Challenges facing Towns & Parishes

1. Challenges facing Towns & Parishes Trevor Leggo Director Local Councils & Local Governance Action in rural Sussex

2. Common issues across three counties • Housing – affordable, impact on sustainability • Housing – predicted growth v infrastructure • Health – threat of hospital closures • Shops & P Os – loss, threat to communities • Transport – too many cars,insufficient public transpt. • Children & young people – attitude to youth culture • Safety – perceived fear of crime v reality • Preservation of ‘Green Space’ • Creation of local employment

3. How can the LSP assist communities LSPs are intended to be cross-agency,umbrella partnerships that include all sectors of society including public, private,community and voluntary bodies. The LSP remit is aimed at working together to improve the quality of life in a particular locality. Govt sees LSPs as the main mechanism for the coordination of delivery of better local services and as the key partnership in a local area,responsible for the Local Area Agreement Commission for Rural Communities

4. What should towns and parishes be doing • Be ready to take advantage of the opportunities arising from any form of local government review • Understand the LDF, LSP and LAA • Either do nothing and keep the precept very low or be confident and seek a mandate from the community to raise funds to benefit the parish, not being afraid to budget properly. • Ensure that councillors and the clerk are properly trained and aware of latest issues, ideally all councillors to receive training in first term of office. • Seek to avoid tensions within the Council • Work effectively with principal authorities, other agencies and local organisations • Recruit and retain a competent and enthusiastic clerk • Demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency; become a Quality Council • Be viewed as a worthwhile body, representative of the community