The Yorkshire Local Councils Associations (YLCA) is a membership organisation for local councils and parish meetings in North, South and West Yorkshire.
What is a Local Council ?
A Local Council is a parish, town, village, neighbourhood or community council. These councils are the first tier of Local Government and were created by statute in 1894. Before then for many years, the affairs of the parishes had been administered by a vestry, or meeting of the village inhabitants. Usually the squire, the parson and the principal ratepayers dominated these meetings. Some became ‘select vestries’, and were only open to those to those people deemed ‘suitable’ to serve. In most parishes, especially the more rural ones this system worked well but in others it was virtually non-existent or very inefficient.
Due to a general movement towards greater ‘democracy’; and a desire to break the power of the Church of England over the lives of nonconformists and non-believers, a Bill was promoted to create Parish Councils. After a difficult passage through parliament and many amendments, this Bill became an Act in 1894. Its effect was to transfer all non-ecclesiastical functions from the church to the elected Parish Councils. Some other functions were added, such as those relating to the burial of the dead. The regulations under which the first Parish Councils operated were not very tight and the influence of the church was not easily diminished.
There were many anomalies and difficulties encountered in the years between 1894 and 1972, when the present basic Local Government Act came into being. Now, local councils are closely regulated. The lines of responsibility are clearly laid down, there is generally much more openness and those people that local councils were formed to serve are fully aware of what is being done on their behalf and are encouraged to participate.
https://www.yorkshirelca.gov.uk/ipate.