Rural Survey: Maximizing Data for Rural Parish Councils

1. Parish Councils Rural Survey Jake Atkinson LRALC Chief Officer

2. Leicestershire Rural Partnership Serving rural communities for 20 years: • Deliver rural projects which fill gaps in mainstream provision • Influence others to ensure they consider rural within their policies, strategies and actions • Listen, facilitate joint working, advise and lobby

3. Who? • LCC cabinet lead (Chairman) • Districts (tbc, Melton Chief Executive) • Leicestershire and Rutland Association for Local Councils • Rural Community Council • Voluntary Community Sector (Community Transport) • Federation for Small Business • Country Land and Business Association • National Farmers Union • Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership • National Forest Company • Independent Business Representative • Leicestershire Promotions Ltd

4. What? The BIG 7!! • Active, inclusive & empowered Parish Councils& meetings • Sustainable growth, high quality employment opportunities & increased vocational training in rural priority sectors (land-based, F&D, tourism, creative & knowledge-based) • Increased availability of affordable homes • Retain good access to essential village services & facilities • Broadband • Effective and integrated public & community transport(innovative travel solutions) • Communities & businesses reducing their carbon footprint

5. Background to the Survey • Commissioned by LRP to undertake research with parish councils around rural priorities • Supporting parish councils came out as a high priority at the LT challenge workshops. • Aim: • to maximise data availability for future LRP outcomes; • to develop robust evidence based on the needs of these councils in addressing rural issues; • to improve engagement with PCs

6. Methodology • Conducted survey in early 2013. • Survey was available on-line and by hard copy • Completed (in full or part) by 53 Local Council or Parish Meeting representatives

7. Some statistics • Councils from Harborough and Charnwood had the highest response rate, with NW Leics and Melton the lowest. • Majority of councils responding had electorates of 1001 or less. • 57% of surveys were completed by the Clerk to the Council

8. Rural Issues – A priority? • 92.4% said rural issues were a priority for their Council. Reasons included: • The parish is a small but active rural community and we are trying to keep it that way • The parish has few transport links and few facilities • We feel the villages rural character is under threat • There is still a farming community • The digital age means rural communities are being left behind when broadband speeds are so low. • A key current objective is the implementation of the refurbishment project at [the] Community Centre which will include a community coffee shop and meeting point

9. Rural Issues & the role of PCs

10. Partnerships • Councils primarily work with: • their District/Borough Council and LRALC, followed closely by the Rural Community Council and Leicestershire County Council. • A far smaller number of Councils already work with the LRP and VAL.

11. Partnerships

12. Localism • Government sees local councils as having a key role to play in delivering localism (Eric Pickles: “Localism’s magic wand”). • Localism Act 2011 gives PCs specific powers they can use to address local issues. • Most powerful of these is the General Power of Competence (GPoC). • 53% of respondents indicated that they may use GPoC to address rural issues in the future

13. Localism – GPoC & Rural Issues

14. Localism - Influence & Impact

15. Countywide Priorities • 38% of respondents were not sure whether their PC has a role to play in delivering county-wide strategic priorities. • 30% considered PCs do have a role to play • 32% consider PCs have no role to play

16. Countywide Priorities - Comments • We have an important role to play as the nearest level of local government • We are small and do not have the facilities • Mainly time constraints • Limited admin/Clerk support • Councillors choice - mainly focus on issues that directly benefit [the parish] • We would like to if we knew precisely how to go about it! • We have not been active in these areas and have little knowledge of them • Keeping heads above water is taxing. If LRP told us what they thought we could do it would be easier to engage

17. LRP Resources

18. LRP Resources • Why do you not currently engage, what might change this; • Lack of knowledge, lack of capacity • Time mainly • The activities do not seem to have particular relevance to a very small parish • More information on what the LRP is about • The language used to describe them is often hard to translate to parish level • Lack of capacity and other priorities - would need to see real benefit to the Parish Council • We have not had particular issues where we perceived that LRP could assist.

19. LRP Priorities (average score, descending order)

20. Recommendations • The creation of a “Parish Council Development Fund”, to help build capability and knowledge to address rural issues in their areas; or • Establish a Parish Council pilot scheme to look at innovative ways of addressing rural issues with an emphasis on one or more of the LRP priorities and / or areas of need identified in this report. • The delivery of a one-day free “Rurality and Localism: Supporting Parish Councils” training day.

21. Recommendations • Ongoing training/support (including sharing of case studies) for PCs in use of powers available to PCs under the Localism Act. • Presentation on LRP Rural Framework & Priorities at each District PC liaison event. • When reviewing/renewing LRP priorities ensure there is targeted consultation (including facilitated presentations) with PCs to feed into the setting of these priorities.

22. Recommendations • Promote & encourage use of volunteers to increase capacity within PCs to address rural issues within their parish; explore linkages with local community coaches. • Focussed LRALC activity around the 2015 PC elections to increase the number and range of candidates putting themselves forward to be parish councillors; link to communities in charge/taking charge. • Jargon buster/plain English guide to explain Leicestershire structures and priorities including delivery organisations and how they can support/benefit PCs.

23. Recommendations • Parish Councils to register on the LRP website (www.oakleaves.org.uk) to receive regular updates on LRP activity including services that can support / benefit PCs. • The development of a parish council page on the LRP Oakleaves website, compiling useful information and links to assist PCs in their rural activities.

24. Next Steps • Full draft report to be circulated to LRP Board shortly, followed by wide circulation. • Consideration of report and recommendations at future LRP meeting • Funding proposals to access additional LRP funds to support delivery of recommended actions drafted and submitted.

25. Feedback please! • Do the survey results reflect your professional views and experience/the views of your council? • Do you feel the recommendations are appropriate and would benefit your council and its parishioners? • Any other comments about how we can improve the engagement of PCs with the LRP and its services, projects, & events?