28 C O N T E X T 1 2 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 to do the work of the local authority and engage experts to advise them? Local plans also raised questions of compliance with European Directives and legislation, and national legislation (planning and the rest). And with an expected low electoral turnout in neighbourhood referendums there was potential for a ‘democratic deficit’, in which the majority was disempowered. Community engagement would need specialist support; events needed to be relevant, stimulating and fun; proposals needed to be realistic; community engagement needed to be targeted and accessible. All of this raised the question of resources.Who would provide or pay for community engagement, capacity building, professional support, evidence and implementing neighbourhood planning? Would it be some private business benefactor? Hugh Rolo, director of innovation for Locality, discussed ‘Asset Transfer of Historic Buildings in the UK’. He said that finding a sustainable use for a place was not just about buildings. The Quirk Review had recommended recipes, not blueprints. The Localism Bill was based on similar principles. Rolo explained the role of Locality’s asset transfer unit and gave some examples of asset transfer projects. The problem at the moment was that there was too much emphasis on debt reduction, whereas there was a need to focus more on equity and to invest pension schemes in such projects. Tony Burton, director of the Civic Voice, discussed ‘Localism: heritage threat or opportunity?’ Civic societies engaged in a range of activities: protectionist, celebratory and practical. Members had an emotional link to their place and the thing that made a place distinctive was its history.Who was right when it came to a place – the community or the council? We also needed to agree the role of the expert in the Big Society. Localism constituted a power shift in which the community became the client. The proposals included communities’ rights: to buy, bid and run community assets. Communities would be involved in pre-application consultation and be part of neighbourhood planning. The NPPF was based on a progrowth presumption in which the default answer was ‘yes’. That would weaken heritage protection, town centres and the brownfield agenda. Would there really be a power shift or would it simply be about pro-growth rhetoric? Support and resources would be needed if communities were to play a real role, as Dave Chetwyn had pointed out earlier. Professionals would need to tap into emotions and ‘move from duty into desire’. This was an attitude of mind, not a methodology. Burton recommended that we embrace localism and be confident that people do care. IanWray, representing the Oxton Society, Birkenhead, discussed ‘The Small Society: Oxton and its secret gardens’. The Oxton Society was involved in planning applications; tree work and planting; Christmas lights; guided walks and history; and the Oxton Design Award.Wray’s key theme was income generation. Since 2001 the annual Secret Gardens of Oxton event had included 75 gardens, attracting 36,000 visitors and raising more than £195,000. The Oxton Society had tried to establish good business relations. It saw localism as a threat, having built up good working relations with the local council. The society had received funding and tried to influence policy. It had worked on the conservation area character appraisal in order to develop a management plan. It was happy to work with the local authority but not to take over its work. If all communities became active,Wray said, it would put huge pressure on local authorities’ resources. This reinforced Chetwyn’s points about local skills and resources again. The Oxton Society saw localism as a threat, having built up good working relations with the local council, receiving funding and working on the conservation area character appraisal in order to influence a management plan. Elaine Griffiths of Gorton Monastery, Manchester, spoke on ‘Social Enterprise and Sustainable Communities’. In the 1970s Gorton suffered industrial decline and slum clearance. It lost its community and the monastery was stripped out. After a failed scheme to turn the building into flats, squatters moved in and the building deteriorated. The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust was established in 1996. Local groups were set up to make the building a centrepiece for the community again. In 2005 work began on site, and the building opened in 2007. It is run commercially as a social enterprise, and used for conferences, corporate events and weddings. There are proposals to create a Monastery Community Village, adjacent to the building. Although sustainable living had to be about recycling buildings, Griffiths said, it was about bringing back skills, and improving health and wellbeing. Michael Scammell, historic buildings officer for the South Downs, gave a presentation about creating local lists. Previously he had worked for Cheshire East Council. When creating local lists it was necessary to set guidelines, Scammell said. ‘How local do you want the system to be?’ he asked. ‘Is consistency important? Who speaks for the locality and who makes the decisions? Is there still a place for expert opinion?’ Criteria for selection needed to be established. The unitary authority of Cheshire East was established in 2009. In the The conference venue, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester: delegates outside and a sculpture inside.
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