NALC pushes for closer partnerships between parish and town councils and emergency services

We have urged the government to give parish and town councils a stronger role in preparing for and responding to emergencies. In our response to the government's consultation on strengthening the requirement for Category 1 emergency responders to establish and maintain partnerships, we stressed that parish and town councils are often the first tier of government to act when emergencies strike and bring vital local knowledge and community connections to emergency response efforts.

Data from a recent London School of Economics (LSE) emergency planning survey highlighted that 59% of respondents named knowledge of local conditions as one of the top contributions parish and town councils can make in emergencies, and 85% said their parish or town council supported the community at least some of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, only 42% reported having a comprehensive or partial emergency plan, and 55% said they knew little or nothing about their Local Resilience Forum (LRF), the multi-agency partnerships that coordinate emergency planning locally. We argued that this lack of engagement limits the contribution parish and town councils can make and called for stronger connections with LRFs. Many local parish and town councils have indicated they want to dedicate more time and resources to emergency planning, but would need funding to do so effectively.

We also raised concerns that previous closures of rural ambulance stations, often carried out without consultation, have left some communities at risk of longer response times during emergencies. It said future cuts to Ambulance Service funding must not reduce access or slow response times for rural communities, warning that rural areas can be disproportionately affected when decisions are based purely on statistical averages and that local knowledge and access must be part of the equation.

We also stated that parish and town councils should be explicitly recognised as key partners within this framework and called for more precise guidance on roles and responsibilities, stronger engagement from LRFs, and new funding to enable parish and town councils to meet any strengthened statutory duties. Without this support, many councils may lack the staff, time and resources needed to play their whole part in joint emergency planning and response.

Parish and town councils are a crucial but underused layer of local government resilience, and strengthening partnerships with them would make communities across England safer, more prepared and better supported during future emergencies.