NALC calls for stronger rural devolution and powers for local councils

We have called on the government to rewire England's devolution agenda to ensure rural and parished communities are not left behind.

In our response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse's inquiry into devolution, we warned that current reforms risk stopping at the regional level, leaving rural communities remote from decision-making, contrary to the spirit of devolution.

We said parish and town councils must be recognised as local leaders and statutory partners in new mayoral and combined authority structures, with powers and funding devolved to the most local level.

We urged the government to reverse the decline in affordable rural housing by reinstating contributions to housing associations and bringing empty homes back into use. We suggested regulation of fees charged by estate management companies, ensuring fair charges and the right for communities to self-manage shared facilities such as play areas and parks.

We warned that rural councils receive around 40% less government funding per head than urban areas and pressed for fairer funding, including statutory relief from business rates on community-owned property and direct access to government grants.

We also highlighted the importance of place-based regeneration, where all levels of local government, businesses, and communities collaborate to meet local needs, and that rural councils must be consulted on transport changes such as speed limits and bus routes.

Finally, we called for stronger neighbourhood planning powers and the reinstatement of funding to support local plans, arguing that genuine devolution must empower local democracy at the grassroots.