NALC champions the role of parish and town councils in planning
We made a strong case for the importance of parish and town councils in shaping local planning decisions at the Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) Planning Conference, held on 20 June 2025.
Our chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, and chief executive, Jonathan Owen, delivered a well-received presentation on how parish and town councils can and should play a vital part in England’s evolving planning system. They argued that parish and town councils, representing 35 million people across 92% of the country, are uniquely positioned to improve communities through active engagement in planning and development.
The presentation emphasised that parish and town councils should seize this opportunity to engage in planning processes. Councils can influence the design and placement of new developments, ensure infrastructure needs are met, and help protect the environment.
We outlined our work supporting 10,000 parish and town councils through 43 county associations, including KALC. They highlighted our influence in national policy debates, particularly our lobbying efforts on the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a key piece of legislation introduced by the government in March 2025 to boost housebuilding and economic growth.
Our views on the new Bill include calls to strengthen neighbourhood planning, ensure parish and town councils receive an appropriate share of the new infrastructure levy, safeguard local discretion in planning decisions, and provide sufficient funding for planning authorities.
We also highlighted practical successes, including securing over £7.5 million in government funding for parish-led neighbourhood planning and community asset projects, advocating for improved standards regimes, and defending councils’ ability to hold remote meetings.
Attendees were encouraged to use our resources, such as The Good Councillor’s Guide to Neighbourhood Planning and our joint guide with CPRE on How to Respond to Planning Applications, and to engage with developers and principal authorities early in the planning process.
The loss of national funding for neighbourhood planning is a concern, the presentation noted. We are seeking views on whether to campaign for the reinstatement of the funding or explore alternative resources.
