ABSTRACT

Community has climbed way up the political agenda. With the election of the Labour Government in May 1997, the issues of local governance and community participation have come to the fore, and are likely to become more important in the early part of the next century. A cornucopia of ideas of community has emerged from academics, think tanks, and practitioners in recent years. They include: communitarianism, citizens’ juries, local referenda, community plans, citizens’ commissions, focus groups monitoring policy and practice, community computer networks, social entrepreneurs, ‘Planning for Real’, ‘Citizen Organising’, decentralisation of power and budgets and Community Chests.