The Impact of Local Agenda 21 in England

Local Agenda 21 (LA21) was a local level approach to
sustainable development that involved local
people in the creation of LA21 strategies.

This PhD thesis reviews the success of LA21 in
England,
with two principal aims: to assess the success of
such an approach, and to discuss this in relation to
recent policy attempts to increase public trust in
local government through public participation. This
thesis asks and attempts to answer the
following research question: To what extent have the
original aims of Agenda 21 been achieved by
the introduction of Local Agenda 21 in to the English
political system, and what are the
implications for New Labour s Local Government Act?

The key findings of the thesis are twofold. Firstly,
that the relationship between local people and
local government cannot necessarily be improved
through public participation alone. Secondly, that
there is a tension between two aspects of sustainable
development: the participatory element, and the need
to address current lifestyles, attitudes and
behaviours. Overall, this thesis concludes that
participatory approaches to local problems may not
always be the appropriate solution.

Autorentext

Dr. Carolyn Snell is a lecturer in Social Policy at the University of York. Carolyn specialises in the relationship between the environment, poverty, and policy.

Klappentext

Local Agenda 21 (LA21) was a local level approach tosustainable development that involved localpeople in the creation of LA21 strategies. This PhD thesis reviews the success of LA21 in England,with two principal aims: to assess the success ofsuch an approach, and to discuss this in relation torecent policy attempts to increase public trust inlocal government through public participation. Thisthesis asks and attempts to answer thefollowing research question: To what extent have theoriginal aims of Agenda 21 been achieved bythe introduction of Local Agenda 21 in to the Englishpolitical system, and what are theimplications for New Labour's Local Government Act?The key findings of the thesis are twofold. Firstly,that the relationship between local people andlocal government cannot necessarily be improvedthrough public participation alone. Secondly, thatthere is a tension between two aspects of sustainabledevelopment: the participatory element, and the needto address current lifestyles, attitudes andbehaviours. Overall, this thesis concludes thatparticipatory approaches to local problems may notalways be the appropriate solution.