The Chairman invited Daniel Shamplin-Hall, Adviser, to introduce the report.

Daniel set out some of the issues currently facing parish and town councils and spoke about the partnership working that the LGA had been undertaking with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), particularly around improvement. NALC were keen to build on the work of town and parish councils during the pandemic and, through their response to the Spending Review, were seeking a greater role in the recovery phase.

Daniel said he was keen to hear the Board’s experiences of working with parish and town councils and views on their future role. He requested members agreement to commission external research to explore the subject further, within the context of the Local Economy Recovery and Devolution White Paper.

Daniel also sought members’ views on the proposal for ‘pop up parishes’ contained in Danny Kruger MP’s report - Levelling Up Our Communities. The LGA had concerns that they could lead to issues around governance, oversight, accountability and value for money at a local level.

There followed a discussion during which members raised the following points:

·       Members felt that devolution across the board to parish and town councils would be difficult as they varied so much in number and size geographically and, also, in terms of expertise, resources and professionalism. Any proposal to devolve more powers would therefore need to be supported by effective training (of officers and members), regulation and democratic accountability. In particular, concern was expressed that many parish and town councillors were not elected. The fact that some areas of the country were not currently parished was also considered to be a barrier to further devolution.

·       Members cited examples of where the public had previously rejected the establishment of new parish and town councils. This was thought to be due largely to the perceived imposition of another layer of ‘bureaucracy’ and an additional precept on the council tax.

·       Members agreed that devolution of powers by district and borough councils to parishes and towns was often more about cost-shunting than genuinely empowering local communities. Could the LGA raise these issues with DCN?

·       It was felt that town and parish councils could become marginalised with the formation of more unitary authorities as they lost their often close relationships with districts and boroughs. Relationships with principal authorities were often poor.

·       There was agreement with NALC’s position on Covid and members felt it was important not to lose the close working relationships that had built up over the last few months.

·       Any devolution to town and parish councils would only be effective if accompanied by a relaxation of the current strict rules around spending.

·       One of the strengths of town and parish councils was their apolitical nature and this could be put at risk if they were given greater powers and funding.

·       Members suggested engaging with the Society of Local Council Clerks in addition to NALC, to get a broader view of the issues.

·       The LGA’s position on ‘pop up parishes’ was supported, particularly on the grounds of lack of democratic accountability and oversight. It was suggested that ‘pop up parishes’ should not be allowed in areas that had existing parish or town councils.

·       Members agreed that officers should seek greater clarity on exactly what NALC was asking for in terms of greater devolution. This, and what the LGA’s role ought to be, should be ascertained before commissioning further external research. Daniel agreed that this was a sensible way forward and said he would send a revised commission document to the Board as soon as possible.

Decision

Members of the People & Places Board:

1)    Approved the LGA response to the pop-up parishes recommendation highlighted in the recent Levelling up our Communities report published by Danny Kruger MP outlined in paragraph 14.

2)    Requested further information on NALC’s position and the LGA’s potential role before committing to engaging external expertise.

Action

Officers to produce a revised commission for the next Lead Member meeting and circulate to Board members.