Background and Summary
3.In 2002 a review of the legislative framework for providing and maintaining a clean and safe local environment was carried out by Defra to accompany the cross-Government report Living Places – Cleaner, Safer, Greener. The review found that the powers, duties and guidance for dealing with problems associated with local environmental quality were not working as effectively as they should be, and produced options for delivering changes. These options were contained in the consultation paper Living Places – Powers, Rights, Responsibilities launched at the Urban Summit on 31 October 2002. Some were introduced into legislation in Part 6 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. The majority of the options were developed further and included as proposals for legislative action within the Clean Neighbourhoods consultation launched on 25 July 2004.
4.Most of the measures in this Act are based on these proposals, amended as appropriate to take account of comments received during the consultation process.