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
The Lawton Report of 2010 called for “more, bigger, better and joined-up spaces for nature.” A decade later this lack of habitat has still not been addressed. In his letter of September 2020 to the Prime Minister, Professor Sir John Lawson calls for bringing nature to people: “We need a focussed programme…
Mini GLocal people need to be involved in the planning process.
Matthew HIts very important that local people have a say in what happens in their neighbourhoods
paul mThe proposed reforms to the Planning system are the biggest challenge to democracy that are currently being put forward by this government. These reforms are rapidly heading towards even greater autocracy. The aims they are claiming to propound are spurious and meaningless and are purely included to attempt to give…
Susan SI am trying to save a mosaic of habitats ( wood and scrub land and a large reed-bed) from being used as a building site.
Jenny WI fully support this statement and the principles behind it. I would like to thank Rights: Community: Action for the help given, via the website, with our response to "Planning for the Future".
Stuart BParticipation, 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 SI am concerned that the environment will be pushed to the background as priority is given to commercial and housing applications. I am also concerned that social housing, affordable housing will not be prioritised. •I would like local people to make decisions. •I would like planning decisions that turned down…
Madeleine J C MSO NOW ONLY PROFITEERS ARE BEING HEARD …..these businesses that make money out of all these estates they build don't ever live in them so why are they the only people to have a say in the planning of them Ok build more housing but only after consultation and agreement…
jacqueline lWe live in a democracy. Why try to change this? Your children won't thank you!
Graciela S