Community empowerment gains all parliamentary support

NALC’s campaign for greater neighbourhood governance gained central government support with MPs, and key decision makers attending NALC’s Parliamentary Tea, in London yesterday.

Devolving more power down to the first tier and giving communities a greater sense of ownership over decision-making were hot topics at yesterday’s event, held at the Houses of Parliament.

Angela Smith, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Communities and Local Government, said the forthcoming Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill strengthened the role of parish and town councils and showed the commitment to devolution.

Ms Smith said: “I think this is a really exciting time for local government, particularly town and parish councils. The Lyons report shows the direction of travel with devolution. I think the challenge that remains is encouraging more action at the local level. The statute and will is there, so let’s make sure action follows through with that.”

NALC chairman Cllr Ken Cleary said yesterday with politicians from all sides of the political spectrum embracing localism, now was a time of unprecedented opportunity for town and parish councils.

Cllr Cleary said: “The National Association has been highly active over the past two years to ensure that the Local Government White Paper proposals and all that followed set out a radical agenda for local government, for local communities and for the town and parish council tier.”

“This could substantially shift power and influence from Whitehall to town hall, and from town hall to local communities and this is increasingly what people want.”

The publication of the Local Government White Paper and the forthcoming Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, followed with the final publication of the Lyons Inquiry were key points in NALC’s campaign of empowering local people, but more action is needed to empower communities.
NALC is certain the will exists to achieve greater devolution and that the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill is the way forward.

This Bill will give local people, via neighbourhood vehicles like parish and town councils, more say and ownership over how their villages, neighbourhoods and towns are run.

Notes for Editors
1. The National Association of Local Councils is the national representative body for 10,000 community, parish and town councils throughout England and Wales. In all, there are over 100,000 community, parish and town councillors throughout England and Wales. These councillors, who serve electorates ranging from small rural communities to major cities, are all independently elected. The councils have powers to raise their own funds through council tax. Community, parish and town councils provide employment for over 25,000 staff while their annual expenditure exceeds £400 million. Together, they can be identified as the nation's single most influential grouping of grassroots opinion-formers. Over 15 million people live in communities served by 10,000 community, parish and town councils nationally - this represents up to 30% of the population. Over 150 new community, parish and town councils have been created since 1997.
2. The central tenets of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill for parishes include: the process for creating parishes will be devolved to councils; removing the anomaly preventing Londoners from setting up parish councils, removing the Secretary of State’s powers on bye-laws, and establishing parish councils meaning local people can decide on local priorities; establishing local charters for neighbourhoods; and the power for parish councils to change their name, if they wish, to ‘local council’, ‘village council’, ‘neighbourhood council’ or ‘community council’.

For more information contact Alan Jones on tel: 020 7290 0316, or email: alan.jones@nalc.gov.uk, in the press office.