Climate change
Climate change is the biggest long-term threat to our prosperity and wellbeing. Managing this threat demands a radical decarbonisation of the global economy, and a significant technological move away from fossil fuels.
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Environment and housing
Our environment work covers a wide range of areas including climate change, energy, housing, planning and waste.
We are achieving greater devolution for local government:
- greater local decision making in planning and housing through the Localism Bill, the National Planning Policy Framework and elsewhere
- a sustainable model for the provision and allocation of social housing and support for vulnerable people
- a light touch and proportionate approach to social housing regulation
- power and flexibility for councils to make local decisions on waste
- a fair and transparent system of self-financing for council housing.
We are helping councils tackle their challenges through:
- the Department for Energy and Climate Change programme on improvement and self-regulation for energy and climate
- ensuring councils seize opportunities and manage the risks arising from the changes to planning, achieved through the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) programme
- ensuring councils are effective in flood risk management
- supporting councils in responding to housing reforms to meet the housing needs of their communities.
In this section
Housing
In spite of many councils no longer directly providing council homes, local authorities continue to play a pivotal role in assessing local housing requirements. They secure conditions in which affordable housing, and assistance to the homeless, can be met..
Planning
Planning is vital to place-shaping. It helps transform the local vision for a community into reality. It decides the form and location of jobs, homes, transport and educational facilities in ways that promote social, environmental and economic well-being.
Last updated: 16 February 2012
