The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has been passed into law, introducing a new requirement for local authorities to establish effective neighbourhood governance.
Done well, this creates a powerful opportunity to bring decision making closer to communities and build more responsive, locally driven public services. But the legislation does not set out what “effective neighbourhood governance” looks like in practice.
We’re pleased to share a new report exploring this question, drawing on over a decade of work in Test Valley. Developed in partnership with Test Valley Borough Council, the report is intended as a source of inspiration for other places looking to establish meaningful neighbourhood governance. The framing and application of the insights will look different in different places, but overall, we believe they offer useful guidance and provocation to help councils seize this opportunity.
Test Valley Borough Council has taken a distinctive approach – focusing less on creating new structures, and instead on building the conditions that enable communities, councillors and partners to work together at a scale that is effective, recognisable and meaningful to local people.
This report captures that journey and the learning that has emerged from it, including through three detailed case studies. It shows how neighbourhood governance can develop as an ecosystem of relationships, leadership and participation rooted in place – rather than a single model to replicate, and as part of a wider shift towards more collaborative, place-based public services.
At a time when many councils are beginning to respond to new legislative requirements, the experience of Test Valley highlights a critical lesson: structural reform alone will not deliver meaningful neighbourhood governance. The most important ingredients are cultural and relational.
This report sets out 10 enabling conditions which, when present, ensure neighbourhood governance delivers both tangible and relational outcomes. It also offers a practical 5-step roadmap to inspire and support all councils to partner with communities in shaping their places.
Read the full report and a summary version here: