Councils in England should map the racial, ethnic and faith communities in their areas in order to identify potential "tension hotspots" and improve cohesion, according to new guidance published today.

The guidance comes seven years after a wave of riots in northern towns which sparked concern that different ethnic groups were living parallel lives with little contact over racial divides.

And it comes after the far-right British National Party won its first seat in the London Assembly and an additional 10 councillors in this month's local elections.

Launching today's document, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said that a large majority of people in England - 81%, according to a recent Citizenship Survey - felt that individuals from different backgrounds got on well with each other in their area.

But she said that active "tension monitoring" by local councils could help them intervene to recognise and resolve conflicts arising from the change in their community.

The guidance stresses the importance of early intervention in preventing conflicts that can lead to problems with integration.

It urges councils to:

• Make better use of data from police, neighbourhood wardens and community workers, together with figures on employment, investment and levels of political extremism, to build up a picture of local attitudes.
• Bring together "key players" from the community - including police, faith groups and council agencies - to keep watch on tension levels on an ongoing basis.
• Monitor criminal incidents with racial and religious overtones.
• Counter rumours and "scare-mongering", including by working with the local media to encourage balanced reporting of racial issues.
• Work closely with young people from all faith and cultural groups.
• Develop greater awareness of the impact of globalisation at the local level.

Ms Blears said: "The overwhelming majority of people in this country live successfully side by side but we cannot take this for granted. Challenges to cohesion do exist - this might be between different ethnic or faith groups or new migrants and longer-term residents - but things can be done to address problems at the earliest opportunity and stop things escalating.

"We have made £50 million available to local authorities to support them in responding to these specific challenges and placed a much greater focus on integration - including an end to automatic translation and more emphasis on English language learning, a move away from the funding of single groups and strengthening of our shared values."

Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: “It’s easy for the Government to demand that councils target ‘hot spots’ of community tensions, but what they should be doing is confessing that they are responsible for the pressures that our communities are facing.

“Out-of-date population estimates leave areas experiencing growth and migration without the funding they need for vital public services like schools, public transport and policing. 

“Under-funding, combined with centrally-imposed housing targets, is at the heart of tensions in some communities and the Government is doing nothing to address it.

“The Government must face up to the funding problems they have created, and return powers to communities.  The best way to support a strong and cohesive society is by giving local people a real stake in decisions affecting their area.”