Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20)

Part 1 Democracy and involvement

Chapter 1 Duties relating to promotion of democracy

Duties of principal local authorities

1 Democratic arrangements of principal local authorities

(1) A principal local authority has a duty to promote understanding of the following among local people—

(a) the functions of the authority;

(b) the democratic arrangements of the authority;

(c) how members of the public can take part in those democratic arrangements and what is involved in taking part.

(2) The duty under subsection (1)(c) includes in particular a duty to promote understanding of the following among local people—

(a) how to become a member of the principal local authority;

(b) what members of the principal local authority do;

(c) what support is available for members of the principal local authority.

(3) In this Chapter—

• “principal local authority” means—

  (a)

  a county or district council in England;

  (b)

  a London borough council;

  (c)

  the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority;

  (d)

  a county or county borough council in Wales;

• “democratic arrangements”, in relation to any authority, means arrangements for members of the public to participate in, or influence, the making of decisions by the authority (including the making of decisions by the authority in partnership or conjunction with any other person);

• “local people”, in relation to a principal local authority, means people who live, work or study in the authority’s area.