The Branches that make up Local Council Comittees.

Housing- The housing committee can be broken down into three separate categories, the first of which is ‘Assessment of Need’. Properties, both privately owned and owned by the Council have to be assessed. Those houses falling below the ‘tolerable standard’ may have to be demolished or extensively refitted. Inhabitants of condemned properties must be re-housed. The second area of responsibility is the building of property. If there is a shortage of housing in the Council’s area then either the existing stock must be improved or new houses built altogether. Building new property is, needless to say, extremely expensive and often prohibited by Central Government policies including the control of capital allocation and the selling of council stock for private use at discounted prices. The improvement or maintenance of stock is made more difficult by the fact that quite often the more desirable Council properties are bought for private use and the remainder is left with the Council. Local authorities often have to make arrangements like issuing grants and loans to homeowners or handing over existing stock to housing associations, and sometimes the Council may enter into joint ventures with private builders to ensure properties are built quicker.

Local Councils also have to manage their stock. They must ensure that the tenants of their property are living in hygienic and safe conditions. If the quality of a certain property is below what is regarded to be a reasonable level, the building must remain empty and thus the Council will be paying rent on a property with no rent-paying inhabitants. Estate management, such as the upkeep of fences and lawns must also be dealt with by the Council. Groups of tenants may decide who their particular landlord should be, and Central Government also have restrictive powers over the actions of Local Council Housing committees, proving that Council powers are still diminishing.

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David D H Andrews/Local Council Committees/2

Planning- A structure plan (which sets objectives for all local government services in a specific area) is produced by the Council which contains plans for local planning, development control, building control, listed buildings and conservation. The role of local planning and development control is to improve upon or redevelop buildings or tourist facilities within the Council’s area of jurisdiction. If the use of a plot of land or a building were to change purposes; a commercial building to a residential one, or a public garden to a car-park the planning committee would be responsible for the change. The development of town centres and the preservation of items of historic interest such as ancient trees are also dealt with by the planning committee, as are developments such as extensions built onto housing. The planning committee must first listen to any parties who may be against or in support of the proposed changes before they may make a decision, and the inhabitants of the surrounding areas must be informed as a consequence. The committee must clearly catalogue why they have allowed or refused permission for area development so as not to make any decisions based on ‘whims’ or ‘hunches’. Any decisions made by the planning committee may be appealed to central government. There is not any further right of appeal, other than to the courts, on a point of law and as a result there has often been a reduction in the amount of land designated to a city’s “green belt” –in many of these cases unused land is designated as part of the green belt to compensate for the loss.

License- Licensing committees deal with licenses for public entertainment, street trading and markets, taxis and specialist trading such as pawn broking and second-hand dealing. ‘Public House and Liquor Licensing’ is one of the two committees within the local council’s licensing committee and is made up of councillors but is not in itself subject to the full control of the council itself. ]

Leisure- the Council’s leisure committee is responsible for ‘recreation and leisure’. The provision of parks, golf courses, sports centres, swimming pools, libraries, art galleries, municipal theatres and statues fall under the committee’s control.

ENDS