Should Tamworth have a parish council?
Community Governance Review — the case for and against
As part of the Community Governance Review, the council is asking whether Tamworth should create a parish council covering the whole borough. Tamworth Borough Council is not recommending a particular outcome and want to hear the views of residents this table sets out the potential advantages and disadvantages to help residents form their own view.
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- Continued local representation after local government reorganisation. After April 2028, Tamworth Borough Council will cease to exist, being replaced by a larger council.
- Statutory consultee status: must be consulted on planning applications in the parish area.
- Ability to raise a precept: can raise its own funding through council tax to pay for local services, facilities or events.
- Access to parish-only funding: some grants and funding streams are only open to town or parish councils.
- Local asset ownership or management: could take on assets such as allotments, parks or community buildings, but this would be in negotiation with the new council which replaces Tamworth Borough Council.
- Parish councillors are usually unpaid volunteers who are democratically elected for four-year terms and are accountable to local residents.
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- Additional cost to council tax payers: funded through its own precept, an additional charge on top of existing council tax.
- An extra layer of local government: some residents may see this as adding bureaucracy rather than improving services.
- Uncertainty over scope: exactly which services or assets a new council would take on, and how well it could deliver them, would only become clear over time.
- Set-up and running costs: establishing a council involves costs for elections, staffing (such as a clerk) and administration, particularly in its early years.
- Time to build: new parish councils typically take time to become fully effective, so any benefits may not be immediate.
- It is unlikely a parish council would be able to take responsibility for assets like Tamworth Castle as the cost of the parish precept would be very high to cover the castle’s running, maintenance and insurance costs.
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What is a parish council?
A parish council is a local, community led tier of government that focuses on local issues such as parks, community centres, events, allotments, and street cleaning and is made up of elected representatives from the local community.
How much would it cost?
The amount of any additional council tax (the parish precept) would be decided by the parish council if one is established. At this stage no amount has been set and it depends on the services the parish council provides.
There are some examples of precepts for nearby parish councils, to help people consider if a parish is something local people would like in Tamworth.
How would it be elected?
Parish councillors would be elected by local residents through the same democratic process used for other local elections. The exact number of councillors and the parish arrangements have not yet been decided. If there is support for creating a parish council through this stage one consultation, those details would be developed and consulted on as part a second consultation.
Will the parish council take on the castle, or any of our other assets?
It’s not possible to say at this stage what the parish council would choose to prioritise. If one were established, its priorities would be determined by the elected parish councillors, working with and on behalf of the local community.
However, it is unlikely a parish council would be able to take responsibility for assets like Tamworth Castle as the cost of the parish precept would be very high to cover the castle’s running, maintenance and insurance costs.
