Local authorities considering cutting funding to voluntary and community organisations will have to consult, engage with the bodies affected and consider the wider impact that the cuts may have, if draft guidelines by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on ‘Best Value’ are finalised. These guidelines make it clear that local authorities must “seek to avoid passing on disproportionate cuts”. Although the new guidance will not change decisions that have already been made, in future, organisations facing cuts could have grounds for appeal as the guidance, when finalised, will have statutory force. Solicitors Bates Wells & Braithwaite said: “Much of what [the guidance] provides is already the case under basic public law principles, but it will undoubtedly strengthen the arm of an organisation facing a cut where the authority has not meaningfully consulted or engaged with them and the impact is disproportionate.” A new consultation on the draft Best Value guidance can be downloaded from the DCLG website.
