The Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, is to announce reforms to the planning system in England giving more decision-making powers to local people. Do you welcome the shift to more local power?
As councils in England await news of funding cuts from central government, plans to give communities more power are also due to be outlined giving groups in local communities greater scope to take over control of some services from councils.

The minister said the Localism Bill would make it easier for local people to take ownership of buildings such as redundant pubs, redundant shops, redundant post offices and school buildings as well as introducing "neighbourhood planning" - to allow neighbourhoods to "determine the look and the shape of their communities".

Will the changes empower councils to handle services differently? Is this a good way of bringing power back to local communities?