This publication from the Local Government Association recognizes that many communities view new development with suspicion and even hostility. Although the need for housing for people is acknowledged, people worry about the affordability of property for their children. New development brings pressure on services – on roads, schools, dentists, GPs – without any apparent local benefit except to those who live in the new houses.If the government takes the right action to address the financial and policy issues, the LGA believes that there could be a strategic opportunity to build support for much needed development in every local community. Local authorities will be able to show real leadership to deliver housing and wider development strategies, and clear financial commitment to deliver infrastructure to support them, up-front and on-time. This means that there is a need to show local communities that there are clear benefits arising from new development and to demonstrate that the impacts will be met. The debate should go further than infrastructure funding and include the social, economic and environmental services that local people seek.

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Local authority plans for children’s centres could duplicate existing private and voluntarily-run facilities and put them out of business according to research from the National Day Nurseries Association. It says half of nurseries say their local council has plans to open a centre nearby.The Association says the new government-funded children’s centres, some being run under the Sure Start banner, are already causing falling rolls for nurseries in the voluntary and private sectors. The Childcare Bill, currently going through Parliament, encourages partnership working and specifically states that councils should not develop childcare provision alone unless there are no other “appropriate” organisations to do so.

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One in three disabled adults of working age lives in poverty, double the rate among non-disabled people and a higher proportion than a decade ago. A report today shows that disabled adults are now more likely to live in poor households than either pensioners or children.The latest report on tackling social exclusion has been produced for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by authors from the New Policy Institute. It shows that many of the 50 indicators under scrutiny for the past seven years have improved in the last year, but it highlights particular problems among disabled people, including those who work for low wages and those who would like employment but cannot get a job.

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