What is a Town Council?
Why does Feltham need one? And what’s the process for establishing one?
Town Councils are the smallest and most local form of the UK government
You’ll find them at the heart of communities across the country. They give local people more say in the decisions that affect them. Each year, a small sum of money—called a ‘precept’*—is collected on top of residents’ council tax. This money is invested back into local neighbourhoods to improve local facilities and services. Town Councils can also apply for grants and loans and, if they own property, can receive money from rents or leases.
* The total amount charged by Town Councils depends on the services they offer and varies from council to council around the country. If a newly established Feltham Town Council introduced a ‘precept’ of £20 per year per household, we estimate this would raise £496,000 per year to support local initiatives. A £40 annual precept would raise £992,000.
Town Councils are elected and can support local issues, like providing:
Allotments
Car parks
Open spaces
Youth projects, play areas and play equipment
Community transport schemes
Community safety
Crime reduction measures
Events and festivals
Leisure and sports facilities
Litter bins and street cleaning
Consultation on neighbourhood planning
Lighting
Grants to help local organisations
Town Councils cannot provide statutory services like:
Schools
Health
Highways
Rubbish or recycling
Social care
Youth services
Policing
Housing
How do we get one for Feltham?
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Identify and recruit local people with a range of skills and experiences to support our shared mission of establishing a new Town Council for Feltham.
Please get in touch if you're interested in joining our campaign team.
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When we say 'Feltham', we are talking about the wards of Bedfont, Feltham North, Feltham West, Hanworth Park & Hanworth Village [pictured below left].
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We are looking to get 7.5% of the population of Feltham (or, ~4,000 local people) to sign our petition for Hounslow Council to conduct a 'Community Governance Review'.
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Provided enough local support is secured, Hounslow Council will conduct a 'Community Governance Review'.
A 'Community Governance Review' is a way for district councils to make sure that local governance arrangements are working as efficiently and effectively as they should be.
This is achieved by asking the public and any interested parties whether they feel their communities are suitably represented and whether they would like to see any changes made to their current governance arrangements.
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Following their 'Community Governance Review', Hounslow Council would likely hold a referendum to assess public support for any proposed changes.
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Following consultation, Hounslow Council would publicly confirm their decision with local residents.
Success stories from nearby
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In 2007, the Government passed the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act, which, among other provisions, permitted the creation of community councils in London, with the aim of enhancing community governance in urban areas.
The Campaign for a Community Council in Queen’s Park (QP) is the first campaign to utilise this relatively new power. The QP Campaign is formed from a group of local residents who want to change their community for the better. They have decided that they can achieve this by creating the first community council in London.
The QP Campaign was born from the Queen’s Park Forum, a sub-group of the Paddington Development Trust, set up in 2003 with funding from the Westminster City Partnership. However, government funding to support the work of the forum has finished.
On 22 January 2011 the formal campaign to introduce a community council in Queen’s Park was launched by residents with the support of Queen’s Park Forum, with aim of providing an ongoing voice for local residents. In April 2011, the QP Campaign presented to Westminster Council—the principal authority for the area—over 1400 signatures asking for a parish council.
Westminster Council are still to confirm the exact arrangements for the consultation and review process, but residents have been busy publicizing and organising their campaign, with support from NALC and the Department of Communities and Local Government.
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Salisbury City Council was established in April 2009, when local government in the county of Wiltshire underwent re-organisation. A new unitary—Wiltshire Council—was created with its headquarters in Trowbridge. The former Salisbury District Council was disbanded. Those parts of the county which had not previously been so, were parished, including the city area of Salisbury.
Salisbury City Council has a population of about 45,000 making it one of the largest local councils in the country. Indeed, it contains roughly ten per cent of the county population and that despite having a boundary which is tightly drawn around the built-up area. The cathedral city recently celebrated its 750th anniversary and civic tradition, like the twice weekly charter market, plays an important part in the new council's role.
Because of its size Salisbury City Council has chosen to distinguish the roles of its councillors and officers along lines more typical of a district council. Councillors take the more strategic decisions, setting policy direction, while decisions about service delivery take place at an officer level. Officers also have financial delegations set at a level high enough to match the broad remit and working model.
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Shrewsbury Town Council was established in April 2009, when local government in the county of Shropshire underwent re-organisation. A new unitary—Shropshire Council—was created, with its headquarters also in Shrewsbury. The former Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council was disbanded and the town of Shrewsbury became a single parish.
Shrewsbury Town Council serves a population of about 70,000, employs around 60 staff and has a budget of approximately £3.2m per year. This makes it one of the largest local councils in the country. It operates a number of important services which transferred from the borough council. These include parks, markets, entertainment and cultural venues, sports pitches and recreation grounds, together with a range of community facilities.
Horticultural services are particularly important. The town has successfully represented the UK in recent international horticultural competitions and it sponsors the annual Shrewsbury in Bloom competition.
The Council comprises 17 members elected from 17 wards. The former principal local authority Councillors remained as Shrewsbury Town Councillors until the first elections were held in June 2009. There has subsequently been one by-election. The Council elected a Town Mayor to continue Shrewsbury's proud civic traditions, upheld formally by Borough Mayors. The Council's offices are within a new Guildhall, constructed in 2004, beside the River Severn.