The Case for Parish Council Status
WHY A PARISH COUNCIL FOR WEST HILL?
· There is a strong move from government (with cross-party support) for communities to have their own parish council, and they have recently made the process simpler and more straightforward in order to encourage communities to take this move.
“ We want more people to have the opportunity to take control and have a greater say over what goes on in their neighbourhood.”
· The Local Government & Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – gave residents the right to petition for the formation of parish councils and devolving the decision-making on such matter from central government to local authorities.
· This is part of the Localism agenda – the Localism Act came into effect in 2012 devolving power from government to communities, local authorities and individuals.
· A legislative reform order has been laid before parliament to make it even easier to set up parish councils.
· Communities minister Stephen Williams has recently said “Parish and town councils have a crucial role to play, having both a democratically accountable voice and a structure for taking community action. However, the current obligations can stifle local campaigns and constrain local democracy. That is why we are changing the rules and helping campaigners by making it much easier to set them up so they can get on and start making a difference for their local communities.”
· West Hill is not alone - there are currently 33 live campaigns and 100 communities considering campaigning for a parish.
· The Community Governance Review Guidance states that the review should “reflect changes that have occurred over time, such as population shift or additional development, which may have led to a different community identity.”
This describes West Hill’s position exactly.
· A new local council would provide the community with a focus for tackling the issues that affect us, provide us with a louder voice and enable us to more easily tackle the issues that we face.
West Hill – the Woodland Village
· WH has a unique and special identity “a woodland village - the rural quality of its verges and Devon banks, the glimpses of wonderful tree-framed views at every turn, and the maturity of these trees, is what makes West Hill special.” (VDS quote)
· It has a history – church in 1836 (parish boundary established), school founded 1876. During the 1970’s a building program started & rapid expansion. It has changed from being a sleepy settlement adjacent to Ottery St Mary into a large and varied community with its own identity and needs.
· Current population is around 2000, with 850 houses and 1570 on the electoral roll
· It is now a vibrant and cohesive community –
· An outstanding 210 place primary school that attracts young families to the village,
· An outstanding pre-school for 50 children
· A thriving Village Hall which is very busy, with over 20 different clubs and societies running regular events and attracting people from outside the village
· An active church community
· A Royal British Legion branch with over 200 members
SIZE MATTERS – A Village of our size with the large number of residents we have means that a parish council is the most effective way to meet the needs of our community
· We are by far the largest village in East Devon that doesn’t have its own PC.
· There are only 4 village parishes bigger than us – Broadclyst (which includes Cranbrook at present), Colyton, Woodbury, & Newton Poppleford. There are 51 parishes smaller than us that have their own Parish Council
(Chart of parish electorate sizes)
· None of the other towns in East Devon include a village of our size in their Town Council
Look at Honiton – surrounded by Gittisham (465), Buckerell (189), Awliscombe (390), Combe Raleigh (186), Luppitt (359), Monkton (141), Offwell (334), Farway (206) – all parishes a fraction of our size. (slide to show this pictorially)
· A village of our size needs its own representation – this would bring it into line with other villages in East Devon which have their own parish council.
SETTING UP A PARISH COUNCIL WILL OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCING OUR VILLAGE
· We will remove a layer of government which will give our village a stronger voice.
Some people have said that creating a parish council for WH will add another layer of government. In fact the reverse is true – we will remove a layer of government.
At present any proposal for West Hill has to go through OSMTC – whether an application to do a Neighbourhood Plan, or comments on WH planning applications.
With our own Parish Council, we deal directly with EDDC and DCC.
Pressure on funding to County & District Councils means that it is increasingly important to have a strong voice at parish council level.
· Management of our Finances
Currently West Hill contributes around £40k to OSM’s budget – every resident contributes around 2% of their council tax to the running of OSMTC.
With our own parish council, we will be able to set our own budget and decide which services we want to deliver to our residents. It will be clear and transparent to all residents.
Let me give you a picture of what an average parish council of our size will look like – a part-time parish clerk working from home who will manage the parish council on your behalf – organising meetings and dealing with planning applications.
We will have a stream-lined efficient system with low overheads.
We have looked at neighbouring parish councils and discussed with parish clerks.
· Money from development in West Hill
The rules relating to developer contributions are changing with the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy.
If West Hill has its own parish council, money which is triggered from future development in West Hill will be spent within West Hill. At present it could be spent anywhere within the wider parish of Ottery. This will amount to thousands of pounds for each new house.
· Parish Council Powers
A Parish Council now has very wide powers to raise loans and access grants, which have been made even wider by the Localism Act.
A Parish Council can access funds in ways that, for example, the Residents’ Association is unable to do.
A local council can fund the ongoing costs of a project (i.e. the ‘Core’ costs) unlike most other grant providers.
There are few limits to the types of projects that local councils can undertake.
· Support from the village.
Our work since last summer has shown that there is already widespread support for this campaign. We have set up a working group with representatives from village organisations. We have run two drop-in sessions outside McColls and have spoken to more than 200 residents, with very positive feedback.
We will probably need 7 parish councillors. We have already received enough expressions of interest.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
· We need at least 250 signatures on a petition to EDDC. This petition is being launched tonight and is available on clipboards in the lobby and the back of the hall. It will be available at McColls, the British Legion and West Hill garage to sign until Friday 17th April.
· The petition requests EDDC to undertake a Community Governance Review with a view to making a parish council for West Hill.
· The Community Governance Review process lasts 12 months. It will involve a 3 month formal consultation.
EDDC will then make a decision as to whether they think there should be a parish council for West Hill.
The decision is subject to further consultation.
A new Parish Council would then made through a Reorganisation Order
First elections would be 2017.
CONCLUSION
West Hill is a thriving community with its own sense of place and identity. It stands out in East Devon as being the largest village without its own parish council. As a group we believe that West Hill needs a democratically elected voice of the village and a focus for community action in the form of a parish council.
A parish council for West Hill would have wide powers to determine the services it needs, to set its own budget and to use funds arising from development in West Hill.
Times have changed and there is now national recognition of the importance of parish councils as a force for community action.
TAKING CHARGE OF OUR FUTURE
A STRONGER VOICE FOR WEST HILL
THE TIME IS RIGHT
A PARISH COUNCIL FOR WEST HILL