News
Parish councils allowed to use 21st century technology
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) welcomes the Government’s moves to make a law that allows local (parish and town) councils to be able to send agendas electronically rather than in the post; ending a budgetary burden on councils and enabling them to benefit from 21st Century technology.
This change came about by using the Sustainable Communities Act which allows for parish and town councils to drive a new “bottom-up” process that allow local people to drive central government action to help their local communities. This change was called for by Bleadon Parish Council, Somerset.
Local Government Minister, Kris Hopkins MP said: “We have been encouraging can-do councils to adapt to the digital age to modernise the services they deliver to local people and deliver savings. This Government is determined to bust barriers to modernisation in local government therefore it is only right councils should be able to issue agendas electronically, whilst ensuring councillors continue to have access to hard copy papers if they wish. This is a great opportunity for town halls to use modern digital communications to conduct business in the most efficient way possible and it will help reduce costs and provide better value for money for local taxpayers.”
Cllr Ken Browse, chair of NALC said: “Local councils are the most local part of government and the body most closely connected to the community. Our connection with local people and our knowledge of the local area means we are ideally placed to make use of the Act. No one knows the local community like we do and this new change to an arcane law shows this in practice. This reform to rules, which are over forty years old, is long overdue but very welcome and will help parish and town councils operate more efficiently and effectively.
“NALC welcomes the Government’s announcement that allows local (parish and town) councils to be able to send agendas electronically rather than in the post; ending a budgetary burden on councils and enabling them to benefit from 21st Century technology.”
Read more on the Sustainable Communities Act
Read the Government's Legislative Reform Order Legislative Reform Order