Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government
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Name	Department for Communities and Local Government
Formed	2006
Preceding1	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (United Kingdom)
Dissolved	2018
Superseding	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Headquarters	2 Marsham Street
Minister1 name	Michael Gove
Minister1 pfo	Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government was a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government established in 2006 and reorganised in 2018. It succeeded the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (United Kingdom) and aimed to coordinate policy across housing, local administration, community cohesion and urban regeneration. The department operated alongside other Whitehall departments such as the Treasury (United Kingdom), Home Office, Department for Education, and Department for Work and Pensions.

History

The department formed after the 2006 Cabinet reshuffle under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown administrations, replacing responsibilities held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (United Kingdom) and inheriting programmes from the Department for Transport (United Kingdom). Early initiatives referenced high-profile events such as the response to the 2007 United Kingdom floods and urban policy debates sparked by the 2001 Bradford riots and the 2001 Oldham riots. Leadership passed through Secretaries of State including Hazel Blears, John Denham, Eric Pickles, and Sajid Javid before rebranding into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The department’s timeline intersected with legislative milestones like the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and housing reforms influenced by enquiries such as the Grenfell Tower fire aftermath and subsequent public inquiries.

Responsibilities and Functions

Mandated responsibilities covered a range of statutory and policy domains: local authority finance and governance as defined by the Local Government Act 2000, housing supply and affordability influenced by the Housing and Planning Act 2016, community cohesion related to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 context, and oversight of planning policy tied to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The department administered grant allocations linked to the Barnett formula-related settlements for devolved administrations and liaised with bodies such as Homes England, National Audit Office, Local Government Association, and Planning Inspectorate. It also engaged with inquiries and regulatory frameworks shaped by testimonies before committees like the Select Committee on Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Organisation and Structure

Internally, the department comprised directorates addressing housing, local growth, planning, fire and resilience, and community integration, reporting to a Secretary of State supported by Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries such as Andrew Stunell and Robert Jenrick. Its civil service leadership included Permanent Secretaries linked to the Senior Civil Service (United Kingdom). The department worked closely with executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies including Homes England, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the Competition and Markets Authority on housing markets, and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Regional coordination involved collaboration with combined authorities such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority and city-regions like the Leeds City Region.

Policies and Initiatives

Key policy areas included the national planning framework shaped by the National Planning Policy Framework, social housing programmes referencing the Right to Buy scheme, regeneration initiatives linked to the New Deal for Communities, and community safety measures informed by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Economic regeneration projects interfaced with funding streams such as the Local Growth Fund and devolution deals negotiated with metro mayors like Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham. The department promoted initiatives on affordable housing delivery, starter homes proposals debated in Parliament at the time of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, and resilience planning drawing on lessons from incidents like the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

Budget and Funding

Funding derived from Departmental Expenditure Limits overseen by the Treasury (United Kingdom) and capital allocations for housing and regeneration administered through grant programmes to local authorities and registered providers such as Peabody Trust and Clarion Housing Group. Annual statements on spending were scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee and audited by the National Audit Office. Specific budget lines supported programmes including the Affordable Homes Programme and town centre regeneration grants, while cross-departmental funding agreements involved the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's successor and bodies like Homes England for capital delivery.

Criticism and Controversies

The department faced criticism over handling of planning decisions, perceived centralisation of local powers, and the effectiveness of schemes such as Right to Buy scheme extensions. High-profile controversies included scrutiny following the Grenfell Tower fire about building regulations, inspection regimes, and social housing policy, prompting debate in the House of Commons and inquiries by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Critics from organisations such as the Local Government Association and charities including Shelter (charity) and Crisis (charity) raised concerns about housing affordability, homelessness trends, and welfare impacts tied to broader reforms like the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Political debates around devolution deals and combined authority powers engaged figures such as Nick Clegg and Boris Johnson, reflecting tensions between centralised Whitehall policy and local governance actors.

Category:Defunct departments of the United Kingdom government