The thesis concerns local-level political activity in a small town in North-East England. The background material presented documents the decline in effectiveness of the elected representative system of local government, the increasing demands for more direct participation and the problems encountered in the implementation of recent laws requiring public participation in planning. The presentation of the data moves from a structural to an actor-oriented view of the local society and its political processes. The development and present socio-economic composition of the population are examined and both official forms of public participation and parapolitical activity in the town are found to be low. There is, nevertheless, an active and effective parish Council, which is the focus for the later part of the thesis.