The Rural White Paper
A Summary Of How It Affects Parish And Town Councils

Although the Government's Rural White Paper was issued in November 2000, implementation is still a very active issue as it brought together into one document a wide range of rural issues and concerns. The White Paper introduced proposals for rural England with "Ten Ways We Will Make A Difference" and it is of note that parish and town councils are the only local authorities mentioned by name in this Government wish list. An entire chapter (12) of the White Paper has been dedicated to the role of parish and town councils in shaping their communities.

Within the White Paper there is a clear intention to give local communities a much bigger part in running their own affairs and there is a recognition that each community has its own priorities, its own strengths and weaknesses, and its own methods for achieving its aspirations.

Local Power for Country Towns and Villages. The Government has set itself five key tasks for enabling parish and town councils to take on an enhanced role and these may be summarised as follows:

• To enable local councils to achieve the highest standards and thus reach a new status within the framework of local government. This is being achieved by granting "Quality" status to all qualifying parish and town councils.
• To enable larger local councils to deliver a wider range of services through enhanced partnership working with principal authorities.
• To help rural communities to to indicate how they would like their town or village to develop by encouraging communities to undertake town or village plans.
• To create stronger local partnership arrangements through more modern local government, including the requirement for principal authorities to develop community strategies which should cover a wide spectrum of community needs and aspirations.
• To help rural communities to train and attract volunteers to support local services, including support for village halls.
  

More Details on the Rural White Paper’s Proposals for Parish and Town Councils

The White Paper recognised that parish and town councils are the tier of local government closest to the people they represent. There is, however, also a recognition of the more complicated issue of the enormous variation in size, resource, function and nature of parish and town councils across the country and it is this flexibility of model that allows local councils to be so responsive to the needs of their communities. The Rural White Paper sought as never before to build on this variation and develop it as the strength it is.
Quality Town and Parish Councils. The White Paper contained a series of measures on which to base the development of parish and town councils. The first is that of Quality Town and Parish Councils, an opportunity open to any parish or town council whatever its size or role. A 'Quality' parish or town council can take on a stronger role, including the provision of services, either those currently performed by another body, or in an entirely new area. Quality parishes are central to any local consultation exercises and contributing to discussions on housing, transport, health and other local plans. Partnerships with other local authorities, voluntary and business organisations are a key feature of quality parishes as are the provision of ICT and other access points for its community. Parish or town councils wishing to take on this stronger role must meet a 'quality test'.
The Quality Test. It is important that any authority wishing to take on an enhanced role should prove itself to be capable and accountable. It is, however, equally important that the tests for establishing that capability and accountability are accessible to all. This is the challenge that Government has set itself in devising the 'quality test'.
In other parts of the country, groups of parish councils have come together to formulate an accreditation process for parish councils seeking to obtain Quality Status.

Typically the accreditation tests might include:
Electoral Mandate. The first hurdle for an aspirant quality parish is to demonstrate that it has an electoral mandate. This basically means that councillors are elected, not co-opted.
Minimum of Number of Meetings Per Year. A quality parish council must hold a minimum number of six meetings a year, including its Annual Meeting. This requirement is an essential factor in demonstrating that the council is active and in ensuring public engagement and interest.
Trained Parish or Town Clerk. The third test for an aspirant local council is that it has a trained parish or town clerk. The basic qualification is now the AQA Certificate in Local Council Administration.
Publication of an Annual Report. A quality parish council will have to produce an annual report describing its activities, as well as newsletters or similar sources of information. This is seen as essential to ensure that the public feel engaged and confident in the execution of local democracy.
Unqualified Audited Accounts. A quality parish council would also have to have up-to-date, unqualified and properly audited accounts, which are available for public scrutiny.

Relations Between the Tiers of Local Government. Many of the proposals contained in the Rural White Paper rely on close and co-operative relations between the tiers of local government. The Government has published guidance on how principal authorities and local councils can work together in partnership. This guidance includes a model 'charter' based on existing Best Practice between the tiers.

Allowances. Further recognition of local councils became law on 1st of January 2000, with parish & town councillors becoming eligible for allowances for the work that they do for the local community, in addition to any expenses incurred.
Plans & Partnerships. Funding provided by the Countryside Agency has enabled a number of local parishes to produce Parish Plans under the Vital Villages initiative. Others are showing interest, but unfortunately funding has now been withdrawn. This has been a most worthwhile initiative to encourage greater pro-activity in local councils. Whilst existing schemes are being supported it is hoped that funding can be found from another source in the future to continue this process. At the same time Community Partnerships have been developing all over Northumberland, encouraging extension of existing and much new community action.

Local Planning Guidance. The White Paper encourages the development of locally based plans through parish appraisals and Village Design Statements which can be further developed and then brought into the planning process as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Acknowledgement: We are grateful to the National Association of Local Councils for their permission to use material prepared by them in the production of this web page