Briefing Paper Parish and town councils: recent issues By Mark Sandford Summary This note addresses a range of recent issues affecting parish and town councils. It includes an explanation of what they are and their place in the local government structure; the powers they can exercise; how they may be established and abolished; and how complaints about them may be pursued. This note applies to England only. Contents 1 Parish councils 1.1 What are parish and town councils? 1.2 Where do parish and town councils exist? 1.3 Charter trustees 1.4 Differences between parish councils and principal authorities 1.5 Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 2 The precept 3 Parish council powers 4 Creating new parish councils 4.1 Community governance reviews 4.2 Petitions 4.3 Changes to system for establishing parish councils 4.4 Creation of new wards 4.5 Small parishes 4.6 Alternatives to parish councils 4.7 Previous system 4.8 Parishes in London 5 Complaints regarding parish councils 6 Parish and town councils: recent policy changes 6.1 Council tax referendums 6.2 Council tax support and precept levels 6.3 Parish councils and business rates 6.4 Parish councils and neighbourhood planning 6.5 Cheques 6.6 Parish polls 6.7 Electronic agendas 6.8 The Local Government Ombudsman and parish and town councils The House of Commons Library research service provides MPs and their staff with the impartial briefing and evidence base they need to do their work in scrutinising Government, proposing legislation, and supporting constituents. As well as providing MPs with a confidential service we publish open briefing papers, which are available on the Parliament website. Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in these publically available research briefings is correct at the time of publication. Readers should be aware however that briefings are not necessarily updated or otherwise amended to reflect subsequent changes. If you have any comments on our briefings please email papers@parliament.uk. Authors are available to discuss the content of this briefing only with Members and their staff. If you have any general questions about the work of the House of Commons you can email hcinfo@parliament.uk. Disclaimer – This information is provided to Members of Parliament in support of their parliamentary duties. It is a general briefing only and should not be relied on as a substitute for specific advice. The House of Commons or the author(s) shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, or for any loss or damage of any kind arising from its use, and may remove, vary or amend any information at any time without prior notice. The House of Commons accepts no responsibility for any references or links to, or the content of, information maintained by third parties. This information is provided subject to the conditions of the Open Parliament Licence. Download the Parish and town councils: recent issues – Briefing Paper