Delivering devolved approaches to local governance

English Community involvement has long been associated with measures to tackle the problems of deprived neighbourhoods, but government policies for modernising government and promoting democratic renewal have focused on the need to broaden citizen engagement and devolve decision making to local communities. Encouraging people to do things for themselves can be seen as a ‘good’ thing, but whether this participatory form of government can be achieved in England is uncertain. This article explores the rationale underpinning New Labour’s commitment to devolved local governance and the challenges this brings for central government. We investigate the choices and the organisational and management implications for local authorities. We conclude by examining the inherent ambiguities in government policy, which need to be resolved if devolved solutions are to be implemented effectively.