News

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed the publication of the government’s Social Housing Green Paper, last week.

The Princes Countryside Fund has launched the Recharging Rural report, which shows rural communities are increasingly helping themselves to improve their quality of life but feel as though they are becoming more remote.

Local (parish and town) councils would support a single code of conduct that could be to be used by all local authorities, according to research conducted by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Labour’s Andrew Gwynne believes the best way principal and local (parish and town) councils can deliver for their local communities is to work better together.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed the Government's proposal in the Local government finance settlement 2019 to 2020: technical consultation to again defer the setting of referendum principles for parish and town (local) councils.

Responding to the publication of the Local Trust / Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) report on the Future of Communities, Cllr Sue Baxter, chairman of NALC, said: “NALC warmly welcomes the publication by Local Trust of its long-awaited Future of Communities report.

Penwortham Town Council sits within the borough district of South Ribble, with 20,000 residents and a precept of £140,000.

Responding to the publication of the long-awaited National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) update by Government yesterday.

NALC today opened up the nominations process to its flagship Larger Councils’ Committee for candidates to 2020.

Only 30% of England is currently served by a local (parish or town) council. The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) wants this number to increase so communities in England have a voice.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) welcomes calls for local government reorganisation from Nicholas Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council who declared that the time had come to explore having new councils.

Responding to the Labour's consultation on the social housing green paper, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling for housing stock to be improved, as levels have depleted beyond acceptable levels.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling for planning authorities to consult with local (parish and town) councils prior to submitting plans for the design of homes.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and Society of Local Councils Clerks (SLCC) have written to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Local Government Association to highlight concerns about a recent legal judgement.

In response to the government’s consultation on unlawful developments and encampments, National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling for principal authorities and the police to have more powers.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is delighted at last nights news that Sheerness will get a new local (parish and town) council.

Waddesdon Parish Council in Buckinghamshire has a small population of 1,500 residents, with a precept of £97,250. However, this council continuously punching above its weight.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and nine other organisations have raised the issue of rural housing in a joint letter to The Sunday Times.

The Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) has joined up with the Alzheimer’s Society and Kent Fire and Rescue Service to help local communities across the county combat dementia in their local areas.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is urging the government to make it easier for communities to set up new local (parish and town) councils in England.

Age UK has published a report entitled Everything is online nowadays. It warns that elderly people who struggle to use the internet are finding it increasingly difficult to claim housing benefit and council tax support.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has worked with the Local Government Association (LGA) to launch a new guide setting out how principal and local councils can work more effectively in partnership.

Gillingham Town Council has an estimated population of 11,500 residents in the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset, with a precept of £764,594. There are 17 locally elected councillors – nine representing Town Ward, four Wyke Ward, two Ham Ward, one Milton-on-Stour Ward and one Rural Ward.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is set to rethink the role of England’s 10,000 community councils by developing a new vision for the sector following Britain’s departure from the European Union, with proposals considered at the trade body’s centre-piece annual conference this Autumn.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has officially launched their prestigious Star Council Awards for 2018 to recognise the achievements of the community, town and parish (local) council sector and celebrate the positive impact local councils, county associations, local councillors and clerks make to their communities.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed a letter from the government sent to billing authorities urging them to reconsider passing local council tax support funding on to local councils.

Communities in England are now benefiting from better access to information about how their local council is spending their money, and the services they provide following an investment of £4.7m from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

To help local councils become a leading force for good practice for trees in the UK, NALC has been working in partnership with the Woodland Trust to publish new guidance to support the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People. Throughout 2017 NALC worked with the Woodland Trust to develop a new toolkit on applying the 10 Principles of the Tree Charter for local councils and offers guidance on how the Tree Charter can be used, in conjunction with strategies such as neighbourhood planning and the Tree Warden Scheme, to support good practice regarding trees.

New figures show local councils in England are set to spend an extra £33m on local services over the next year. An analysis from National Association of Local Councils (NALC) suggests this additional investment will be spent on safeguarding facilities such as public toilets, youth services, parks, open spaces and libraries.

To celebrate the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) strong relationship with BHIB Insurance Brokers, NALC chairman, Cllr Sue Baxter has written an open letter to local councils.

This year’s Lobby Day (supported by CCLA) taking place in Portcullis House, Westminster on 20 March 2018, organised by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) saw over 100 MPs engaging with the sector, making it even bigger than previous years.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is pleased to publish this important guide to help local councils report on their finance and governance.

National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is pleased to announce that it will be working with The Company of Community Organisers, an organisation that supports communities through building relationships and networks locally, to help councillors engage with communities and residents.

The speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, has praised the forthcoming parliamentary engagement day organised by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and called on all Members of Parliament to show their support and get involved.

North Weald Bassett Parish Council in Essex is a mixture of rural/sub-urban areas, three villages within the parish, with a population of an estimated 7,000 and precept of £172,034.

Today (8 March 2018) marks International Women’s Day 2018 and to celebrate, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) are showcasing some of our most influential female local councillors and shining a light on some of the issues that face them on a daily basis.

On the eve of a debate by MPs on the Data Protection Bill, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has called for the government to provide funding to help parish councils comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is pleased to publish, free for its members, a comprehensive toolkit to support local councils prepare for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will take effect in the UK from 25 May 2018.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling for local councils to get involved in Keep Britain Tidy’s campaign, The Great British Spring Clean, which is taking place on 1 – 2 March 2018.

Horley is a large town in Surrey and will continue to grow over the coming years with major developments planned ahead. With excellent rail, road and airport links it makes it a popular area to live and work particularly with its access to and from London, South Coast, and Gatwick Airport.

England’s 10,000 local councils will be descending upon the Houses of Parliament on 20 March 2018 as part of a Lobby Day to meet with Members of Parliament (MPs).

Local councils need to understand the geographical area their council covers. From neighbourhood plans to tree maintenance to finding where their assets are located, mapping should be an integral part for any successful council.

Calling all smaller councils…We are now just one month away from the deadline for all Transparency Fund applications and we want as many local councils as possible to apply before it’s too late. The deadline for all applications is 5pm on 12 February 2018.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) chairman, Cllr Sue Baxter, has written an open New Year letter to wish all local councils a very happy new year and a healthy, prosperous and successful 2018.

Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) published its third report on the results of auditors’ work at local government bodies.

NALC's Making Local Economic Growth Work conference held on 13 December 2017, saw demands made to the Government that any of their economic development, devolution and localism plans must include communities, neighbourhood and local councils.

Come and learn about Chippenham Town Council’s unique culture and community offer. See how this award winning town council manages its dynamic culture portfolio in a challenging local government environment – as NALC opens up its annual larger council study visit for the first time.

More power should be devolved beyond national government and principal councils to local communities to help address the impact of the UK’s withdrawl from the EU.

It has now been two years since the Transparency Fund was launched and with just over three months of the NALC managed programme left, time is running out for local councils with an annual turnover of less than £25,000 to secure financial help to comply with the government’s Transparency Code.

Last winter the UK experienced several outbreaks of avian influenza - better known as bird flu. This highly contagious disease affects birds including chickens, ducks and geese, and can be fatal to them, devastating farmers’ livelihoods. It is just as much of a risk to those with a few chickens in a back garden as to commercial farmers and anyone who keeps chickens, ducks or geese needs to be aware of the risk and take steps now to address it.