News

Bradford, Burnley and Oldham Councils will have to publish plans for promoting community cohesion by next April, and all councils should develop a relevant strategy as part of their community plans, following the release of a Home Office report into riots in these areas during the summer.

The Community Cohesion Review Team, chaired by former Nottingham Council chief executive Ted Cantle, has made almost 70 recommendations to improve community cohesion.

The team was particularly struck by the depth of polarisation between the various white and ethnic minority communities. This was compounded by other divisions, such as separate educational arrangements, differing community and voluntary bodies, and separate social and cultural networks. The result was that communities do not seem to touch at any point, let alone overlap and promote any meaningful interchanges, says the report.

It also points to a "failure to communicate", which is "compounded by the lack of honest and robust debate, as people 'tiptoe around' the sensitive issues of race, religion and culture".

In addition, it criticises neighbourhood renewal and regeneration strategies for a confusing "plethora of initiatives", and perceived unfairness in the allocation of funds, as well as forcing communities to bid against each other.

Also blamed is a lack of local leadership. The report calls on the Local Government Association to prepare best practice guidance to help councils promote community cohesion.

Meanwhile, ethnic minority groups have criticised comments by home secretary David Blunkett this week about people from ethnic minorities needing to adopt British "norms of acceptability".

Sandy Buchan, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: "A broad brush requirement that members of ethnic minority communities conform to British 'cultural norms' will not address the underlying problems they face, such as poverty, racial harassment and violence and discrimination."

- Community Cohesion and Building Cohesive Communities available from the Home Office at www.homeoffice.gov.uk