The Government introduced the Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme in 2003 with the aim of encouraging councils, on behalf of their communities, to have a greater say in the running and improvement of local services. Parish and town councils are the democratically elected body closest to local communities and are ideally placed to know what is best for the people they serve.

A “Quality” town or parish council:

• is representative of, and actively engages, all parts of its community, providing vision, identity and a sense of belonging;
• is effectively and properly managed;
• articulates the needs and wishes of its community;
• is committed to work in partnership with principal authorities and other public service agencies;
• in proportion to size and skills, delivers local services on behalf of principal authorities when this represents the best deal for the local community; .
• works closely with voluntary groups in its community;
• gives leadership to work by the community on town or village plans; and
• working with its partners, acts as an information point for local services.

The Quality Criteria

In order to attain Quality Town or Parish Council Status, a council must demonstrate that it has the right attributes and the ability to take on the enhanced role and responsibility that Quality Status will bring.

A council must pass tests under the following headings:

1. Electoral Mandate
2. Qualifications of the Clerk
3. Council Meetings
4. Communications
5. Annual Report
6. Accounts
7. Code of Conduct.

Taken as a whole, the tests exceed the statutory requirements which all town and parish councils need to satisfy as a matter of course, and represent standards that an efficient, well-run parish council that actively engages with and works for its community should achieve.

The tests are designed to be as straightforward as possible, and to include measures, which will enable all councils, irrespective of size, to attain Quality Status if they wish.

The Accreditation Process

Applications for Quality Status are vetted by a local Cumbria Panel of three people appointed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Where the Panel declines to confer Quality Parish or Town Status, the council will be told why and the Panel will indicate the specific improvements that are expected and a date after which it will be possible to apply again.

Successful councils will receive a certificate confirming their Quality Status for 4 years and will be able to use the Quality Parish or Town Council logo during this period. Parish councils will be required to re-apply every 4 years to keep their status.

Benefits of the Quality Scheme

Quality Town and Parish Councils will play an enhanced role in their communities and in partnership with the Principal Authorities, ie the County and District Councils:

• as an integral part of all relevant consultation and co-ordination arrangements set up by Principal Authorities and other service providers on how services are delivered in the parish council area;
• to manage and deliver services which parish councils may carry out either on behalf of the Principal Authority, or by using their existing powers; and
• working with partners on the provision of access points to information on services of Principal Authorities and other service providers.

This enhanced role will be achieved by town and parish councils negotiating ‘Charters’ with Principal Authorities. Charters will be in two parts, the first part concerns all parish councils and the second applies to town and parish councils that have attained Quality Status and sets out the enhanced role that such councils will play. County and District Councils are to be strongly encouraged to enter into agreement with Quality Town and Parish Councils.

The full Quality Town and Parish Council Scheme can be found by clicking here(285Kb PDF).