Hazel Blears is set to bring the prime minister’s direct democracy drive to communities with plans for neighbourhoods to decide how council funds are spent.
The communities secretary will tell the Local Government Association conference in Birmingham that she wants to introduce ballots to decide spending priorities for councils.
The idea, based on a system created in Brazil during the 1980s, will see residents voting to prioritise spending decisions such as parks, vandalism, litter or drug abuse.
Ms Blears will tell delegates she wants to see the system introduced within five years but some local authorities are already engaging citizens.
Harrow LBC and Southampton Council have been leading the way but Ms Blears will announce they are to be joined by Birmingham, Merseyside, Lewisham, Bradford, Salford, Sunderland and Newcastle in a series of pilot projects.
Ms Blears said: ‘In these areas people will be given a direct say on their big mainstream budgets. This is not about small grant-making, such as a community chest of £5,000 to organise a tea party. This is about involving the public in some of the big choices.
‘The public will be able to decide whether their priority is play areas, youth facilities, traffic calming or more community wardens. It will be down to them.’
Ms Blears will also announce the first 20 projects that will take forward the Quirk review where community groups will take control of public assets such as buildings.
