Parish councils | LocalGov

Parish and town council spending nearly hits £800m

02/04/2024

Parish and town council spending is set to rise from £708m in 2023/24 to £783m in 2024-25.

Parish council row ‘worse than Jackie Weaver’

28/07/2023

Thornton-le-Dale Parish Council has suspended its activities after a meeting broke into a row and mass walkout, with several councillors later resigning.

Yorkshire councillors consider plans to create new town councils

29/06/2023

North Yorkshire Council members are set to consider plans to introduce town councils in Harrogate and Scarborough after householders show support.

North Yorkshire Council green lights community partnerships

31/05/2023

North Yorkshire Council yesterday gave the go-ahead for a series of community partnership pilots in an effort to ensure local voices are heard.

Parish councils can apply to £150m Community Ownership Fund

12/05/2023

Parish councils are now able to apply to the multi-million-pound Community Ownership Fund.

Yorkshire local councils consulted on new parish charter

11/01/2023

Parish and town councils across Yorkshire are to be asked for their views on a charter that will help define how they work with the North Yorkshire Council.

Jackie Weaver did not have the ‘authority’ to mute and eject councillors

30/03/2022

Jackie Weaver did not have the ‘authority’ to mute and eject councillors from the online parish council meeting that went viral, investigation concludes.

Parish leaders call for council tax referendum exemption

17/01/2022

Local council leaders have called on the Government to grant parish and town councils a multi-year exemption on council tax referendum principles.

Local councils call for access to same funding pots as principal authorities

12/01/2022

Parish and town council leaders have called for local councils to have access to the same funding initiatives as principal authorities.

MPs campaign against parish council reorganisation in Cheshire East

25/11/2021

MPs have warned that proposals to abolish or merge parish and local councils across Cheshire East could damage community spirit.

Calls for radical expansion of parish and town councils

12/11/2021

Parish and town councils should be established in every neighbourhood to help places level up and revive local democracy, a think tank has said today.

Handforth Parish Council changes 'toxic' name

04/11/2021

Handforth Parish Council has changed its name in a bid to move away from the 'toxic' infamous zoom meeting.

Call to make virtual councils meetings permanent

01/07/2021

Councils should be given the freedom to hold remote meetings permanently in the future, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has argued.

Local councils complain about poor banking services

30/04/2021

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has warned it has received a groundswell of complaints about poor banking services across England.

New proposals to fix Britain's 'fraying social fabric'

12/01/2021

Every local area should be represented by a parish or town council in order to rebuild ‘fraying’ communities after the pandemic, a think tank has argued today.

Guide on the ‘significant role’ of community businesses launched

09/12/2020

A body representing thousands of town and parish councils has published a guide aimed at promoting the opportunities that community businesses can create locally.

Cornwall first to pass on COVID-19 funding to local councils

07/08/2020

Cornwall Council is set to be the first to pass on government funding to parish and town councils affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Kettering to create town council

20/01/2020

A new town council is to be created as part of local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire.

Village halls secure refurbishment funding

20/01/2020

The Government has awarded £1.2m to refurbish village halls in the past year.

Preventing and tackling abuse of councillors

05/11/2019

Clare Hardy explores how parish councils and local authorities can tackle and prevent the abuse of councillors.

The perils of being a parish councillor

25/10/2019

A mass walk-out at a parish council may be a good example of local democracy at work, says Mark Whitehead

Parish council shuts down after abusive calls and hate mail

11/10/2019

A parish council in Greater Manchester has been dissolved after councillors reported experiencing intolerable levels of abuse.

The rise of the ‘super’ parish council

26/06/2019

With figures showing parish precepts have risen by 4.9% this year, Neil Merrick explores how parish councils are using the extra revenue to deliver increased and better services.

Town clerk jailed for defrauding council

13/06/2019

An assistant town clerk has been jailed for four years for stealing more than £200,000 from Rugeley Town Council.

Charter trustees have ‘had their day’, says local council body

29/03/2019

The body representing local councils has urged the Government to abolish charter trustees by the end of the next parliament.

Parish councils protest against airport expansion

20/12/2018

A group of parish councils have protested at plans to expand Bristol Airport on the grounds that it will increase traffic and damage the environment.

Clerks and councillors: Raising their game

25/09/2018

Neil Merrick outlines the five key areas that parish and town councillors should be trained in.

Welsh community councils criticised for management ‘failures’

06/09/2018

Four community councils in Wales have been criticised for ‘failures’ in governance and financial management.

Welsh local councils accused of operating in 'secretive ways'

30/08/2018

Local councils in Wales have been accused of being 'secretive' and anti-democratic after research revealed not all provide electronic access to minutes and meetings.

Parish councils and the devolution of services

06/06/2018

Neil Merrick finds out why some parish councils are doubling or trebling council tax precepts after taking on services from higher tier authorities.

Parish councils to ‘re-think’ role after Brexit

01/05/2018

Community council leaders have announced they will be starting a ‘big, radical conversation’ on the role of parish councils in the post-Brexit local government landscape.

Parish and town councils welcome ‘fair funding’ letter

13/04/2018

The Government has written to billing authorities urging then to reconsider passing local council tax support on to parish and town councils.

Local councils prepare to lobby MPs for extra powers

19/03/2018

Town and parish councils are calling for new powers to be handed to them following Brexit in what they see as the next stage in local government devolution.

Councillors to be equipped with 'community organising' skills

16/03/2018

A new partnership will soon equip councillors with ‘community organising’ skills to help them engage more effectively with their local communities.

Power in the country lanes

15/03/2018

Mark Whitehead finds out why smaller councils are taking on bigger roles in terms of responsibilities and delivering services.

Parish councils face £3.5m yearly bill over new data protection rules

05/03/2018

It will cost parish councils over £3.5m a year to implement new data rules, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has warned.

Councillors agree to creation of new Durham City authority

21/09/2017

A new parish council is to be created for Durham City after councillors voted in favour of the proposal.

Local people should have control over new housing, argues think tank

11/08/2017

Up to five million new homes could be built if people in individual streets were given control over planning permission, according to the Adam Smith Institute.

Why parish councils are getting involved in planning

06/06/2017

Neil Merrick explores how parish and town councils are throwing off their 'Nimby' image through the use of neighbourhood planning.

The changing face of parish councils

02/05/2017

Neil Merrick explores the expansion of parish council duties – and the subsequent rise in precepts.

Durham residents back creation of new parish council

20/03/2017

Residents in Durham have voted in favour of creating a new parish council for the city.

Residents pass vote of no confidence in Desborough Council

13/06/2016

Local residents have passed a vote of no confidence in Desborough Town Council, after their council tax precept was increased by 422%.

Deptford bids to ‘get back its mojo’ with new parish council

02/03/2016

A campaign has been launched to establish London’s second parish council under the Localism Act.

Local councils warn court closures will have a negative impact on access to justice

19/10/2015

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has demanded that the Government puts a halt to its plan to close and integrate local courts and tribunals across England and Wales.

New parish council set for Sutton Coldfield

10/09/2015

Plans to create a new town council in Sutton Coldfield have moved a step closer, following Birmingham City Council’s recommendation to set up a new parish council.

Thurrock rejects parish council plans

28/08/2015

Councillors in Thurrock have narrowly decided against establishing a new parish council for a housing estate in the Essex borough despite two consultations coming out in favour of the proposal.

Residents vote to abolish Brierley Town Council

17/07/2015

Residents have voted in favour of scrapping a town council in south Yorkshire, after its town clerk was jailed for fraud and theft in 2013.

Council agendas modernised under new reforms

13/01/2015

Councils will now be allowed to send agendas and meeting papers electronically, ending an out-dated ‘budgetary burden’.

Creation of new town and parish councils simplified

08/01/2015

From today it will be easier for communities to set up new town and parish councils, under measures intended to remove ‘bureaucratic burdens’.

Watchdog raises accountability concerns in final report

11/12/2014

Only 11% of parish councils - 1,015 in total - had their accounts qualified in 2013/14 - according to a new report from the Audit Commission.

'Short changed' parishes demand action over government funding

27/10/2014

Parish councils are demanding urgent action to ensure that local authorities pass on £9m of government funding they say is earmarked for them.

123 civil parishes to be changed in Cheshire West and Chester

27/10/2014

Cheshire West and Chester Council has announced 123 civil parishes will be changed following a major review.

Minister to write to councils over parish funding

24/10/2014

A Government minister has criticised some local authorities for ‘failing to pass sufficient money down to parish councils’.

New town council in Cumbria

03/10/2014

The Cumbrian town of Whitehaven is the latest community in England to get the go ahead for a new town council following a campaign to give local people more power.

‘Golden opportunity’ missed after Government rejects business rate share for local councils

02/09/2014

The Government has rejected proposals to hand town and parish councils a share of business rates to boost their role in economic development.

Parish councils should receive fracking payments says NALC

14/08/2014

Parish and town councils should receive at least £20,000 from fracking companies, according to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Local audit plans could place ‘much greater burden’ on councils

18/07/2014

Auditors have slammed plans to reform how parish councils are held to account, branding Government proposals overly ‘complex’.

Bleadon becomes first parish to use Sustainable Communities Act

25/06/2014

Local councils will soon be able to send agendas electronically rather than by post thanks to a change triggered by a parish in Somerset.

Funding boost to support largest new parish council

29/04/2014

Local campaigners looking to set up England’s biggest parish council have been given a cash boost from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Billing authorities urged to pass on funding to local councils

07/04/2014

Seventeen local authorities have been accused of refusing to pass down £4.8m government funding to local councils, according to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Game of Thrones name-change set for Hertfordshire village

09/01/2014

A Hertfordshire village is changing its name to celebrate the third series of HBO’s fantasy tv series Game of Thrones.

Localism's elephant in the room

20/12/2013

Why local councils can no longer be masters of their own destiny.

What are parish councils?

06/12/2013

What are parish councils?

'Unreasonable' cheque burden to be lifted from parish councils

12/11/2013

The requirement for every cheque payment made by a parish council to be signed by two members is finally expected to be lifted.

Parish council responsibilities

05/11/2013

What powers and duties do parish councils have?

New measures make it easier to create new parish councils

09/09/2013

It will be easier to create a new parish council in the future, under new measures announced by local government minister, Don Foster.

Auditor finds government fails at Kirby Muxloe Parish Council

01/05/2013

Kirby Muxloe Parish Council failed to have effective arrangements for corporate government in place, according to a report from the Audit Commission.

Pickles tells parish councils to rethink council tax hikes

30/11/2012

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has told parish councils to rethink average 3% hikes to their council tax precept - which he said are outstripping levies raised by the rest of local government.

Pickles rejects calls to 'protect' parish councils from funding cuts

29/11/2012

Local government secretary Eric Pickles has rejected pleas from parish councils to end an anomaly in which they stand to lose as much as a third of their precept income due to council tax benefit changes.

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Addressing regional inequalities

Andrew Borland, Chief Innovation Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), University of Liverpool discusses the importance of levelling up for growth.
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Banning urban pesticide use

RSPB and PAN are working on a letter from local councillors calling on the Government to introduce a national ban on urban pesticide use. Find out more below.
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