Does anyone really know what “grass roots” and “empowerment” actually mean? Best find out because, this April, it’s likely you’ll be hearing those words a lot, as a large part of the Brighton and Hove environmental community dive head first into double democracy month.

The idea is to help us everyday citizens claw back the power and regain control of an increasingly blind and deaf Government. After all, they work for us.

Martin Grimshaw, organiser of eco talk shop Greenspeak and catalyst of double democracy month, says: “A lot of the problems we have today are symptomatic of the failure of our political system. It’s a time for change and a time for people to demand that change.”

Fighting words indeed, but haven’t we heard it all before? Well, yes. But this time we have a month of workshops on our side. And, most importantly, the Sustainable Communities Act.

The Sustainable Communities Act (SCA) is both a curious and exciting piece of legislation which enables all of us to put forward proposals to make our communities more sustainable – and which must be considered by both local and national government.

The SCA was launched in 2008, accompanied by an extraordinary lack of publicity. SCA proposals must seek to change something local authorities currently do not have the power to act on, thereby necessitating national Government intervention.

For example, are you fed up with one too many chain coffee shops opening in your city? Or perhaps you really don’t think three major supermarkets along a half-mile stretch of road is enhancing your community. Simply petition the national Government to give powers to local government to step in, and step in effectively. No last- minute reprieves because “We’re not really a coffee shop, we’re a retail outlet”, and “Oh look we’ve appealed again, best stay open for another few months”.

Any individual or organisation can submit a proposal, as long as it falls under one of the following categories: economic, social, environmental or participation in civic or political activity (such as letting local people decide if a council should reintroduce a committee system for decision making).

But here’s the rub: the deadline for submitting your once-a-year SCA proposal to Brighton and Hove City Council is May 4, which gives you approximately 30 days from now to figure out how it all works, what you want to propose and get it to your local council.

Martin says: “To be fair to the council, no one really knows how this works yet and they did have it kind of thrust upon them. Hopefully, by next year it will be clearer and we’ll know how to use it effectively.”

In terms of clawing back our democracy, the most exciting thing about the SCA is there is no official decision maker as to which proposal makes it through. Everything is negotiated and worked out through talks with citizen panels and the council.

Now that sounds like proper democracy. No wonder they’ve been so quiet about it.

Double democracy month:

  • Tuesday April 14: Direct Democracy: from climate change to system change. 7pm - 9pm, Calvary Church Hall,Viaduct Road, Brighton.
  • Tuesday April 28: Using the Sustainable Communities Act, in association with Unlocking Democracy and Transition Brighton and Hove, featuring Steve Shaw. 7pm, Terraces Bar and Grill, Madeira Drive, Brighton.
  • Visit www.greenspeak.org.uk for more details.