Going to the ball

Power to the people iStock 000004482758XSmall 146x219James Derounian puts the spotlight on local councils, the Cinderella of the public sector and an engine for localism.

In this age of alleged localism, I find it somewhat dispiriting to realise that there are some 9,000+ English councils that most people have never heard of – and that goes for professionals and researchers too! And that goes for LocalGovernment Lawyer (December 2013) in its, otherwise interesting, Mind the gap report looking at the “distance between what the Government promised and what the Localism Act 2011 delivered in practice”. Sadly there was not even one mention of local councils linked to discussion around the General Power of Competence, Community Rights or asset transfer.

If you’re in a city you might be aware of a borough or district council – like the London borough of Haringey; or Mid Devon District Council…..not least because they come knocking on your door for council tax. Or if you’re in the countryside you could also be on the receiving end of a County….such as Cambridgeshire County Council who look after things like education, transport and social services. So far, so so…..and, anyway, where is Cinders? (at home washing the dishes and scrubbing floors for her wicked stepsisters?)

In this case the Cinderella amongst local authorities are the thousands of English parish and town, or Welsh community, councils. Collectively known as local councils. And here’s another surprise….they are antiques and venerable amongst our democratic bodies…..created when Victoria was still on the throne in 1894! You could genuinely say “Lloyd George knew my council”!

As the UK Government acknowledges, in 2013 local councils cover about “90% of the area of England...approximately 37% of the population.” Some are tiny – like Blindbothel in Cumbria with less than 200 souls; but others are multi-million pound enterprises: take Shrewsbury Town Council with a population of over 70,000, and income of some £3.5m. They have a duty to provide allotments; powers to acquire and maintain cemeteries and crematoria; to contribute to the management of common land; provide community centres and street lighting. And – to fuel localism and community projects – councils that fulfil some basic conditions can exercise a General Power of Competence (GPC). Basically this means they can do anything so long as it is not illegal! Similarly – where they exist – it is the parish/town council that applies to designate an area and leads on production of a community-based Neighbourhood Plan. So in the case of my hometown in Gloucestershire, it’s Winchcombe Town Council that is coordinating the plan, currently out for public consultation.

The substantial figure of Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has dubbed parish and town council’s “localism's magic wand.” They also fit neatly with that other Conservative slogan that has lapsed in use.....David Cameron’s Big Society; in which the PM extols the virtues of volunteers. Step forward the 80,000 unpaid local councillors – many of whom stand and operate as independents, although as Dom Stapleton (Didcot’s Clerk & a postgraduate researcher) has observed “parishes are becoming much more politicised. With individuals standing for particular parties, accepting a whip and engaging in pre-meeting caucuses, where councillors decide how they will vote”.

According to the umbrella body – the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) – parish and town councils “provide employment for over 25,000 staff, while their annual expenditure is in the region of £400m.” And it is NALC that published Local councils explained (2013) – an abridged ‘bible’ that covers “the role of parish, town and community councils, their councillors and officers and how they work. It offers comprehensive and practical guidance about the legal issues” confronting them. It offers common sense advice, for example on the role of a council chair “to keep order and control the meeting”!

So why bother with parish councils?

First, there is a pragmatic reason – local councillors have local knowledge; so that – for instance – a developer may save herself a heap of trouble by establishing that a particular field is liable to flooding. Second, they can generate money (through the precept/local tax, currently not capped) to fund community ventures. Third, you may be required to work with them! As is the case of principal (district etc) authorities assisting in Neighbourhood Plan production. Fourth, they are a junction between representative and participatory democracy: councillors are there to represent community views, respond to their concerns and – as the good book says – promote community action through “surgeries, surveys & public participation in meetings, etc”. Fifth, councillors often wear many ‘hats’ – they may be a WI member, district councillor, help with ‘meals on wheels’, and act as a community bus driver…..access one, reach many; alienate one, potentially alienate a number.

Whatever happens at the next General Election, localism is not going away. In the sense that community-based policies can be traced back at least as far as John Major’s Government of the 1990s. The detail may change, but not the overall principle of community-based action. Therefore, local councils, en bloc, must step up to the plate. Parish councils are like Longfellow’s adage: “When they are good they are very good indeed, but when they are bad they are horrid”! A ‘marmite’ local authority…..And it is this variability that parish and town councils must address so that they deliver localism on their streets, for the benefit of communities. And let’s start with compulsory induction training for all new local councillors.

James Derounian is Principal Lecturer in Community Development and Local Governance at the University of Gloucestershire. He can be contacted on 01242 714562 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..