There are many things those of us who live outside London should welcome about the Localism Bill, published today by the Government.
Who could argue with moves to involve people more closely in running their communities, reduce red tape and devolve power (and responsibility) to grass-roots level?
There were two things about today’s announcement that struck me in particular.
1. There were few surprises: this had been an extremely well trailed package, with plenty of elements announced weeks in advance by Ministers, and Eric Pickles undertaking a round of media interviews yesterday to sell his vision.