The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) showed its support to Whitstable’s campaign for a new town council at the campaigns public launch on 7 June 2023.
The campaign to set up a town council in Whitstable, Kent is being led by CT5 People’s Forum. The CT5 People’s Forum recognised a need for a local (parish and town) council as they felt that the town was overshadowed by Canterbury City and that the city and town had different necessities. Thus, having a Whitstable Town Council would give the community a voice to make its own decisions.
NALC’s chief executive, Jonathan Owen was among the speakers at the campaign launch. Other speakers included Charmaine Keatley, the chief executive of the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC), Louise Bareham, town clerk of Faversham Town Council, and members of CT5 People’s Forum.
The development of a new local council in Whitstable, aligns with NALC’s longstanding constitutional objective of having England fully parish. In recent years there has been over 40 newly created local councils.