New parish councils programme

DCLG New Councils programme

NALC welcomed the ministerial announcement on 9th September 2013 of the new DCLG ‘New Councils’ Programme, with funding of just under £1 million over 18 months and starting in October this year, with the possibility of increased funding and/or extension of the Programme if it is a success.

This programme derived from the Prime Minister’s launch in 2011 of the Open Public Services White Paper, which emphasised the developing role of our sector and the need to create new local councils, especially in urban areas.

The Programme will provide:

• A national programme of support to encourage communities to set up new councils
• Grants of up to £10,000 for every community campaign set up
• Grants of up to £25,000 for every new council set up within the duration of the programme 

The ministerial statement also included the Government’s response to the consultation on how to make it easier to set up a town or parish council. While Government was not willing to introduce a right of appeal, ministers would be introducing new measures to:

• Reduce to 7.5% the number of electors required for a petition to establish a new local council
• Impose a time limit of 12 months for a Community Governance Review by a principal authority from receipt of a petition to completion
• Make it easier for neighbourhood forums to become local councils, by removing the requirement for them to raise a petition if they have completed a neighbourhood plan.

More information on the .gov website