As we enter into April, the public sector can celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most localised form of government.
District councils were formed following the Local Government Act 1972, with the 164 that are running around the country being the responsible for some of the most important public services.
Chairman of the District Councils Network, Sam Chapman-Allen, commented:
“Over the past half-century district councils have proved their value to their local communities. Our status as the most localised principal authorities gives us a unique advantage as place leaders and local convenors. We are the ‘local’ in local government.
“We make our places more prosperous, support people when they need it and strengthen our communities. It is a track record of success which we will build on as we embrace the challenges of the next 50 years.”
As district councils continue to run the services that communities need to thrive, ranging from waste collection and leisure centres to regeneration and homelessness prevention, the District Councils Network has released a series of videos that identify examples of how their members are continuing to address area-specific challenges. The first example that was outlined was how a disused racecourse is being turned into up to 10,000 new homes by Folkestone and Hythe District Council. As part of this work, the council is using its influencing role to bring the local county council together with developers and communities to ensure that plans are coordinated.
Looking ahead to what the future holds for District councils, Cllr Chapman-Allen continued:
“Of course, no one can predict what the next half century holds but we can be confident that being close to communities will continue to bring results.”
Image credit: iStock
Video credit: District Councils Network
