Consultation launched on extending LGO remit to larger parish and town councils
The Government is to consult on extending the jurisdiction of the Local Government Ombudsman to cover larger parish and town councils.
The Department for Communities and Local Government consultation paper, Strengthening parish and town council accountability, includes discussion of how such councils should be defined for this purpose.
The consultation paper, which can be viewed here, said: “There are around 9,000 parish and town councils across England, representing more than 37 per cent of the population. Whilst parish and town councils do not have the same range of powers as principal local authorities – county and district councils and London borough councils – their responsibilities can be diverse and the decisions they take can affect the day to day lives of many citizens.
“Whilst for the majority of parish and town councils the local redress mechanisms currently available to the public are sufficient and proportional, it is right that larger parish councils with responsibilities and budgets comparable to those of district councils, should have equivalent accountability and redress mechanisms to those of principal authorities.”
It added that extension of the LGO’s remit in this way “should not only give a better deal for the citizen but also lead to better quality and value for money in the local public services delivered by the tier of government nearest to the people”.
The consultation runs until 30 June 2015. The paper reveals that 26 councils of this kind each cover a population of 30,000 or more.
Earlier this week the Cabinet Office launched a consultation on a proposal to create a new Public Services Ombudsman in England, whose responsibilities would extend to all who are delivering such services including third parties.
If implemented, the move would bring together the existing jurisdictions of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and the Housing Ombudsman (THO).