Transcript Slide 1
Localism and town and parish councils
– front runners’ experiences
James Kingston
Decentralisation and Neighbourhoods Team
Department for Communities and Local Government
The strategic context
• Financial climate is difficult and will remain so for the
next few years
• Innovation is needed
• Town and parish councils can use local knowledge to
provide better tailored local services
• Central government is an enabler
The role of parish and town councils
• Greater powers over issues that matter to neighbourhoods may
drive demand for what town and parish councils can do
• Town and parish councils offer :
o formal democratic representation and accountability;
o the ability to influence decision making by other bodies; and
o the ability to deliver services, either taking responsibility for
existing services or providing additional services.
The Localism Act – new rights
Powers to
communities
Powers to
councils
Right to
challenge
General power
of competence
Power to individuals
Neighbourhood
planning
Power to veto excessive
council tax rises
Right to bid
(assets of
community
value)
Directly elected mayors in
big cities
Freedom on
social tenancy
allocations
Freedoms on
governance
Neighbourhood planning
• A radical new right through the Localism Act
• Communities will have greater influence in deciding where facilities should go through
local referendum
• On completion, a neighbourhood development plan (NDP) or order (NDO) will become
part of the local development plan.
How does it work?
1. A community
applies for a
neighbourhood
area to be
designated
4. Local referendum held
ensuring that communities
have the final say on whether a
NDP or NDO comes into force
in their area
2. Parish \ Town
council or
neighbourhood
forum work up
details with
community
3. Proposal submitted
to local authority to
check proposal
Experiences of NP front runners
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Positive about having the power ‘to get on with it’ and bring
benefits to local area for long-term
Motivations – most see neighbourhood planning process as an
opportunity to be proactive about planning in their local area,
rather than reactive.
Existing parish arrangements helpful
Neighbourhood planning working outside parished areas
Evidence and assessment – proportionate
Build on existing planning work at a neighbourhood level
Diverse content of neighbourhood plans – strong focus on
provision of affordable housing, public realm, town centre
regeneration.
Involvement of business
Strong partnership working with LPA
New community rights
2. Expression of
interest from VCS,
charity, parish, or
staff
Right to
challenge
3. Relevant authority
reaches a decision on
the expression of
interest
1. Relevant
services are subject
to challenge
Right to
bid
4. Authority either accepts, or
accepts with modification and
then undertakes a procurement
exercise, or rejects and a reason
for rejection published
1. Community or
parish identify
assets of
community value
3. Communities get
time and support
to bid for assets
2. Local authorities
hold and control a
list of assets of
community value
4. More communities
take control of local
assets
Support for community rights front runners
Community budgets
• Giving people more control over services and budgets
• redesigning services to focus on end results and the needs of
user not bureaucratic silos
• Pilots - working with 10 neighbourhoods to develop budgets for
specific services
Milestones from here
• Mar – Dec 2012: co-design work – providing the support and
collaborating to develop an NLCB
operational plan for each pilot area
• Jan – Mar 2013:
getting ready for implementation
• Apr 2013:
implementation
NCBs – sharing experiences and learning
Experiences of NCB pilot areas
• Still at the early stages
• Town/parish councils provide roles and responsibilities ready
made
• T&PCs - knowledge of community. Should they engage or
represent?
• Importance of strategic/political buy in.
• Finding/testing limits in terms of what can and can’t be done
• No definite answers yet – still discovering
• Is Govt getting in the in the way? No specific requests for Govt to
do things differently yet.