Sustainable Communities Bill

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I strongly agree with his remarks. As a former chair of a borough planning committee in London, I look back to the days when there were considerable powers for local planning to decide what range of shops were to be available in a particular street. That is an important power, because if three or four key shops are lost, such as local grocers or bakers, gradually the whole place deteriorates because people cannot do all their shopping there. Such sustainability is important. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham, I am proud to represent an inner-city community. Inner-city communities are very complicated. The Bill applies just as much to them as it does to rural areas. It is important to ensure that there is a good range of shops, that all the linguistic requirements of the local community are met and encouraged to be met, and above all that local shopping is inclusive and sustainable. Yesterday morning I had a good meeting with the new town centre manager who is dealing with the Finsbury Park area. I was discussing with her the importance of a Bill like this in improving her possibilities of ensuring that we maintain a sustainable local business community, a sustainable local community and improved local housing opportunities in order to enhance the whole area. As a former chair of a planning committee in Haringey and chair of area improvement committees, and having seen rehabilitation committees in operation, I think the Bill is a good step forward. Local communities are what it is about. A good local community, good local shopping, good local facilities, good transport and good housing bind communities together, cut crime, cut racism and increase understanding. That is what I see the Bill as having achieved. The work of Ron Bailey and others who have campaigned for that over many years ought to be recorded with thanks by all of us in the House today.