National Association Calls for Government Changes for Town & Parish Council Funding

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has called for central government to allow town and parish councils the right to apply directly for central government funding in a bold proposal that would transform our first tier of local government's ability to influence and deliver the services and amenities they know their area needs.

Town & Parish Councillors often know many of local residents, and as it is a requirement for office is that they must either live or work in the area, they not only have a vested interest but local knowledge too, something which can be lacking when decisions are made elsewhere.

Cheadle Town Council Chambers, now in private ownership, and rented from the developer.

Town and parish councils are currently funded by something called a precept, an annual payment currently made by a higher tier of government. In the case of Moorlands Towns & Parishes, this is made by SMDC but is likely to change in the very near future due to devolution. A parish council must prepare a budget for each year, which will cover all necessary expenditure, and ask the district council for this money in the form of the precept in advance.

They are able to apply for some grant funding, but this current process often hinders town and parish councils' ability to fund the things they know are needed or desirable, and can even prevent them from having an input into what happens in their area.

A NALC statement said, "We have called on the government to give parish and town councils the right to apply directly for central government funding in our bold proposal to the government's fair funding review."

"In our response to the government's consultation, we argued that parish and town councils are held back by an outdated and unfair funding system. We urged the government to end double taxation, where residents in parish areas pay council tax but don't receive the same level of services as those in non-parish areas, and to ensure fair and consistent funding wherever local services are devolved to parish and town councils."

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National Association Calls for Government Changes for Town & Parish Council Funding

- created 9.8.25