The Charter For Communities
We believe in community rights – and that people are the solution, not the problem.
Our Charter gives communities both protections and opportunities to drive positive change in our local areas.
Write to your MP
In July 2025, The Government introduced the England Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, with an aim being to ‘give communities stronger tools to shape their local areas’. The Community Charter gives people and places the basic rights they need to shape local decisions, protect their environment, and build healthier, fairer communities.
Write to your MP to tell them you support the inclusion of the Community Charter in the Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
About the Charter for Communities
Communities across England face big challenges — from the climate crisis and poor housing to disconnection and division. Too often, decisions are made far away in Whitehall, leaving local voices unheard.
Our Community Charter recognises that people are already creating solutions — from community energy to housing projects, green spaces and local initiatives that bring people together. With the right support, these efforts can strengthen our health, wellbeing and democracy.
Why It Matters
• Communities are often treated as problems to manage, rather than partners in shaping the future.
• Local voices are sidelined as decision making is centralised.
• The government’s Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill fails to give people real power over their own places.
• Our Charter shifts the balance. It gives people the rights they need to protect where they live, influence decisions, and build thriving, connected communities.
The Seven Rights
The Charter draws on international law and existing models of good practice. All are credible, achievable and already recognised elsewhere — just not yet implemented in England.
1. A clean and healthy environment (UN human right, 2022)
2. A healthy home (drafted into UK legislation but not yet passed)
3. The right to play (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
4. The right to grow food on public land (proposed in previous UK planning amendments)
5. The right to roam and swim (already law in Scotland)
6. A voice in local decisions (Aarhus Convention, now an EU directive)
7. The right to challenge decisions (in line with Aarhus principles and earlier UK proposals)
What’s Next
This Charter is an invitation to rethink how we work together — government and citizens, state and community. It builds on international conventions and proven ideas, but places people and places at the heart of decision-making.
By recognising these rights, we can unleash the energy of communities to create fairer, healthier and more hopeful futures.
This charter has been developed by people who care about who makes the decisions that affect the places we live. Find out more about Rights Community Action and sign up to our subscriber list here
For any queries, please email charter@rightscommunityaction.co.uk.
Signatures
A very retrograde bill. What is needed is more power devolved to local government local mayors and citizens
Antonia BLocal people are the best people to understand needs and effects of proposals. It is essential that local people have a say in decisions,that effect them and their community.
Madeleine J C MWe need to housing but we need to do our upmost to keep climate change in mind, green spaces in mind and a voice to be heard
Jacqueline CThe proposed change to planning processes is another attack on our democracy
Vicky SLocal communities need to have a say in their local environment and n a stake in local democracy.
Paul MThe government is saying what can happen in our area and taking away the rights of people to be heard.
Robert BOur block of flats was recently purchased without residents being given the right of first refusal which we would have accepted. The new freeholder has already submitted 3 planning applications to build on the property and there has been very little we can do to prevent it. We had a very…
Laura BThese planning reforms are a shameful power grab, to the benefit of developers and landlords at the expense of communities and pretty much everyone else.
Andrew WI am strongly opposed to the stripping away of what are already weak and inadequate powers for people and organisations to participate meaningfully in the planning process. These should instead be strengthened and extended to enable more democratic involvement and accountability.
Alan GLocal people need to be involved in the planning process.
Matthew H