The NALC Larger Councils Committee met on 26 April 2016 and called for larger local councils in England to make good quality proposals to solve national policy problems they are facing – using the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

The NALC Larger Councils’ Committee called again for an exemption from business rate payment on public conveniences owned and managed by parish councils, at its recent meeting on 20 October 2015.

NALC has welcomed proposals to reform the rules governing parish polls but has called for additional measures to ensure costs are kept down.

The Chancellor's recent Budget announced in Clause 2.125 that 'the government will allow local authorities in England to use their discretionary relief powers to support publicly owned public lavatories from 1 April 2018', which at a time of austerity and devolution is seen as a triumph by both local (parish and town) councils and national bodies.

NALC's Policy Committee met on 9 February 2016 and formally agreed to adopt a position seeking exclusion from the proposed Right To Buy extension – of housing in rural areas, particularly where the land has been originally provided to meet local housing need.

NALC have been lobbying the Government to undertake more research and analysis of the parish sector for everyone to get better understanding of these communities and neighbourhoods.