Your editorial (18 August) and the IPPR North report on hyperlocalism both suggest building on the parish council model. In larger towns and cities, parish and town councils tend to be in the wealthy suburbs. In Bradford, there are 21 parish or town councils – and only one is in the inner city. Ilkley, one of the richest towns in the district, has an annual budget of nearly £480,000. This money enables wealthier areas to protect themselves from cuts imposed on the district council by the Conservative government, allowing them to save facilities that are being closed in inner-city areas.
But the benefits are not just financial. Many people have a distant relationship with their local council. The reverse is true of parish and town councils, where people are likely to know the councillors and to appreciate the services, such as libraries or playgrounds, saved and managed by the parish council.
So, if the government were to embark on a programme of extending the parish council model into the inner cities, it would not only strengthen community cohesion, but it would be very difficult for a future Conservative government to abolish them and cut the services they provide.
David Kennedy
Menston, West Yorkshire
• It is true, as your editorial says, that community empowerment is no panacea, but it is an essential component if regional strategy is to produce greater equality. New models should link top-down and bottom-up input from the word go. Regional initiatives need to include implementation via a network of disadvantaged neighbourhoods to promote job opportunities, neighbourhood improvements and local participation. A fraction of new regional investment, both public and private, should be ringfenced for these objectives so that community groups aren’t left to fight for crumbs left over after local authorities have dealt with their other heavy responsibilities.
Gabriel Chanan
Chavey Down, Berkshire
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