After section 33 of the 1972 Act insert—

“33A Consultation with community councils.

(1)

The Secretary of State may by order designate any matter—

(a)

for the purposes of subsection (2) below; or

(b)

for the purposes of subsection (3) below.

(2)

Where a new principal council are to consider any proposal which relates to a matter which is designated for the purposes of this subsection, the council shall—

(a)

afford the relevant community councils an opportunity to make representations to them about the proposal;

(b)

before making any decision in relation to the proposal, take into account any representations made to them by any relevant community council with respect to the proposal; and

(c)

when they take a decision with respect to the proposal, notify without delay any relevant community council by whom any such representations have been made.

(3)

If a community council have given written notice to the relevant principal council—

(a)

that they wish to be consulted about a specified proposal which is to be considered by the principal council, and which relates to a matter designated for the purposes of this subsection, or

(b)

that they wish to be consulted about any proposal which is to be considered by the principal council and which relates to such a matter,

the principal council shall take the steps mentioned in subsection (2) above in relation to that community council.

(4)

An order under this section may—

(a)

prescribe circumstances (including, in particular, the need to act with urgency) in which subsections (2) and (3) above do not apply;

(b)

give the Secretary of State power, in such circumstances as may be prescribed by the order, to provide that in relation to any principal council specified by him, those subsections shall not apply or shall apply only to the extent specified by him.

(5)

A contravention of the duty imposed by subsection (2) or (3) above shall not affect the validity of any decision of a principal council or of anything done in pursuance of any such decision.

(6)

In this section—

“relevant community council”, in relation to a principal council, means the council of any community which is, or group of communities which are, within the area of the principal council; and

“relevant principal council”, in relation to any community council, means the principal council within whose area the community is, or group of communities are, situated.

(7)

The power to make an order under this section shall include power—

(a)

to make such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplemental provision as the Secretary of State thinks necessary or expedient; and

(b)

to make different provision for different areas, including different provision for different localities and for different authorities.”