Looking at Sussex from outside Sussex
A change of tone for this entry on the BLOG. My guest author is Crispin Moor from the Commission for Rural Communities and I am very grateful for his contribution:
“I spent two days in rural Sussex earlier this week testing the temperature of local democracy at the parish and town council level. I was accompanying my Chairman, Dr Stuart Burgess from the Commission for Rural Communities and also the Chairman of the National Association of Local Councils, Councillor Michael Chater.
It was a contradictory experience. We visited some tremendous examples of parish and town councils doing great things for their communities. For example, in Fishbourne and Kingston and Burgess Hill. We also spent some time at a rural primary school in Birdham and were inspired by its approach to sustainability and learning. We learnt that parish councillors, even of quite small parishes, can make impressive changes for the public good when they want to. For example, having the foresight and confidence to take out loans from the Public Works Loan Board to match fund Big Lottery and other funding to build and refurbish village halls. Or to stop waiting for action from cash strapped Highways Departments; and to pay for local traffic calming themselves. The cost to parish taxpayers was usually a few pounds on the precept per annum, thanks to long back periods and low interest rates. And in Burgess Hill the town council has taken on managing local roads from the county council and local environmental management from the district council. And they’re doing a great job at a good price. And are now delivering the same for a cluster of surrounding parishes. So, there is a lot to celebrate and promote to others.
Yet in our various discussions, with parish councillors and clerks, district and county councillors and officers as well as colleagues from AiRS and the Sussex Association of Local Councils, we were perplexed. We were puzzled why more parish councils did not aspire to achieve more. Why so many parish councillors could still get away with doing very little and representing their communities only when they wanted to stop something from happening (although representation to stop and prevent clearly has an important place).
Many of those we met thought that the parish sector might be at a collective point of decision. The challenges of the future are great. They included the coming public sector austerity (to reduce our national debt); our ageing rural communities; our lack of affordable housing and also big housing and other development pressures in many parts of the county; the opportunities of next generation broadband (and the dangers of not being part of that); the new South Downs National Park and more generally our complicated local government system. As one councillor remarked, when people complain about the council it would be nice if they knew which council they were complaining about!
So will the parish and town council sector embrace these changes and challenges? For the optimists (including myself) the future agenda for parishes will include many more parishes becoming Quality parishes and many more Parish and Town plans (community led plans), leading to action benefitting local communities. It will mean close links with the local voluntary and community sector; and more qualified clerks and a lot more training and learning within the sector. It will mean, despite some of the practical challenges, more joint and cluster working between parishes and more local management of services. Despite arguments about the merits of two tiers versus unitary local government structures we should look to more genuine co-operation and joint working with principal local authorities (building on the good practice that undoubtedly exists). If we are at some collective point of decision for the future direction of the parish sector, then maybe now is the ‘time to grow up’ time. Parish and town councils, as a whole, must be willing to take more responsibility and leadership for the well being of their local people. And yes, to use the precept and the Public Works Loan Board where there is local need and support.
It’s worth remembering that parish and town councils are the most un-reformed part of our local government system. They were set up in 1894 in pretty much the same way as they remain today. Reform probably lies within the sector itself, rather than waiting for national politicians and Acts of Parliament. So, in which direction lies the future for parish councils in Sussex?
My thanks to Jeremy Leggett for letting me guest blog here.”
Crispin Moor, Executive Director, Commission for Rural Communities
Crispin.moor@ruralcommunities.gov.uk and www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk
December 10th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
If the parish councils had more power and more duties they would rise to the occasion. At the moment theirs is a thankless task, with not much reward. There is no carrot. And no stick.
There is a need to get rid of RDAs, devolve funding to County councils who then pass it on down the chain. The best place to use any public money is at grass roots. There is so much that could be done if the right calibre of person was elected to parish councils. Unfortunately the position sucks, because they can’t actually ‘do’ much. If support was there and backing from on high then they could do great things, especially in rural areas, because they know what needs doing. The majority of councillors I speak to don’t see the point in ticking boxes to become ‘quality’. sorry. On the other hand they seem more than willing to be leaders. They just don’t have the wherewithal. or the power.(we have a fantastic PC btw.)
chris
December 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Reform and abolish them. The money saved can go back to “protecting front line services”.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Good Town and Parish councils, to me, epitomize leadership skills, more than in any business I have ever come across.
The town clerk (I use the word to mean town and parish forthwith) is the executive of any council order.
That clerk can either (very easily) put up a barrier of reasons why something should be not be done, or be the one to run off with the baton, returning to the council members time after time with new ideas.
Each clerk’s motivation is different, and that motivation can change over time, in one direction or another.
Each clerk’s leadership skills can be up to the job or not.
In order for the clerk to be in the position to take the town forward and aggressively fight to take over for the control of “upstream supplied services” requires:
-the town council has a qualified and forward thinking executive (clerk)
-the courage to back that clerk
and that clerk must have the leadership flair to have;
-the backing of their staff
-the right (trained) people to delegate to
-the political skill to get what they need
-the administrative skills to oversee ever-increasing workloads
I think the above scenario is rare.
As alluded to above, the time is approaching for town councils to increasingly come good and make their mark on behalf of their residents.
In this time of impending budget doom and cuts, the “upstream councils” are going to be looking to unload services, and if any of the administration of those services can be streamlined and done on-line it will lead to savings.
All of this bodes well for town councils as long as they realize that the whole of their credibility, wellbeing and sustainability pivots on their being able to successfully replace that one person, their town clerk.
To my knowledge, unlike any commercial operation there exists no ‘pool of managers’ to step into the shoes of the these town clerks, there is no hierarchy, apart from the members, able to ‘float in’ a temporary manager to keep the plates spinning in the case of resignation, sickness or plain ‘Bad Clerk’ syndrome.
I don’t know if that situation can be addressed, nor am sure that that weakness can somehow be turned into a strength - but one thing is for sure, it is up to NALC to provide the leadership to address it, and right now.
December 11th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Finding councillors be it parish, district or county prepared or able to give up the time for change is the challenge? If SALC or NALC had the answer do let us know!! Please remember councillors are volunteers not MP’s with duck ponds or castle towers.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Well the original Blog by Crispin Moor has stimulated a debate. I must come back and defend the many active councils & community groups in the Chichester area who with or without Quality Council status are striving to maintain or build new community halls in their villages. These include:
Funtington
Barnham
Boxgrove
Bracklsham
Chidham
Westhamptnett
I am ignoring the negative comments from Antony C who has not the courage to give his full name!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Who is Antony C? I think we should be told!