Could the disturbances in the capital this summer have been calmed or avoided altogether if London had more grassroots democracy and leadership? Might some of the capital's public services, cut back because of financial pressures, be delivered in a different, more local way? And can the government's drive for localism and community empowerment really take off, even in some of the more deprived neighbourhoods?
I don't need to be an X-Factor judge to say it's a yes from me; I believe we should promote community democracy and leadership through the creation of new hyper-local councils for London.
The aftermath of the riots showed communities coming together to clean up their areas – people stepped forward because they care about where they live. But governance structures in London are remote and far removed from the distinct places that make up our capital city, meaning there is no sustainable local vehicle for this energy to be harnessed permanently.
While the mayor, the Greater London Authority and London's borough councils provide services at a strategic level, there is still a vacuum at the grassroots. Unlike across most of England, there are no democratic, independent and self-financing neighbourhood bodies in London.
Change is in the air with the law allowing, for the first time since the 1960s, neighbourhood councils to be created in the capital. Recent years have seen new councils spring up in suburban and urban areas such as Bradford, Leeds, Leicester and Milton Keynes. The same opportunity now exists in London, and a government white paper recently signalled encouragement to see more neighbourhood councils set up.
People in Queen's Park are already seizing the opportunity to bring more power to the people. They have recently lodged a petition signed by more than 1,600 local residents and presented to Westminster city council to set up a new council. Their challenge now is whether Westminster is prepared to share or give up some power, to believe and trust in local people and keep up their "big society" credentials.
Queen's Park is not the only community in London following this route; there are similar moves afoot in Wapping, Surbiton, London Fields and Harlesden. In Harlesden, Leroy Simpson, chair of the new Harlesden Town Team, has already seen increased local community cohesion and trust as well as physical improvement in the local community, based on resident empowerment and joint working with Brent council. He believes a new council would give people more ownership over local improvements.
The Department for Communities and Local Government, responsible for neighbourhood councils, is equivocal in its support. "As the tier of local government closest to their communities, parish, town and neighbourhood councils have a key role to play in shaping their localities. Where people want a new local council, they should be able to have one," a spokesperson told the Queen's Park campaign.
Very local councils have an extensive range of powers to act and invest in visible services and projects. At a time when decisions are being made by other tiers of government about services such as libraries, parks, playgrounds, community safety and youth services, there are opportunities for neighbourhoods to influence or even make their own decisions about what happens on their doorstep. New councils made up of local people willing to make a difference provide a means of doing just this.
The issue of more councils in London seems to polarise opinion: some believe the idea of "parishing" London would bring additional bureaucracy; others insist it would empower citizens to take more control over their lives and neighbourhoods. I'm in the latter camp, but in the end it is up to local communities to decide what's best for themselves. In a mature democracy like ours, their voice should be heard and they should be trusted to decide what is right for them.
Justin Griggs is head of policy and development at the National Association of Local Councils and co-ordinates the Create a Council campaign in London
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