New Wine in Old Bottles? England's Parish and Town Councils and New Labour's Neighbourhood Experiment

Abstract

This paper deals with English parish and town councils in the context of English local government reform. It explores their potential for community and local economic development and in fulfilling a role in neighbourhood government in the light of the current UK Government's declared intention of empowering neighbourhoods. There are some suggestions for the development of realistic ‘grass roots’ local government and examples of involvement in local area regeneration. It ends with some thoughts on legislation currently (June 2007) before Parliament, and in particular on their reception in London. Much of material on which this paper is based was gathered through project work undertaken for Defra, the Countryside Agency (now the Commission for Rural Communities) and the Society for Local Council Clerks, dealing, with variously, the capacity and democratic legitimacy of local councils and their relationship with principal authorities and other community and statutory agencies. Altogether, approximately 130 interviews were conducted with parish and town council councillors and clerks, officers and members of principal authorities, and officers of County Associations of Local Councils. A case study approach was adopted, covering a large number of English counties and the cities of Bradford and Milton Keynes.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the various editors and referees that have commented on earlier drafts of this paper, and most particularly Cllr Alan Waters for his valuable comments. As usual, the views expressed in this paper are the author's own, as is responsibility for all inaccuracies, errors, etc.

Notes

¹ Actually a grouping of unitary authorities surrounding Bristol.