Government consults on easing process to create parish councils

The consultation paper (16-page / 128KB PDF) says that the existing process for setting up a new parish council, which requires a 'community governance review', is too demanding. The current process requires campaigners to obtain support from 10% of the local electorate to trigger a community governance review. The process also takes too long and does not allow designated neighbourhood forums to take on a "distinct role", the paper says.

The paper proposes a number of options to ease the process. These include amending existing Government guidance to set out a six month timeline for community governance reviews and changing legislation to halve the number of signatories needed for a petition for a community governance review. The paper also proposes to allow neighbourhood forums to make an application for community governance review, rather than having to submit a petition with the required number of signatories.

"We want to make it easier and simpler for people to set up town and parish councils where they do not exist," the paper said. "We want to tilt the balance in favour of community groups, where there is the demonstrable support of a majority of local people. Where local people express popular support for the creation of a town or parish council, the local authority should work with the community to achieve that."

The DCLG said that parish councils have a "close understanding of what their communities want" and that they can "tailor a wide range of local services including grants to local organisations and financing projects such as new community buildings and facilities."

"Parishes are popular with people and for too long communities have battled with burdensome bureaucracy to get them created," said Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles. "Our proposal to remove red tape, simplify and streamline the current process to create Parish councils is commonsense."

"We want to give local people a real sense of community control in their areas, giving them freedom to make changes and improvements which best serve their community and area," he said.

"We welcome the creation of more new local (parish and town) councils to deliver wider services to local communities and be the voice of local people," said National Association of Local Councils chair Michael Chater. "We agree with the proposal to consult on how local councils could be given more power to deliver grassroots services and looking forward to hearing of innovative and radical approaches on how this will happen."

There are currently around 9,500 town and parish councils in England. They cover around 90% of the area of England, however, they are mostly found in shire areas rather than urban areas and therefore only cover around 37% of the population.

The DCLG has asked for responses to the consultation up until 9 January 2013.