Petition Allow parish councils to have elected mayors

We call on the Government to allow parish councils in England the right to adopt the elected mayor model similar to other local authorities and for residents to have the right to trigger confirming referenda on adopting this model with a petition of 5% of local electors in that parish. Parish councils carry out an important role in representing the interests of their areas, encouraging local activity, scrutinising the work of other agencies and helping with developing plans, such as parish plans. However very few deliver any substantial public services and they are characteristically regarded as committee-orientated rather than dynamic. The elected mayor model gives the opportunity for an executive arm for parishes to be formed and a visible community leader to inject new excitement into neighbourhood matters.