Changes to the planning system and a significant funding boost.

One of the outcomes of The Localism Act has been to give new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development together by preparing ‘neighbourhood plans’. Neighbourhood planning can only be taken forward by two bodies. Town and parish council’s or ‘neighbourhood forums.  The latter is to be used when a town or parish councils does not exist in any particular area.  There is little doubt therefore that parish councils play a significant role in local planning.  Neighbourhood forums and parish councils can use new neighbourhood planning powers to establish general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. These are described legally as 'neighbourhood development plans. Neighbourhood development plans or orders do not take effect unless there is a majority of support in a referendum of the neighbourhood. They also have to meet a number of conditions before they can be put to a community referendum and legally come into force. These conditions are to ensure plans are legally compliant and take account of wider policy considerations (e.g. national policy).

Conditions are:

·         They must have regard to national planning policy

·         They must be in general conformity with strategic policies in the development plan for the local area (i.e. such as in a core strategy)

·         They must be compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements.

·         An independent qualified person then checks that a neighbourhood development plan or order appropriately meets the conditions before it can be voted on in a local referendum. This is to make sure that referendums only take place when proposals are workable and of a decent quality.

Proposed neighbourhood development plans or orders need to gain the approval of a majority of voters of the neighbourhood to come into force. If proposals pass the referendum, the local planning authority is be under a legal duty to bring them into force.

Funding boost for neighbourhood planning

The Government has announced further funding to help communities get involved in the new neighbourhood planning regime. From January 2013 local planning authorities will be able to claim grants of up to £50,000 to help up to 10 communities get going with their neighbourhood plans. From April 2013 this will be increased further with £100,000 available to kick start up to 20 plans in the area. Authorities will then receive a further £25,000 for every neighbourhood plan that gets through a successful examination. More than 300 communities are already using the new powers introduced in the Localism Act to work up plans for neighbourhood areas that decide, for example, the location of new homes or what green spaces communities to protect.

From 2 January local planning authorities will be able to claim up to a maximum of £50,000 (up from £20,000) for area designations this financial year up to a maximum of 10. There is an overall limit of £1.5 million on designation payments

From 1 April 2013 local planning authorities will be able to claim for up to 20 designations (£100,000) in the financial year 2013 to 2014. The overall limit for designation payments in 2013 to 2014 has been set at £5 million. In a related development  planning minister Nick Boles told the  commons on 17^th of December clarified that the status of so-called emerging neighbourhood plans is given significant weight and is not contingent on the status of the local plan

 

 

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Town and Parish Councils: Enhancing Local Governance

Overview

The following post is a version of a policy report I presented on request to the Department of Communities and Local Government

 

Parish councils are an effective and established vehicle for service delivery. Increased devolution of services to this level of government should be measured and accountable. This policy brief draws on insights from over 6000 town and parish councillors and is the most compressive research study on parish councils that focuses on achieving sustainable development with an emphasis on sustainable communities (Borne, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2012, 2013). The Localism Act and the Open Public Services White paper must be seen as the broader agenda of creating sustainable communities. The brief responds to three principal questions:

 

What shapes local decisions to establish parish councils and contribute to neighbourhood level governance?

Increasing the capacity of town and parish councils to deliver services?

How do experiences with town and parish councils inform Neighbourhood Community Budgets?

Responses to these questions will be directly explored as well as addressing a number of related questions. As already identified there are also a number of common themes pertinent to all questions:

1. Skills and Education were seen as essential for the further enhancement of local level government. Whilst the level of up skilling within town and parish councils differed it was recognised that there was a need to increase these skills at least with the clerk of the councils.
2. With increased responsibility for service delivery there is also a need to devolve in real terms the appropriate powers that enable the effective and efficient delivery of services
3. An effective and transparent consultation process is a repeated theme with parish councillors often lamenting the lack of genuine consultation that has little impact on gauging response from parish and community.
4. Communication takes many forms but is seen as pivotal for the effective delivery of services and the establishment and enhancement of local government structures. This communication is seen as cyclical and not uni- directional.
5. The town and parish council’s relationship with their principal authority is consistently seen as pivotal to any local governance structure.

 

 

The Current Policy Context

The current policy environment can be aid to be underpinned with the following drivers

 

Localisation – where decisions about service design, commissioning and delivery

are taken closer to and based on engagement with service users;

Personalisation – further encouragement for bespoke and locally-specific service

delivery approaches

Collaboration – a loosening of organisational boundaries, with scope for more

integrated service delivery, often with a focus on place;

Open access – greater opportunities for new service providers to enter the market

from outside the statutory sector;

Volunteering – a desire to involve local people and organisations in service planning and delivery

Growth – an emphasis upon development which better meets economic and

housing needs.

Policy Synergies
Strong synergies exist between Local Government Act and Sustainable Communities Act (2007). Existing initiatives should converge to increase the effectiveness of policy decisions. For example, the outcomes of the barrier busting consultation relating to sustainable Communities. Whilst parish councils are capable of submitting these independently of their local authorities it is suggested that parish councils are encouraged to do so in an effective and coordinated manner. Output from this would create a significant resource for the creation of sustainable communities utilising town and parish councils.

 The Town and Parish Council Context
There are over 10000 parishes in England, of which approximately 8500 have councils, with approximately 70000 parish councillors. Over 15 million people live in communities served by town and parish councils nationally, that’s 35% of the population. Town and parish councils have been described as the nation’s single most influential grouping of grassroots opinion-formers (NALC 2012). They are representative of, and part of the local community; they are able to provide services to meet local needs as well as having the ability to improve the quality and well being of their local community. The Localism Act (DCLG 2011) as well as the Open Public Services White Paper (HM Gov 2012) is putting an increasing emphasis on town and parish councils to represent their communities and effectively deliver services. A number of policy drivers for local level delivery have been identified and can be summarised as follows:

Parish councils are a highly effective local governance structure and offer an established vehicle to realise localism addressing all of the above drivers. Whilst predominantly a rural structure as a result of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (DCLG 2007) there is potential for increased urban parish governance. Evidence of this can be seen in the establishment of London’s Queens Park Parish Council which will be the first parish council in London for 50 years when established in 2014.

Considering the incredible potential for town and parish councils to realise the localism agenda very little work has been conducted at this level of local government that moves beyond general commentary (Peterson 2012). Some work is of relevance however. Bishop (2010) explored the nature of parish councils in the localism agenda with reference to community led plans. The importance of multi-scalar governance as a model for exploring the neighbourhood level has also received some attention (Sommerville 2012). Other studies have explored the role of democratisation at the parish level (Coulson 1997) and more recently DEFRA (2012) has explored a number of areas relating to the devolution of public services under the banner of ‘rural proofing’. There is an urgent need to ensure that the process of devolution to this layer of government is fully informed or there is a risk of marginalisation and missed opportunity. The following will address the principle questions of this brief.

Results and Recommendations

What shapes local decisions to establish parish councils and contribute to neighbourhood level governance?

There are multiple and complex reasons for the establishment of local and community level governance. However, motivations may broadly be categorised as, identity, efficiency, relevance and opportunity.

Identity –In an increasingly globalised and fragmented world evidence points to a need for community identify of an area which provides impetus for the responsible, effective and efficient use of resources within that locale.
Efficiency – An increased perception of efficiency within the delivery of services dissatisfactions with the level of advice support and overall service provision. There is a general perceived level of overall of providing services to the local community by using town and parish councils ultimately creating sustainable communities.
Relevance – Local level governance is seen as being relevant to the local community. Local governance structures are seen as capable of prioritising the right issues for the local communities.
Opportunity – The opportunity to draw on multiple resources and be engaged with the mechanisms for improving local communities.

Barriers
Foundational barriers include a parish’s history and heritage, the composition of its population and the engagement or place attachment of that space. However, the following issues may be considered thematic for the creation of community level governance:

Scattered and isolated communities within rural communities were seen as a barrier to effective local level governance.

There was a lack of understanding as to how new parishes may be set up and this falls within the broader remit of communication and support from the principal authorities.

Time was also a factor as the parish council level of government represents a volunteer’s commitment that means time away from other activities.

Administrative confusion was an issue that arose repeatedly within the data with communities unclear as to the logistics of establishing local was the idea of administration and the ability to deliver the services. This refers to both communication and skills education and training

 

Increasing the role of town and parish councils

There is evidence that the ambition and capacity to increase service delivery is increased in a particular areas where a number of factors converge. This includes a strong community identity, Leadership within the parish with an emphasis on the important role of clerk and a strong relationship with statutory service providers

 

Ambition and Capacity. -There is a willingness to increase service delivery and take responsibility for a broader portfolio of service provision within parish councils. There is however a number of issues relating to this that act as provisos to this statement. The increased level of control brings about an increased level of responsibility. Whilst there is an appetite for the devolution of services there is also a concern that this is not backed up with the relevant support from both local and national government. Individual parish’s capacity and ambition seems on a general basis to be aligned. Parishes that are ambitions and forward thinking in their approach to service delivery and creating a stronger community identity are capable of identifying their weaknesses and this particularly applies to skill and training. Skills and training are seen as essential and directly related to capacity for increased service provision

Barriers
Lack of understanding - as to what an increased level of service delivery would actually involve. Concern over budgetary commitment, review, and accountability for increasing a service portfolio were identified as barriers. There was also concern over what impact this will have on the formal or otherwise structure of the interaction within parish councils. Concern is raised that this additional time and intensity of activity will actually deter people from wanting to become parish councillors in the first instance having a counterproductive impact on the localism agenda. As a predominantly voluntary group this is of particular concern in the smaller parishes which rely exclusively on the good will of those elected. Concerns have been raised that this increase could actually mean that the smaller parishes will lose the support of local community members effectively reducing the capacity of the council.

Relationship with Principal Authority

‘You need to be aware of who the service provider is and of course most of the services provided is the local authority so you have to get on board with them (parish councillor)

The relationship between the principal authority and parish council is essential for the effective delivery and devolution of services. Whilst this relationship was identified as absolutely essential, it was often noted that the principal authority was not always as supportive as it could be in facilitating service delivery. The following issues are seen are central and transferable.

Effective consultation- A process that considers views of parish councils that move beyond the symbolic.

Communication and education that effectively supports parish’s and considers entrenched local issues that will impact specifically on the parish area. These issues were particularly highlighted within Cornwall as the county moved to Unitary Authority status. Currently Cornwall Council offers guidance and support to parish councils for the devolution process. It has outlined a number of case studies that it segregates into coastal parish, coastal town and rural parish. Such initiatives are essential for the effective take up of services by parish councils. This process however, must be inclusive, extensive, transparent and accountable.

Parish councils and Neighbourhood Community Budgets

Observations at the parish council level of government offer rich insights into the ongoing development of NCB’s. Parish councils present some parallels when considering service delivery and the establishment of community/ neighbourhood levels of government. There is a need to set realistic priorities and visions that effectively frame the neighbourhood budgets. Again this returns to earlier observations concerning communication. This will require a rigorous consultative process with the local community. There is a possible tension when it comes to the accountability of budgets the statutory partners restricting or blocking how the ‘community’ wants to allocate the resource. Experience and analysis of Local Strategic Partnership’s arrangements also suggests that within statutory bodies, ‘partnership equity’ should be maintained and monitored.

Engaging with the parish council and using this as an inroad to community engagement provides an opportunity to utilise established, ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ community networks, both of which are present in parish councils. This should be seen as only a first step in engaging with a fuller community base. Using the parish council does not presuppose a representation of community, instead offers the opportunity of a significantly informed body close to the community. 

The most important element to encouraging those communities that have the capacity and inclination to develop this agenda is to clearly communicate the value of this agenda to their local communities whilst maintaining a strong emphasis on the role of the statutory budget providers. This effective communication and framing will not only strengthen the capacity and appetite of those areas already looking to engage with the process it will also alert those areas that are yet to engage or feel they do not have the capacity to the opportunities that are incumbent with the initiative.

References
Atkinson, H. (2008) Democracy and Empowerment in London’s Neighbourhoods, 23(4):325-331

Bishop, J. (2010) From Parish Plans to Localism in England: Straight Track or Long Winding Road? Planning Practice and Research, 25(5):611-624

Borne, G. (2012) Power to the Parish, Public Services Review: Local Government and the Regions 20 http://goo.gl/hmkFf

Borne, G. (forthcoming) (2013) Governance in Transition: Sustainable Development at the Local Level in a Global Context, Edwin Mellen Press

Borne, G. (2010a) A Framework for Sustainable Global Development and Effective Governance of Risk, New York, Edwin Mellen Press

Borne, G. (2010b) Promoting Sustainable Communities in Devon and Cornwall, Promoting Sustainable Communities 2(1) http://goo.gl/M8oJ7

Borne, G. (2009) Understanding Town and Parish Council Needs for a Sustainable Cornwall, Promoting Sustainable Communities 1(2) http://goo.gl/l3UER

Coulson, A. (1999) Decentralisation and Democracy: The Neglected Potential of Parish Councils, New Economy 6(2):115-118

DEFRA (2012a) Local Level Rural Proofing http://goo.gl/dAPqw

DEFRA (2012b) Local Level Rural Proofing Resource 2: Rural Proofing in Practice http://goo.gl/Vdcze

DCLG (2012), Proposal from Town and Parish Councils Under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 http://goo.gl/Adbsh

DCLG (2011) Localism Act http://goo.gl/r6hVt

DCLG (2007) Public Involvement in Health Act http://goo.gl/X214C

Fenwick, J., McMillan, J., Elcock, H. (2009) Local Government and the Problem of English Governance , Local Government Studies, 35(1):5-20

HM Government (2012) Open Public Services White Paper http://goo.gl/GTpZn

Lehal, J. (2012) A Year on Its Time for a Charm Offensive on Open Public Services http://goo.gl/LHjnc

McIntyre, T., and Halsall, J. (2011) Community Governance and local decision making. Paper Presented to the ‘Diversity and Convergence: Planning in a World of Change’ Conference, Local Economy, 26(4):269-286

National Association of Local Councils http://goo.gl/9OX8V

Pearce, G., and Ellwood, S. (2002) Modernising Local government: The Role for Parish and Town Councils Local Government Studies 28(2):33-54

Peterson, H. (2012) When is a Public Servant not a Public Servant http://goo.gl/mMqFq

Somerville, P. (2011), Multi-Scalarity and Neighbourhood Governance, Public Policy and Administration 26(1):81-105

Parish Councils and Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is a term that has become increasingly important over the past three decades.  Today we see the term used repeatedly in different contexts and with different meanings.  This has become a very emotive topic over the past few weeks as the debates surrounding  the proposed changes to the planning system and the 'presumption towards sustainable development' come into focus.

The Parish Council has also been an established an essential component of local government and community and is now becoming increasingly important in the political landscape.  This is a direct result of the coalition governments localism agenda and the idea of ' A Big Society', and as such Parish Councils will play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable communities. 

With that in mind there is a very definite lack of guidance and focused information that enables Parish councils to respond effectively and efficiently to the complexities of the multifaceted issues that relate to sustainable development.  Sustianableparish.com is designed as a service to parish councils to enable them to make informed decisions about sustainable development and related issues.