News

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has published advice on setting up audit panels.

This week, we would like to recognise a fantastic ‘all-rounder’ and a council that like many around the country, works tirelessly to improve the lives of its community often with little recognition or acknowledgement.

The government is not proposing to extend referendum principles to parish and town councils.

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor is to be the new president of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

NALC's Sustainable Communities Advisory Board met on 11 December 2015 and agreed to write again to Government reiterating the position that parishes should be statutory consultees in all aspects of the planning system including large cross border housing applications.

The Smaller Authorities Audit Appointments (SAAA) board  appointed its first ever chair and board members. 

A new dynamic and exciting leadership team will lead the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) in 2016 as it sets the direction in furthering the development of localism and devolution for local (parish and town) councils and communities.

Sprowston is an urban settlement to the north of Norwich, separated from the city by the outer ring road. It has a population of approximately 15,000 and the town council has a total precept of just over £500,000 with a budgeted income of £644,000.

Currently the post office network is undergoing its biggest restructuring in decades. The aim of this transformation programme is to maintain the size of a network of approximately 11,500 branches and ensure it is financially sustainable for the future by converting around three quarters of the network to new operating models.

People and trees are stronger together – but our nation’s woods and trees are facing unprecedented pressures. They risk being neglected, undervalued and forgotten. We need to act now before trees disappear from our story.

Fields in Trust, has announced the winners of its 2015 Awards. Hosted by BBC sports and news broadcaster Ore Oduba at Lords Cricket Ground, the Awards celebrate the achievements of Fields in Trust and its partners, who have worked over the last year to ensure that everyone has access to protected outdoor recreational space.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Communities Can conference on 2 December 2015 showed how local (parish and town) councils are using regeneration to play a role in the economic development of their town centres in a time of financial challenges and opportunities.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

This week we are celebrating the recent achievemnt of Bishop Auckland Town Council – the first in County Durham to receive official "Dementia Friendly" status recognition from the Alzheimer's Society.

Parishes across Buckinghamshire are being urged to work together and more closely with the county council to serve residents. 



While this is a challenging spending review for local government, it is encouraging to see measures aimed at supporting devolution, however the devil will be in the detail.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

This week’s council of the week is Westfield Parish Council in Avon, the first council in the county to be awarded the Local Council Award Scheme Quality Award.

The government confirmed that there must be a role for parishes and communities within combined principal local authorities devolution deals.

The National Association of Local Council's All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Local Democracy met on 18 November 2015 and held an evidence session on devolution where it agreed that far more power, services and assets should be devolved to parishes as part of the government’s devolution agenda.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

It has been an exciting twelve months for Necton Parish Council. A village of just over 2,000 residents, situated in West Norfolk, Necton has eight elected councillors and employs a part-time clerk and village handyman.

The government's minister for the 'northern powerhouse’, James Wharton MP, will address a cross-party group of MPs and Peers.

NALC Policy Committee met on 3 November 2015 and urged the Chancellor to continue to exempt parish councils from referendum principles in his Autumn Statement and Spending Review on 25 November 2015.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Annual Conference held from 27 October 2015 to 28 October 2015, saw a direction for putting local (parish and town) councils and communities more in control of how their lives are run and public services delivered to them.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has announced the winners for its Star Councils Awards.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) minister, Marcus Jones MP told the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Annual Conference on 27 October 2015 that the Government has ambitious plans for a devolution revolution, which include Devolution Deals, but stressed that this not just for principal authorities. He said that parish councils have a key role to play and they should be speaking to their principal authorities about opportunities for further powers and functions to be devolved.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) on 23 October 2015 issued guidance in light of the significant changes to workplace pensions that have taken place.

The NALC Larger Councils’ Committee called again for an exemption from business rate payment on public conveniences owned and managed by parish councils, at its recent meeting on 20 October 2015.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

The new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group wants very real devolution.

The Sector Led Body for Smaller Local Authority Audit (SLB) is seeking to appoint its first ever chair.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has demanded that the Government puts a halt to its closure plans of local courts.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has demanded that Government’s devolution plans must include communities, neighbourhoods and parishes through the publication of its Devo Local paper.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on 9 October 2015 demanded that Government’s devolution plans must include communities, neighbourhoods and parishes through the publication of its Devo Local paper.

The NALC Sustainable Communities Board met on 11 September and Cllr Derek Liddell was re-elected as Board Chairman for 2015-16. The Board agreed to re-submit the Burton on the Wolds (Leics.) Parish Council proposal to DCLG on asking for non-councillors to have voting rights on Neighbourhood Planning Committees (as they currently do for tourism, land, festival and harbour management committees) – under the Parish and Community Councils (Committees) Regulations, 1990.

DCLG has recently published a short, informative paper promoting the involvement of parish councils in Devolution Deals.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today (30th September) announced the finalists for its Star Councils Awards.

This week we are celebrating the work and achievements of Lydney Town Council (LTC), a forward thinking and proactive Council in Gloucestershire.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

This week, we’re celebrating the work of Murton Parish Council, a former mining village in County Durham.

With the first round of judging over, NALC is pleased to reveal and congratulate all those that have made it onto the longlist of this year’s Star Council awards.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

This year a record breaking 1,582 parks and green spaces were awarded the prestigious, international Green Flag Award.

This week, we would like to celebrate the work and recent accomplishments of a small rural parish in Shropshire that is punching above its weight.

Over many years there has been much discussion about whether the Association’s members should be individual councils organised through County Associations or whether it should become a federation of County Association members. This proposal was most recently made in a motion to last year’s AGM by Northamptonshire CALC which was defeated by 54 to 24 votes.