John FindlayChief Executive

Action for Market Towns Convention 2008

Empowerment through community-led planning

National leadership and representation for the first tier of local government in England

National support and services in areas such as legal, policy, training, conferences and events

Work with government and stakeholders to support and develop the role of local councils

The National Association - Who are we, what do we do?

The parish and town council model

8500 local councils in England, £400m+ expenditure

80,000 councillors 15 million people in England covered by local

councils, 30% of population Diverse sector, smallest covering <100, largest

>80,000, urban and rural 200 new local councils created in last 10 years,

mostly in suburban/urban areas and towns

What kind of services can local councils provide? Community transport schemes Leisure facilities Local youth projects Car parks and bus shelters Crime reduction measures Markets Open spaces Public lavatories and litter bins Street cleaning Tourism activities Traffic calming measures Power of community wellbeing

An established and valued form of local democracy

Increasing role in urban areas Build on the existing local council

structure Improve capacity to deliver better

services and represent the community’s interests

Existing powers strengthened with new powers

Partnership working and delegating services, budgets and decisions to local councils

Cross-party view of parish and town councils

“Elected representatives remain the indispensable link between the public and decisions.

Representative democracy is informed and enhanced by participatory democracy.”

- Councillors Commission Report, 2007

Representation and participation

Representative democracy:- LSPs and sustainable community

strategies- Local Area Agreements- Parish and town councils

Participative democracy:- Community involvement- Community budgeting- Neighbourhood Charters- Community anchors

Representative and participative democracy

The politicalframework and background Rural White Paper in 2000 Local Government Act 2007 Sustainable Communities Act 2008: Hazel Blears heralds ‘new era of parish

power, a real purpose in modern society, addressing issues that make a real difference to people’s quality of life, important contribution in reinvigorating local democracy, very effective at connecting with local people’

Community Empowerment White Paper and forthcoming Bill

Community Empowerment White Paper - principles Reforms designed to shift power, influence and

responsibility to local level Belief that citizens and communities are capable of

taking difficult decisions and solving problems themselves

The role of the third sector is valued in social and democratic renewal and active citizenship

Modern definition of democracy a system of government where political power is exercised both through elected representatives; and directly through petitions, referendums or active participation

Community Empowerment White Paper – key points Recognition and support of the first tier of local

government Recognition of QPS and encourage more local

councils to achieve Quality Status Encourage the creation of new neighbourhood

councils Right of appeal to the Secretary of State, both

for creation and abolition of local councils Make the rules on parish polls more accessible

and better understood

Community Empowerment White Paper – key points

Power for some local councils to make certain bye-laws

A new duty to promote local democracy for principal authorities

New tailored guidance on Participatory Budgeting for local councils

Establishment of a £70m Communitybuilders Fund

In Conclusion

Local councils working with community groups and other partners to:

- understand viability of local assets and service provision

- enhance and sustain facilities and services

- organise the precept to maximise community finance

- represent the commumity needs and opportunities in dealing with statutory bodies

Acting as the facilitator and guardian of a sustainable community-led plan

Further information:

www.nalc.gov.uk