CSR cuts against localism

Posted by Ben Lee, NANM Director

The devil is surely in the detail of the Comprehensive Spending Review. However, the reaction so far from neighbourhood groups is that there is little to back up Coalition rhetoric on localism – the effect in reality may be the opposite.

Our post-CSR online poll of NANM members found only one in five thought the CSR helped localism and neighbourhood empowerment – with nearly two-thirds fearing it will mean more centralised decision-making. Three-quarters of respondents also believe the cuts will make it harder for local communities to decide how money is spent in their neighbourhoods and to instigate community-led action.

Some respondents do believe the CSR promotes neighbourhood leadership and innovation, and may be good for localism in the longer term – one was ‘surprisingly heartened’. The majority however believe neighbourhood teams will be seen as expendable and ‘the first to go’ while centralised frontline services cling on and avoid the axe. Respondents also voiced real concern about the combined impact in the most deprived neighbourhoods of cutting community initiatives, alongside welfare and benefit cuts.

When asked whether local people in their neighbourhood were likely to stage Big Society takeovers of local services, three-quarters thought not – especially if the many mothers who currently support local groups have to increase their paid work to maintain tax credits. However 20% believed they might, though as community enterprises and not as unpaid volunteers.

Views about the CSR’s impact in driving innovation and reform in public services were more mixed. Respondents were split 50/50 on whether spending pressure will speed up local public service reform or slow it down. When asked whether that pressure will also encourage innovation, around 44% thought it would.

This paints a very mixed picture. Are local public services set to change on a massive scale? Beyond doubt. But does the CSR encourage more localised decision-making, shared leadership with communities, and support for the poorest to take charge of their lives – all core pillars of the Coalition rhetoric? It looks like the Coalition have left that to chance…