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
What ever happened to localism? People should have the right to participate in, comment on, and contribute to what happens to their neighbourhood, as in Neighbourhood Plans. Give planning decisions back to councils and allow democractic participation in the planning process.
Felicity TI strongly believe that, if implemented, the proposals in the Government's Planning White Paper, 2020 will lead to: – Even more poor quality housing – especially for low income people. – Little assurance of the provision of affordable housing. – Even less democracy in the planning system than there is already. …
David BIt's so great to have a positive vision for what we want planning to do – rather than always defending it against the latest attack.
Dave PThe mobilization of citizens is strategic for local and global development. Reconquest of the common good shared and planned together in all places in Europe is a key point of democracy
Dominique LParticipation, democratic accountability, and taking an emergency seriously. What's not already the professed aim of every politician? All should support this or explain what they dont agree with.
Ludi Smental health is important and planning laws should be controlled by local people and local planning authorities. we will lose our green spaces and it keeps a open cheque book to build whatever anywhere. not all about money, health green spaces , decision making and more power should be given local…
sanjive mThe planning system ought to be based on some basic universal and long lasting democratic rights for citizens to be heard, participate in and shape the planning system and its decisions. Those rights should transcend the political priorities of government, especially now, when politicians will claim the need to act…
Stephen HMore communities need to a e more say on local development in their neighbourhoods.
Paul MClearly covering a lot of countryside in bricks and mortar is something that is being caused by the ever increasing population. However very little thought is going into this process and nature is on the run and being eradicated. Most planning application of any size does allow a 3min slot…
John PWE need to retain and enhance democratic involvement and control over development for the good of the community as a whole.
Abdul-Nasser J B