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12 June 2008 / Jonathan Wragg
Issue: 7325 / Categories: Opinion , Local government , Public , Commercial
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People power

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Jonathan Wragg wonders if Londoners will be tempted to establish (and pay for) their own parish councils

It's March 2009 in the London Borough of Haringey. Property prices have fallen and the credit crunch is still having an effect on many. The familiar thud of a heavy envelope landing on the mat announces the arrival of the year's council tax bill.

Among the charges for the council tax itself and the precept for the Greater London Authority some residents in N6 discover a new charge on their bill in respect of Highgate Parish Council. This is likely to be a new experience for most as parish councils have not been seen in the capital since the early 1960s but this vision of London could be a reality for many following the implementation of Pt 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (LGPIHA 2007) last month.

The Act does not create parish councils in London itself but provides a mechanism for parish councils to be created

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