Kellys heroics

No comments

The past month or so has been marked by Ruth Kelly鈥檚 coming out, not in the white chiffon frills of a debutante, but in her customary sensible trouser suit.

A busy schedule of speeches and presentations has given us a clear idea of the direction of the local government secretary鈥檚 thoughts and actions 鈥� and demonstrated that she has taken on her new role with gusto.

After the May reshuffle there were mutterings that the new localism agenda could be diminished by David Miliband鈥檚 departure from the brownfields of DCLG for the greenfields of DEFRA. In her brisk, clearly articulated words, Kelly has swept away such concerns.

She has made it plain, albeit using that lamentably bureaucratic phrase 鈥渄ouble devolution鈥�, that power will be passed from central government, down to local government, and thence to communities. At the International Mayors and City Leaders Forum last month, Kelly said that her department has 鈥渁 clear mandate from the prime minister to help to attain the goal of economically strong cities鈥�.

There is more. Also last month, Kelly said she wanted to see local authorities taking an increasingly powerful strategic role, specifically on housing. She said she thought local authorities were perfectly placed to look across all housing tenures, perhaps putting paid to housebuilders鈥� hopes that her department will reverse its intention to give councils greater powers to dictate what they build (we shall have to wait for the much-delayed Planning Policy Statement 3, before we know for sure).

But before they start cracking open the lukewarm Asti on the town hall steps to celebrate a return to the good old Old Labour days, it is worth giving a thought to the local authorities on the receiving end of this power. Councils face some seemingly impossible regeneration decisions, as this issue of Regenerate demonstrates. Are those local authorities that are refusing to let their Victorian industrial heartlands be redeveloped for 21st century homes (see page 16) neglecting housing need or protecting their economic wellbeing? Will Harlow鈥檚 retail-led strategy for revival work or will it exacerbate the town鈥檚 problems (see page 26)? All the power in the world won鈥檛 give them the answers.