Joint Standards Committee	24 January 2022
Report of the Assistant Director (Customer and Communities) York’s Parish Charter

Summary

1. This paper updates the committee on the outcome of a review of the charter between City of York Council and the 31 parish and town councils within the York local authority area, following input made by this committee to the draft charter at its meeting in July 2021. 

Recommendations

2. The Committee is asked to note the finalised charter attached at Annex 1.

Reason: To advance joint working between City of York Council and York’s parish councils.

Background

3. The Parish Charter was last reviewed in 2016.  The recent review was co-ordinated by the York Parish Council Liaison Group which meets with the aim of improving working relations between the parish councils and City of York Council.  The Liaison Group comprises six parish councillors (who are appointed by the York Branch of the YLCA) and City of York Council is represented by the Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, the Assistant Director (Communities and Culture) and the Head of Communities and Equalities.  The York Branch of the YLCA comprises representatives from the 31 parishes, which are all member councils of the YLCA, which in turn is a county association of the National Association of Local Councils.

4. The draft Charter was considered by this committee in July 2021 and various amendments were proposed.  These have all been incorporated in the final version.  Following further consultation with the York Parish Council Liaison Group, the charter was then approved by the Council’s Executive in November 2021.

The Charter

5. The finalised Charter is attached at Annex 1.  It has now been signed by the Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities on behalf of the Council and by the Chair of the York Branch of the Yorkshire Local Councils Associations.

6. A programme of meetings has been established for the York Parish Council Liaison Group in order to ensure implementation of the charter and to monitor its effectiveness, to improve communication between the City of York and the local councils, and to develop an appropriate work programme in support of the above.

Council Plan

7. Parish councils are the first tier of local government in the neighbourhoods they serve and (to quote the motto of YLCA) “closest to the people”.  In the parished wards of the city, the Parish Charter is fundamental to advancing the Council Plan.  In particular, relations with parish councils are a key component of the Council Plan’s priority for the City of York to be “a council that listens to residents”.

Implications

8. There are no additional Financial, Equalities, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Property, Crime and Disorder or Other implications arising from the report.

Risk Management

9. In compliance with the Council’s risk management strategy the main risks that have been identified associated with the proposals contained in this report are those which could lead to the inability to meet business objectives and to deliver services, leading to damage to the Council’s reputation and failure to meet stakeholders’ expectations.  The level of risk is assessed as “Low”.  This is acceptable but means that regular monitoring is required of the operation of the new arrangements.

Annex 1:  The Parish Charter

Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer responsible:
Charlie Croft Assistant Director (Customer and Communities)	Charlie Croft Assistant Director (Customer and Communities)
	Report Approved	ü	Date	12.1.22.
Specialist Implications Officers:
Wards Affected:  All
For further information please contact the author of the report

Worddoc/reports/misc /Parish Working2.docx