commercial broadcasting sector. Regional broadcasting — particularly of news and current affairs — is of great value to people and should be seen as an important part of what both the BBC and the commercial sector do.

Britain's creative industries

British creative industries have emerged as the leading players in the global economy and under Labour have gone from strength to strength. Two million people are employed in creative jobs and the sector contributes £60 billion a year - 7.3 per cent - to the British economy. Over the past decade the creative sector has grown at twice the rate of the economy as a whole and the annual exports in cultural goods amount to £11.6 billion.

From film and video games to design and fashion, from music to television our creative industries project a sense of Britishness around the world.

To further support creativity in Britain the Government published 'Creative Britain: New Talents for the New economy', announcing a series of measures aimed at supporting our creative industries and developing the talent of all people up and down the country. 5,000 creative apprenticeships and 5 hours of culture a week for school children will help nurture creativity, whilst allowing people the chance to unlock their artistic and cultural potential.

Sport

Labour believes in making sure that participation in sport is accessible to all. In 2002, just 25 per cent of schoolchildren undertook two hours of physical activity, but this has now been raised to 80 per cent thanks to the support provided by Labour in Government and the work of parents, teachers, coaches and volunteers.

Labour had set an aim of offering all children four hours of sport by 2010 through a combination of sport provision in the curriculum and out of school and community activities. However, with the addition of £100 million extra funding this has been increased to 5 hours.

We have overseen the creation of 422 School Sports Partnerships covering every school, in conjunction with the Youth Sports Trust and sports governing bodies who have been encouraging schools and clubs to work together to deliver this policy. Every school has access to a School Sports Coordinator who helps them link up with local sports colleges and sports clubs to be able to use the best facilities available to them in their area, and be supported by qualified coaches. Every primary school now has a designated teacher responsible for PE.

Playing fields now have the best ever protection through Government planning regulations and arrangement. Schools are not allowed to sell playing fields that schools or their communities need for sport. Labour will continue to ensure that local playing fields are protected.

There is more on sport in schools in the Education and Skills policy document.

Labour will also work to help support sports clubs by helping them to recruit the volunteer support they need to achieve their full potential, through initiatives such as TimeBank. We need to strike the right balance between helping volunteers who are passionate about sport build clubs in their communities free from unnecessary burdens, whilst making sure that children and young people are protected and parents can be confident that their children are safe and secure when participating in competitive sport.

London 2012 — The Olympic and Paralympic Games

In 2012, London will welcome more than 23,000 competitors and officials from more than 200 countries. Among them will be the world's greatest sportsmen and women. The Olympic and Paralympic Games will deliver thousands of new jobs and homes, a huge range of opportunities for businesses of every size up and down the country, and will transform one of the most deprived parts of London. The Games will also inspire a new generation to greater sporting activity and achievement and will help to foster a healthy and active nation.

'The 2012 Games can provide a focus for raising the profile of sport not just in our educational establishments but across the community at large. Investment in the London Olympics should be accompanied by investment across the country in improving sporting facilities at schools, colleges and universities and within communities.' Putney CLP

We have set out an ambitious vision for the London 2012 Olympic Games: combining world class venues and facilities with a legacy of regeneration for one of Europe's poorest areas and inspiration for a generation of Britain's young people. Labour aims to deliver the best ever Olympic and Paralympic Games, while making the most of the many sporting and regeneration opportunities that they offer for London and all of Britain.

Britain has one of the World's best developed tourist markets. We will continue working to support Britain's tourism industry, to meet rising expectations, capture new markets and meet changing visitor needs. We must also grasp the opportunities with which London 2012 presents us to improve r tourism infrastructure and facilities — following the example of countries such as Spain and Australia who have shown how hosting the Games can benefit tourism.