NALC calls for parish and town councils to have a seat at the table in tackling deprivation

We have urged the government to put parish and town councils at the heart of plans to support England's most deprived neighbourhoods.

In our response to the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods' (ICON) Green Paper, we made a strong case for involving these parish and town councils in designing and delivering future funding and support.

We argued that the best solutions to deprivation are rooted in communities themselves. As the first tier of local government, parish and town councils know their areas best and are well-placed to lead efforts to improve lives on the ground. We are calling for a smarter approach to data collection, using a small set of key indicators to help target support where it's needed most.

We pointed to success stories like Bradford's Trident Community Council, established through a New Deal for Communities project, and neighbourhood planning in Leeds, which has helped drive urban regeneration.

To bring all this together, we support the creation of a dedicated Neighbourhood Recovery Unit to drive forward policy, ensure joined-up working, and crucially, make sure community voices are heard.

We also stressed that this can't just be another box-ticking exercise. For real change to happen, parish and town councils need meaningful involvement, and funding must be focused where it will make the most significant difference.