Wednesday 31 October 2012

LABOUR MAKES THE CASE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Cllr Mick Lerry leading the Labour campaign
for Community Benefit
Report by the Labour Leader on lobbying for Community Benefits

As part of SDC's cross party lobbying to try and secure community benefits for communities hosting nuclear power stations, I have been involved in the following activities with Bob Brown, Corporate Director, to present the community benefits argument to key politicians in the Labour Party.

In September just before the Labour Party Conference, Bob Brown and I visited Caroline Flint MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, to discuss community benefits. This was a very productive meeting and Caroline Flint MP did table a number of written questions in support of SDC's campaign, as reported in Hansard:
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to announce a public consultation on community benefits for new nuclear power.
Mr Hayes: There are currently no plans to publicly consult further on community benefits for new nuclear. It is important that a package for community benefits is set out as quickly as possible to provide clarity for local communities. In recent years DECC has consulted extensively with local authorities, parish councils and community groups, including seeking their views on community benefits, and this dialogue will continue.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will take steps to ensure that any future policy on business rate retention for new nuclear power allows for the community to benefit at the construction phase as well as the operational phases of development.
Brandon Lewis: Our proposals for business rates retention will enable authorities to benefit from growth in business rates revenues generated in their area. Business rates are due for payment when individual hereditaments are considered to have become fit for beneficial occupation. The question of when that applies will be a matter for the local valuation officer.
Labour MP Caroline Flint, putting the case in Parliament

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has commissioned analysis of international examples of community benefit models for nuclear power; and whether he plans to draw on any such models in formulating future policy on nuclear power.
Mr Hayes: International models have been examined and considered as part of the process for developing proposals on community benefits for sites that host new nuclear power stations in the UK.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions he and officials in his Department have met with their counterparts in (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government, (b) HM Treasury,(c) the Cabinet Office and (d) other departments to discuss the issue of (i) community benefits and (ii) business rate retention for new build nuclear projects.

Mr Hayes: Ministers have discussed this issue with counterparts from other interested Departments at Cabinet Committee discussions of Infrastructure and the Growth and Localism agendas. There has also been a series of regular and ad hoc meetings between officials over the last eight months with the aim of bringing forward proposals for community benefits for sites that host new nuclear power stations by the end of 2012.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions he and officials in his Department have (a) met with representatives of and (b) visited local communities affected by the proposed Hinkley Point C development.

Mr Hayes: Since the original public consultation in 2007 which led to the publication of the Nuclear White Paper in 2008 officials from my Department have made a series of visits to the Hinkley Point area to meet representatives of interested parties, including four visits in the last few months. We intend that these contacts should continue and have established a Strategic Development Forum to facilitate this.
Labour Councillor Leigh Redman discussing Community benefit
in Unity House with   Labour MP Ben Bradshaw

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on (a) community benefits and (b) business rate retention for new-build nuclear projects.

Mr Hayes: Proposals on community benefits for sites that host new nuclear power stations are currently under consideration.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on community benefit for new nuclear power.

Mr Hayes: Ministers have discussed this issue with counterparts from other interested Departments at Cabinet Committee discussions of Infrastructure and the Growth and Localism agendas.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what work his Department has undertaken to take forward the proposals of the Science and Technology Select Committee in its report, Devil's bargain: Energy risks and the public, for the use of partnership models and community benefits in the new nuclear build process.

Mr Hayes: The Department is currently developing proposals for community benefits for sites that host new nuclear power stations; these proposals are being developed in consideration of the recommendations of the Science and Technology Committee report.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to page 62 of the National Infrastructure Plan 2011, what steps his Department takes to bring forward proposals by 2012 for reform of the community benefit regime with regard to nuclear power.

 Mr Hayes: The Department has analysed overseas examples of community benefit regimes, developed different scenarios and had a number of discussions with colleagues in HM Treasury, Department for Communities and Local Government and Cabinet Office to bring forward proposals on community benefit by the end of 2012.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the National Infrastructure Plan 2011, whether community benefit will be available to communities that are affected by a new nuclear development hosted by a neighbouring authority.

Mr Hayes: The Department is currently considering proposals for a community benefit package for communities hosting new nuclear. Details of any decisions will be made available by the end of 2012.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the National Infrastructure Plan 2011, what plans are in place for achieving community benefit for communities affected by Hinkley Point C.

Mr Hayes: Plans for a community benefit package for sites that host new nuclear power stations are currently under consideration. The National Infrastructure Plan committed Government to bring forward proposals by the end of 2012.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to extending business rate retention to include low-carbon energy projects.
Brandon Lewis: The Government's proposals for business rates retention will enable local authorities to benefit from the business rates paid by all businesses in their area, including those from low-carbon energy projects.

As members will see the questions tabled by Caroline Flint MP relate to Hinkley C and the issues regarding the retention of extra business rates for hosting communities. Caroline Flint MP also explained that she would forward details of our discussion to her own team and the shadow teams in the Treasury and Communities and Local Government.
Labour Baroness Jan Royall who recently visited Bridgwater
to support the case for Community Benefit

 At the Labour Party Conference I had a meeting with Tom Greatrex MP, shadow Minister for Energy, who had been briefed by Caroline Flint MP and he was very supportive of our campaign. Tom Greatrex MP will also visit Hinkley "C" for a fact finding tour. I spoke to Chris Leslie MP and Rachel Reeves MP, both in the shadow Treasury team and I have followed up our conversation by sending them information on community benefits for hosting communities. I met Peter Hain MP, where I was able to discuss community benefits relating to proposals for the Severn Barrage. I asked Chris Leslie MP a question at a Fringe meeting on the "Banks and Investment", as to how community benefits could support small and medium enterprises in the supply chain for major developments, such as the building and servicing of new nuclear power stations? Bob Brown put forward a suggestion at a Fringe meeting on "Energy and the National Grid", on community benefits and planning, where Tom Greatrex MP was a speaker.

Baroness Jan Royall has also visited Bridgwater and she will raise a debate in the House of Lords, on economic growth and community benefits for major developments. Baroness Royall has been helpful in trying to arrange a meeting with Hilary Benn MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. This meeting will take place on November 7th, where I will be able to discuss how the business rate can be connected to community benefits, for hosting communities.

Cllr Mick Lerry
Leader of the Labour Group on Sedgemoor District Council
25th October 2012