I refer to Joan Williams' article on local government (The Sunday Gleaner, October 25) under the headline 'Another useless layer of government'. Her argument is that other agencies can undertake the parish councils' responsibilities.

She writes, "As I understand it, the main functions of the parish councils are public health, some water supplies, fire service, poor relief and some town planning ... ."

May I suggest to Ms Williams that the core function of the parish council is the planning, development and management of towns. Town planning is about managing urban spaces for the benefit of citizens and includes transport/traffic control, health and safety issues, adequate public infrastructure and building control/zoning to maintain aesthetic value and promote the harmonious co-existence of its inhabitants. As you see, most of the other responsibilities she mentioned fall within the concept of town planning.

Shaping overall vision

It is the parish council and the town's citizens who must shape an overall vision for each town, matched with a strategy for putting into action that vision. In implementing that strategy, the parish council gets technical support from national agencies such as the National Works Agency, the National Water Commission, Urban Development Corporation, etc. It must also take account of development orders in its building-control activities (some of these orders are either out of date or not completed), but the council is at the "master control". It has the primary responsibility for town management and development. There is no other agency that can do this!

Our parish councils do not always recognise that their remit goes beyond cleaning drains and patching local roads. May Pen, where I am from, and for many years, the fastest-growing town, has been a painful example of inadequate town planning and management.

Town-planning concerns

There are also town-planning concerns which might be affecting efforts to develop heritage sites in Spanish Town. The Cathedral, the Rodney Memorial and other historical monuments might be well-worth seeing, but who wants to go into a messy, unplanned town where few take pride in their heritage? The citizens and government coffers lose out as a result.

On the other hand, we all remember with pride, the former mayor of Mandeville, Cecil Charlton, who planned and managed one of the finest towns in this country. There aren't many like him around today, although some mayors are trying.

Remembering that example, Ms Williams may want to rethink her hypothesis and instead promote a dialogue on the role of parish councils in urban development and good governance.

I am, etc.,

MAXINE HARRIS

Development Policy Analyst

mharris@mail.infochan.com