1.                        PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1      This Parish Charter describes the terms for an effective and productive relationship between Maidstone Borough Council (the Borough Council) and all Parish Councils in Maidstone Borough and recognises the role of the Maidstone Committee of the Kent Association of Local Councils (Maidstone KALC) on behalf of Parishes within Maidstone Borough.

1.2      Its purpose is to:

o      Provide a sound basis for close co-operation in the development and provision of excellent services for local people, both in Parishes and in non-Parished areas within the Borough.

o      Support the evolution of the local Parish as an environment within which Parishioners wish to live, being compatible with the Localism Act 2011, which has provided a new impetus for all tiers of local government to seek a more collaborative approach to decision-making.

2.                        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1      The Council is pursuing a number of policies and initiatives aimed at empowering local communities and providing local residents with the opportunity to shape the way in which public services are being designed and delivered. This has become even more important as financial resources are squeezed and the Council faces changes which will inevitably result in greater demands upon its services unless it changes the way it relates to local communities and partner agencies.  Democratically elected Parish Councils – the most local tier of local government – can play a key role in helping meet these challenges.

2.2      The Council established a Parish Liaison Group in 2014 with the aim of promoting better working and more effective relationships between Maidstone Borough Council and Maidstone KALC.  The Parish Liaison Group established a working group to produce a draft Charter which has been informed by best practice elsewhere. The key elements of the charter are:

o      A focus upon shared goals and partnership working to improve the well-being of local communities 

o      Information exchange and sharing, liaison and consultation, and the provision of services by the body best placed to do so;

o      Practical and not over-ambitious arrangements, with the emphasis being upon a two-way relationship between equals;

o      It is intended to be a working document which will be reviewed annually and adapted to meet changing circumstances.

3.                        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1      There is no statutory requirement to put in place a Parish Charter. It is a voluntary agreement for both the Borough Council and Parishes and Parish Councils, with the main purpose of further enhancing joint working between the parties involved.

4.         PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1      Although there is no statutory requirement to put in place a Parish Charter, there are benefits from adopting a charter – for the Borough Council, Parish Councils and for local residents – as stronger partnership working enables public services to be designed and delivered in a way that meets residents’ needs and reflects the changing landscape within which local government now operates.

5.        CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

5.1      A draft Charter was first considered by the Parish Charter Working Group and then discussed at the Annual Parish Conference of Town and Parish Councillors in March 2015.  The Conference made a number of suggestions and the final draft was then circulated to all Clerks with a request that discussion of the Charter be included on each Parish Council agenda. A further presentation was made at the April meeting of the Maidstone Committee of KALC.

5.2      Consultation responses have been circulated, with the Maidstone Committee of KALC welcoming the draft Charter as submitted, but drew attention to some minor amendments and the need to establish a Task and Finish Group to identify improvements to procedures, processes and working practices in key service areas. These points have all been incorporated.

6.        NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

6.1      The Charter has been subject to widespread consultation with parishes and Parish Councils. The Charter was approved by the Maidstone Committee of KALC in July 2015. As a result of the consultation undertaken, all feedback has been reflected in the Charter or, where relevant to Service delivery (e.g. Planning), via the proposed establishment of a Task and Finish Group. The Committee is therefore asked to recommend for the Charter to be submitted for final endorsement at Policy and Resources Committee.

7.        CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

8.         REPORT APPENDICES

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·               Appendix I: Draft Parish Charter

·               Appendix II: Consultation Responses

·               Appendix III: Letter to KALC (Maidstone Committee)

·               Appendix IV: Proposed Terms of Reference: Task and Finish Group

9.         BACKGROUND PAPERS

None.