Agenda item

The Committee will receive an update on the work that has been taking place to promote and implement the Council’s Town and Parish Charter following its adoption in July 2022.

Contributors:

Cllr Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities

Roger Goodes, Service Director, Partnerships, Policy & Communications

Simon Garwood, Senior Policy Officer

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities; Roger Goodes, Service Director, Policy and Communications, Simon Garwood, Senior Policy Officer, and Lloyd Jeffries, Service Director, Resources – Business Operations, to the meeting.

During the presentation, the following key points were raised:

·       As a new Council there was an aspiration to strengthen the relationship between Buckinghamshire Council and the local town and parish councils. The Town and Parish Charter was published in July 2022. Its purpose was to outline this commitment and articulate some key areas to help cement a strengthened relationship.  It can be found at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/parish-town-and-boundary-information/town-and-parish-charter/.

·       An independent review had been commissioned in partnership with Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils to improve trust and understanding. It was recommended that Buckinghamshire Council should produce a short document as a one-way commitment to local town and parish councils.

·       The Charter had three main sections:

- Effective communication: Ensuring that a wide range of channels were available for two-way communication;

- Effective services and Collaboration: Working together to ensure the best possible outcomes;

- Planning process: Ensuring local councils’ involvement in planning decision-making.

·       The Cabinet Member for Communities had been appointed as the lead member for relationships with town and parish councils. Simon Garwood was the strategic officer lead and point of contact for town and parish councils, who was also responsible for implementing the action plan.

·       A town and parish survey would shortly be launched to identify areas of need and collect feedback on key services. A strategic engagement framework would be developed which would map all formal meetings and engagement and identify any gaps. Over the coming months, a ‘Think Local’ campaign would create a greater understanding of the needs and challenges of local councils amongst officers across the Council.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       Members commended the work on the Town and Parish Charter. Facilitating improved communication and a productive relationship with town and parish councils was identified as important by the Committee.  A Member who was also a Parish Councillor commented that they had experienced improved communication and engagement and they thanked the Cabinet Member and Officers for their work.

·       A Member noted that the Charter did not mention Community Boards very much. The Cabinet Member was asked how he felt the Boards were evolving and how they would fit in with the Charter. In response it was noted that the Community Boards and their structures would be reviewed over the coming year. The Cabinet Member agreed that Community Boards needed strong links with town and parish councils, and they would be asked their views on Community Boards in the forthcoming survey.

·       A Member raised concerns about the specific situation in High Wycombe as an unparished area, expressing the view that residents in High Wycombe were at a disadvantage. Mr Goodes noted that the introduction of a new parish or town council would require a governance review to be carried out and this would need to be linked in with the wider boundary review.  It was agreed that Mr Goodes would speak to Nick Graham, Service Director for Legal and Democratic Services and provide a response on this.

                                                                         ACTION: Roger Goodes

·       In connection with the discussion on the unparished area of High Wycombe another member explained that the High Wycombe Town Committee currently undertook similar functions to a parish council, and he considered that this worked well so residents were not disadvantaged.

·       The priority telephone line has received 74 calls since October 2022, equivalent to three calls per week. All inquiries received in the contract centre were reported by type of inquiry. Inquiries were predominantly received via email. This direct telephone line had been set up solely for town and parish councils to use and had been advertised to them. Uptake of the number was low, but this was attributed to clerks having received a contact list with Fix My Street, Key service mailboxes and direct line numbers including service directors and heads of service. Mr Jeffries advised that the number was at the bottom of every Town and Parish newsletter and would continue to be promoted to town and parish councils.

·       A Member asked about the process for town and parish councils to call-in planning decisions. It was noted that as well as being able to request a call-in of decisions themselves, town and parish councils could also lobby Buckinghamshire Council members to request call-ins on their behalf. Call-ins raised by an individual town or parish member currently needed to be considered by the Chairman or needed support from two further local members.

·       A Member referenced Fix My Street and asked if any work had been undertaken to include parish owned assets. Mr Garwood explained that there had been a lot of development work to include devolved services so that queries from residents would be directed to the correct Council directly. Officers agreed to speak to the relevant team and provide an update.

ACTION: Simon Garwood

·       To ensure strong communication between town and parish councils and Buckinghamshire Council, local meetings to discuss key issues around service delivery, as well as bespoke training sessions on processes such as FixMyStreet, would be held in future.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member and the Officers for their attendance and contribution to the meeting.