Localism and parish

councils – how it’s

working

James Kingston Department for Communities and Local Government james.kingston@communities.gis.gov.uk 18 July 2014

Local residents, volunteers, charities, community

groups and the rest are what make a neighbourhood, define it, give it life and purpose… neighbourhoods are where local democracy begins. They are the building blocks of society.

People feel rooted in their neighbourhood. They are proud of it. It’s where they have the most immediate ties, the closest loyalties. It’s where they are most ready to get involved.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

... We know that the best ideas come from the ground up,

not the top down. When you give people and communities more power

over their lives, more power to come together and work together to make

life better – great things happen

David Cameron, Prime Minister

“

”

“ ”

The political vision

New powers for the

problems you face

Parish survey respondents…

57% are doing

neighbourhood planning or

actively considering it

36% taking action on

assets and right to bid

31% working on taking

on services from local

authorities including

through right to challenge

Growth in neighbourhood

planning…

10 plans passed into law,

8 passed referendum, 11

passed examination

48 submitted for

examination

98 areas have published

draft plans for pre-

submission consultation

Over 1000 areas have

applied for designation Figures cumulative

Neighbourhood planning: a flexible tool

Tattenhall, Cheshire:

6 policies

Thame, Oxfordshire: 53 policies

Examples of neighbourhood plan policies

Exeter St James

preventing

conversion of

houses to multiple

occupation once

a certain

threshold is

reached Upper Eden

allows single dwellings in rural

areas, where the local plan

would only allow them where

there are at least 3 existing

ones.

Lynton & Lynmouth

Prevents new housing intended for

use as a second

home

Neighbourhood CIL

addressing demands

of development

28 areas charging

the levy

around 75 more

councils have

progressed work on

CIL

paid to parish

Right to Challenge – Advice4renters

community housing

advice

agency

Concerned about

reduction in

specialist tenancy

relations service

Expression of interest

proposed that the

council

contract out

Right to bid

Right to bid – the Ivy House pub

£250,000 from

the DCLG Assets support programme helped secure…

£500,000 from

Architectural Heritage Fund

Community share issue raise over

£140,000

Pub reopened in

August.

Right to bid – Stanwick Parish Council

Stanwick Parish

Council,

Northamptonshire

Nominated land in

time to have it

pulled from auction

Purchased from

reserves

Putting the

community at

the heart of decision making

123 neighbourhoods

No one ‘right’ way–

but some key elements

Our Place – Ilfracombe

Small coastal town, population: 12,500

deprivation and social isolation.

Before: silos, duplication, gaps

Aim to allow the community to have control Focus: health and wellbeing, skills and employment prospects

Outcome:New model – One Ilfracombe.

Local management of devolved budget from North Devon

Council

15

expert support

organisations

enquiry service,

advice, case

studies

http://mycommunityrights.org.uk

£61m of grant

support

Support

Repeal of the

two signatories

rule

Changes to

Audit

arrangements

Extension of the

Sustainable Communities Act to parish and town

councils

Creating new parish councils

Parish

Council

campaigns

progress

92 communities

on the road to a

parish council

PenkhullTopshamSpalding Grantham BostonSt Margaret’sBedfordCrook/Durham City Consett/Chester-le-

StreetWelwyn Garden CityBaldockSloughLangleyKingswayStainlandHooleParkgateBurtonLeigh

ShardEndSpitalfieldsSlathwaiteWeddingtonThurrockNortonFolgateTyldesleyWaterloovilleExeterStJames

HighWycombeRoehamptonWestGreenwichWalpoleKetteringOulton BroadLowestoftLonglevens

HempsteadMatsonMarketHarboroughHullHadleighOsleston&ThurzastonAshIlkestonErewashWhitehaven

YarmouthBedminster&SouthsaleBansteadKingswood&TadworthOttershawWeybridgeGreatBarr

DarwinGreenRoseHillStalybridgeOrdsallScunthorpeBexhillLincolnLutonNewhallPooleCompstallHuthwaite

Queen’s Park Crewe Badgers Mount

Chadwick End

Hunsbury Hunsbury West Shearsby

New parish

created

7 parishes

created, 2013-

present

4 grant

funded

Petition

submitted; CGR

triggered/under

way Sutton Coldfield Atherton Fenton

3

communities

3 grant

funded

Petition

opened Penrith Kidderminster London Fields Guiseley

4

communities

Grimsby/Cleethorpes Aldershot Weymouth

AshfordTaunton Walton Swale Rickmansworth Plumstead Paston

Charlton Barton Wolvercote

Berry Hill Mytchett Swindon Town Houghton-le-Spring Barking

Reach Macclesfield Bingley

Campaign live 21

communities

Community

exploring the

issue

65

communities

2 grant

funded

12 grant

funded

What do you want to do?