Peers call for stronger scrutiny and support for parish and town councils
Peers in the House of Lords have continued their scrutiny of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, raising consistent concerns about its impact on parish and town councils and the need to safeguard local accountability and community voice.
A key moment came on day two during the discussion of Amendment 191, tabled by Lord Bichard. The amendment proposed the creation of local public accounts committees in every area to scrutinise public service spending and activity at a local level. Lord Fuller welcomed the amendment for drawing attention to the expanding role of parish, town and community councils. He noted that, for the first time, these councils would be "substantially brought into scope" as local government reorganisation leads to larger parish and town councils. While stressing the need to avoid overburdening the smallest councils, he argued that councils serving larger populations should be subject to appropriate scrutiny. He also raised concerns about the absence of council tax caps for parish and town councils.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage recognised the importance of effective scrutiny at all levels of local government, emphasising that any new arrangements must work alongside existing audit and accountability frameworks.
On day three, peers pressed the government to go further in recognising and strengthening parish and town councils. Lord Shipley argued that the Bill should actively promote parish and town councils, extend their coverage, and require annual reporting to parliament on progress. He warned that, without such measures, power risks being drawn upwards away from communities.
Our vice-president Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle highlighted the crucial role parish and town councils have played during more than a decade of austerity, often stepping in to protect local services as higher-tier authorities have withdrawn. She also drew attention to the fact that many of the most disadvantaged communities remain unparished.
Responding for the government, Lord Wilson of Sedgefield said ministers value parish and town councils but rejected calls for a national review or a duty to maximise coverage. He pointed instead to community governance reviews as locally led routes to establishing councils. He warned that capacity varies significantly across the sector.
The debate also focused on amendments to extend parish and town councils' access to the general power of competence. Lord Bassam of Brighton argued that empowering councils in this way would help protect local identity and a sense of place, particularly within larger unitary authorities.
Our vice-president Baroness Scott of Bybrook, alongside Baroness Janke, underlined that parish and town councils are the most local tier of government and must be treated as genuine partners in decision-making. Baroness Janke warned that the Bill makes only limited reference to parish and town councils and lacks clear safeguards around local consent, collaboration and place-based governance.
The debates concluded with strong and repeated calls for the government to revisit the Bill to ensure parish and town councils are correctly recognised, supported and empowered as England's devolution framework continues to evolve.
