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.
News
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.
On the 3 August 1914, Britain’s Foreign Minister, Sir Edward Grey, was looking out of his office window. It was dusk, and gaslights were being lit along London’s Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace, when he remarked to a friend, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime”. Our country was about to be plunged into the darkness of the First World War, and it would be four long years before Britain and Europe would again experience the light of peace.
There are encouraging signs from the Chancellor on his vision for the future of the economy, devolution and handing more power to local people, however he missed a trick by not going further to boost the Government’s devolution and localist credentials.
NALC is currently experiencing an IT problem. We are working to resolve this. However, it does mean NALC will not be able to receive or send emails until 22 November 2017.
National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Annual Conference held on Monday 30 October and Tuesday 31 October 2017, saw a major push for putting local (parish and town) councils and communities more in control of how services are delivered in neighbourhoods and to be given a greater leadership role in solving the problems of society.
NALC have united with the Alzheimer’s Society to help the community battle against dementia in local areas. At NALC’s Annual Conference on 31 October, the chairman of NALC, Cllr Sue Baxter, and Alzheimer’s Society ambassador and famous broadcaster Angela Rippon jointly sign a strategic commitment on dementia.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has announced on 30 October 2017 the winners of the Star Councils 2017 awards.
MPs, experts and stakeholders came together at an event organised by Hastoe Housing Association at the Conservative Party Conference to discuss how the successful continuation of rural communities can be ensured.
Stratton St Margaret Parish Council in Wiltshire has a population of 23,000 and a precept of £1,165,809 and it prides itself on its strong role within the community, putting on regular community events such as the increasingly popular Stratton Festival. The council maintains around 30 green spaces and numerous community facilities, ensuring community groups and charities maintain an active presence in the area.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today (4 October 2017) announced the finalists for its Star Councils Awards.
This month (September 2017), the department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published its plans for local government finance. The plans come from a technical consultation paper on the 2018/19 Local Government Finance Settlement.
NALC and BHIB Insurance Brokers have started to act together in providing protection for local councils and communities.
The Parish of Hemsworth has an estimated population of 13,533 (2011 Census figures) and a total electorate of 10,145. There are 15 locally elected councillors – nine representing Hemsworth Wards (South, East and West), three for Kinsley and three for Fitzwilliam.
Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Community road show enjoyed a successful visit to Wythall, recently stopping off at Becketts Farm.
Do you think you have what it takes to represent larger councils on a national scale? Now is your chance…
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today (30th August) announced the long list for its Star Councils Awards.
Members of NALC are being invited to support the recently launched National Housing Federation’s 5-star plan for rural housing, which succinctly sets out an ambition to increase the supply of affordable rural homes.
An electric car club, a youth centre, a children’s pre-school, a local bus service, providing counselling support and helping young people into work are among examples of activity by local councils in a new document developed by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).
De Montfort University’s Local Governance Research unit and The Municipal Journal have published the final report of the Councillor Commission, The Voice of the Councillor , which includes a chapter on England’s 80,000 local (parish and town) councillors.
Coalition highlights that ‘rural England is not just about farming and the environment’ and calls for Brexit to be ‘rural-proofed’.
Local councils are taking on services to fill gaps as principal authorities cut provision, new NALC/LGC research reveals.
Local (parish and town) council are no longer restricted to buying water services from the regional monopoly. The largest competitive water retail market in the world has opened for business, bringing the biggest change in the water sector since privatisation.
At a time when there is more demand for public bodies to be more open and transparent, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has published a guide for finance and transparency.
Responding to the general election result Cllr Sue Baxter, chairman of the National Association of Local Councils, said:
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling for more local councils across England to get involved in Volunteers’ Week, which is running from 1 June - 7 June 2017.
National Association of Local Councils (NALC) in association with Locality has published The Good Councillor's guide to neighbourhood planning. This guide is...
National Association of Local Councils (NALC) would argue that the focus of today’s debates in local government tends to be around regional mayors and combined authorities and this is wrong headed because this is about creating new centres of power, which are distant from local communities.
On the 3 August 1914, Britain’s Foreign Minister, Sir Edward Grey, was looking out of his office window. It was dusk, and gas lights were being lit along London’s Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace, when he remarked to a friend, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime”. Our country was about to be plunged into the darkness of the First World War, and it would be four long years before Britain and Europe would again experience the light of peace.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and AON continue to act together in providing protection for local councils and communities....
Local councils are heavily involved with trees and would benefit from greater support, National Association of Local Council's (NALC) recent survey has found.
The government has been urged to be more local and more radical in its approach to localising business rates in order to help communities fund the growing range of local services provided by local councils.
Plans to reform the housing and planning system have been welcomed by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) however England’s...
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has urged the political parties to consider how they can best put communities in...
At a time when there is changing public sector landscape there are huge opportunities for local people to become local leaders. Whether helping an area to survive the harsh economic climate, protecting services that are under threat, or providing the events, culture and fun that puts the heart into each local community – local councils have never had a better opportunity to make a difference.
Smaller Authorities' Audit Appointments (SAAA) has announced that it has successfully concluded the procurement process and has awarded contracts for the...
England’s 10,000 local councils descended on the Houses of Parliament on 28th March in a ‘Lobby Day’ to meet with parliamentarians....
Today sees the launch of the ten principles of the Tree Charter (see below), each principle deals with a different aspect of the relationship between people and trees in modern society. On November 6 2017 guiding articles will be added to these principles, offering expert advice on how each principle may be achieved. These guiding articles will be sourced from the more than 70 organisations involved in the development of the Tree Charter.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) announced on 17 March 2017 that it will once again be running an awards programme this year, as part of its work to recognise the achievements of the local (parish and town) council sector.
Ahead of the Budget 2017, NALC predicts that further reductions in central government funding to principal local government will see local councils doing more so leading to increases in their small share of council tax (precept).
England’s 10,000 local (parish and town) councils are marching on the Houses of Parliament on 28th March in a ‘Lobby Day’ to meet with parliamentarians.
NALC has announced the date for this year’s Digital Councils event. It is going to be on Thursday 25 May in London.