Big changes for parish and town councils have just become law. Here's what's actually relevant to you, minus the jargon.
A new Act, a lot of headlines, but what does it mean for you?
You may have already seen the news: the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, and it's a big one. Most of the coverage has focused on regional mayors, new "Strategic Authorities," and a major shake-up of how England's councils are organised.
If you're a parish or town council, it's easy to assume none of this applies to you. But tucked away in the detail are three changes that genuinely do, and a couple of them are worth getting ahead of.
So let's skip the legal jargon and walk through what's actually changing, why it matters, and what (if anything) you need to do about it.
1. You should be getting a seat at the table on neighbourhood plans
One of the big ideas behind this Act is to bring decision-making closer to residents, rather than having everything decided several layers removed from the communities affected.
To make that happen, principal authorities now have a legal duty to set up proper neighbourhood governance arrangements. And here’s the bit that matters most: where a parish or town council already exists, the principal authority has to formally involve you in conversations about your role in these new structures.
This is genuinely good news, and it didn’t happen by accident. NALC pushed hard for this through its Westminster Forum, precisely because there was a real risk that shiny new neighbourhood structures could end up sidelining councils like yours, rather than working with them.
What to do about it
Keep an eye out for contact from your principal authority over the coming months; the government still needs to publish a full neighbourhood governance framework, so the details are still taking shape.
If you haven’t heard anything yet, it’s worth popping it on the agenda for your next meeting so everyone’s aware it’s coming.
2. Protecting your village hall (or any cherished local asset) just got a lot easier
This is the one we think most councils will actually care about. The Act introduces a brand-new Community Right to Buy, replacing the older “Right to Bid” that has existed since 2011.
Here’s the problem with the old system: if a much-loved local asset (like a pub, a shop, a playing field or a village hall) was at risk of being sold off, the community got a six-month window to try and put a bid together. But even if you managed it, the owner could still just sell to someone else.
All that effort, no guarantee.
Fortunately, that’s changed. Under the new rules:
- You get 12 months, not 6. Double the time to organise fundraising, apply for grants, or arrange borrowing.
- It’s a genuine right of first refusal. If your community can match the agreed or independently valued price, the asset is yours. No more losing out to a higher bidder at the last minute.
- More things now qualify for protection. Including assets that matter to a community economically (not just socially), and a new category specifically for sports grounds and facilities.
What this means for your town or parish council
If you’ve got a village hall, recreation ground, allotments, or any other asset close to residents’ hearts, it’s well worth getting familiar with how this protection works and making sure your community knows it exists.
There’s also a new Community Right to Buy Fund to help with the financial side, which is well worth flagging if a group in your area is considering taking on a building.
3. A welcome bit of breathing room on audit
This next one is a little more behind the scenes, but it’s good news for clerks and RFOs everywhere.
Until now, if your council’s income or spending crept above £6.5 million, you’d be bumped out of the simplified “smaller authority” audit process and into the same full audit regime as much bigger principal authorities, paperwork, cost, and complexity included.
The problem? Plenty of councils had simply grown over time (often thanks to extra grant funding), not become any riskier.
NALC argued this for ages, and it’s finally paid off. The threshold has been raised to £15million.
That means many more councils can remain within the simpler, more proportionate audit process as their budgets grow, rather than facing a sudden jump in costs and admin.
What to do about it
If your council’s finances have grown recently, it’s worth a quick chat with your clerk or RFO about whether this changes things for you from the 2025/26 financial year onwards. For most councils, it’ll be a straightforward bit of good news rather than anything requiring action.
What do you need to do this week?
Realistically, nothing urgent. But a few small things will save you a headache in the future.
- Put neighbourhood governance on your next meeting agenda, just so everyone’s aware it's coming.
- If your council looks after a building or space that community really cares about, take a few minutes to understand how the new Right to Buy could help protect it.
- If your budget’s grown lately, ask your clerk whether the new audit threshold changes anything for you.
As always, your county association of local councils and NALC are your best bet for the fine print as more guidance gets published.
Keep your community in the loop
Changes like this, especially anything to do with protecting a village hall or local green space, are exactly the kind of things residents want to hear about from their council. It builds trust and shows you’re on top of the things that matter to them.
A council website that’s quick and easy to update makes all of this so much simpler, whether that’s sharing news as it breaks, keeping your meeting minutes and policies up to date, or letting people know about a community asset you’re protecting.
That’s exactly what HugoFox is built for. Helping councils like yours stay compliant, accessible, and connected with the people you serve, without it becoming another job on your to-do list.
Contact our team to find out more, or get started with a 30-day free trial of HugoFox today.