Which party offers the best deal for the community sector?

Given the results of our survey, our members are probably not too excited about the results of the election. Critically, though, we did fail to include an option for various coalition governments, so there certainly is a possibility that the 24% who selected "none of the above" had that in mind! Will a Conservative/ Lib Dem coalition be more favourable than the sum of its parts? We'll have to wait and see.

One thing we see, however, the Tories' Big Society does not seem to have won over the support of the community sector. It's still unclear the degree to which these ideas will translate into policy, but Cameron hasn't yet made any commitments to supporting the community sector. It seems that there is scepticism about how the Big Society will work in practice, and whether it's actually just code for making cuts to funding.

A case for a Post Bank as part of the Post Office?

A national consultation is currently taking place to find out if people agree with the government's proposals on developing a Post Bank?  Urban Forum intends to formulate a response and is currently seeking members views?  Take part in our consultation and read our briefing.

Do we want more public benefit from the banks' bailout?

The most recent Urban Forum poll asked people if they think there should be a more public benefit from the bank's bailout. Find out about the results HERE  

Duty to involve research 

We are currently undertaking a new research project looking at how local authorities are involving local people in decision making to fulfil the new Duty to Involve. You can find out more about the research. 

Community-owned energy study

We are also conducting an international comparative study looking at community-owned renewable energy. Find out more about 'Community Power Empowers!'

We have recently completed two pieces of research looking at:

• Community Leadership - exploring the role of Councillors and the role of community representatives in light of recent changes to strengthen their roles in relations to community leadership and community engagement. Read our 'Leading Lights' research report.
• Planning and the built environment - looking at how local people can influence decisions about their local environment, including the provision of shops, play space and other local amenities. Read our 'Places, Bases, Spaces' research report.

Future Research

We regularly conduct consultations with our members, snapshot surveys and polls to provide evidence to support our policy work. If you would like to find out more about our planned research, or have ideas for future projects please get in touch.