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NALC are asking local councils, communities and people the to take a moment to celebrate, debate and reflect on those rights which we can very often take for granted but which people throughout history have campaigned to make happen or fought to preserve.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is supporting the 800th anniversary sealing of Magna Carta on 15 June 2015. NALC is asking local (parish and town) councils, communities and people to take a moment to celebrate, debate and reflect on those rights which we can often take for granted, but which people throughout history have campaigned to make happen or fought to preserve.

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

This week’s Council of the Week has been brought to our attention via Twitter; nicely exemplifying the power and importance of social media for council communications.

A new powerful alliance of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and Civic Voice has called on all political parties to make a firm manifesto commitment to introduce a community right of appeal into the planning system.

The Government has published a new guide on the changes and key requirements of the new local audit and accountability regime for local (parish and town) councils from 1 April 2015.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling on the Government to give local (parish and town) councils the right to be consulted when Vehicle Operator Licences are issued by transport authorities.

Local (parish and town) councils should be given a new legal right to be consulted on local transport licences, according to a national committee charged with promoting new sustainability powers at grassroots level.

The move is backed by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and would see local councils have more say over licensing applications from vehicle operators such as local taxi firms.

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

This week’s Council of the Week was the 500^th Parish Council to register under the new Local council Award Scheme.

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

More than 730 Commonwealth Flags will be raised in locations throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories, and Commonwealth countries and on 9 March 2015 – Commonwealth Day 2015.

This week we would like to celebrate the work of Bembridge Parish Council, a small council serving a large village on the Isle of Wight.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) announced on 27 February 2015 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.

Community Clear Up Day is a 'national spring clean', backed by the Government, that aims to spruce up England’s high streets, residential and business areas, villages and parks. Together we can kick off spring 2015 with our public spaces litter free.

The Rural Housing Policy Review Group, Chaired by Lord Richard Best OBE DL, launched its report – A Fair Deal for Rural Communities – at the House of Lords on Monday 23 February.

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

This week we would like to celebrate the work of Welsh Newton and Llanrothal Group Parish Council in Herefordshire.

Welsh Newton and Llanrothal Group Parish Council is quality council serving this local community in the county of Herefordshire. When we say 'quality' council we do not just mean in the usual way but that they have achieved this status in the sector's landmark benchmark scheme of Local Council Award Scheme.

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is to host a live phone-in on neighbourhood planning with Brandon Lewis MP, minister for Housing and Planning on 10 March 2015.

DCLG would like lots of people involved or interested in neighbourhood planning to join conversation – including from the local (parish and town) council sector.

Communities Minister, Stephen Williams MP announced on 18 February 2015 a new £6m funding boost to the Community Rights programme.

The boost to the Community Rights programme will give even more people greater control and influence over what happens locally.

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

15 February 2015 saw the premiere of the television adaption of JK Rowling's Casual Vacancy, which shows divisions in a community played out around a fictional parish council.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) thinks one of the points of the plot about different parts of a local community trying improve people's lives via a parish council is a right one.

This week we would like to celebrate the work of Thatcham Town Council in West Berkshire.

The National Association of Local Councils would like to thank everyone for there hard work on 5 Februray 2015 for National Voter Registration Day (NVRD).

Rural communities could miss out on public and private sector digital services because parts of this country are not ready with high quality or any decent broadband, a cross-party Parliamentary group on Broadband has warned.

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Local Democracy heard on 11 February 2015, how the variable states of broadband across the country is causing problems for rural business, councils, communities and people.

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

This week’s Council of the Week has been selected for its strong leadership, dynamism and imaginative approach to community-based initiatives. 

The National Association of Local Council (NALC) is to hold its first ever 'lobby day' aimed at promoting local (parish and town) councils to Members of Parliament.

New research conducted by National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Smaller Councils' Committee shows that it is not just counties and districts that are sharing services and saving money. Many of England's smallest parish councils – often with less than 6,000 electors - are doing so too and improving services as a result. This trend is becoming increasingly important as those councils acquire new services and responsibilities from upper tier councils.

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

This week’s Council of the Week has been selected on the basis of its innovative and impressive approach to partnership working, brought to our attention through last year’s WW1 centenary. 

NALC has welcomed proposals to reform the rules governing parish polls but has called for additional measures to ensure costs are kept down.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed steps by the Government to update rules governing referendums on local issues but has warned against an increase in costs which could burden taxpayers and hike up council tax bills.

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

Over 500 local (parish and town) councils have already registered with the Local Council Award Scheme since its launch on 6 January 2015. We have been pleasantly surprised by the interest in the scheme so far and look forward to having even more registrations from councils across the country. This is strong testimony to Local Councils commitment to improving, pushing themselves to meet the challenges faced by the their communities and the whole local government family.

The Government has confirmed that it will continue to fund England's network of rural community councils.

National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Larger Councils' Committee (LCC), has called this week for several changes to government legislation to give local (parish and town) councils a fairer deal.

The first of these changes is a call to remove the viability clause on affordable housing, from Section 106 of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act.

We would like to give Maplestead Parish Council the top spot this week, in recognition of its hard work and achievements, with limited budgets and resources. 

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

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) wishes to congratulate the most recent graduates of the Community Governance programme. Community Governance is one of the highest qualifications designed for people working in Local Councils, and is part of the National Training Strategy.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has announced that seven new town, parish and community councils have been set up, as part of its New Councils Programme that has been running since 2013.

The programme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and follows changes in legislation in recent years that make it easier to set up Local Councils.

More than 5000 people have signed a petition against proposals to withdraw government funding from England's 38 rural community councils.

This week we would like to shine a light on one of the very first councils to be accredited under the new Local Council Award Scheme. 

Danbury Parish Council participated in our pilot last year and was awarded Quality Gold Status on 6 January 2015 when the scheme launched. 

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) welcomes the Electoral Commission’s recommendations to modernise the rules around standing for election and to make them clearer and fairer. 

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is supporting a national campaign to get as many people in the UK to register to vote ahead of May's general and local elections.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has led a delegation to meet with Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins MP this week to press for fair funding for parish and town councils in next month’s local government finance settlement.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) welcomes the Government’s moves to make a law that allows local (parish and town) councils to be able to send agendas electronically rather than in the post; ending a budgetary burden on councils and enabling them to benefit from 21^st Century technology.

This week, we’d like to celebrate the work of a Parish Council in the small village of Sibbertoft, which sits on the Northamptonshire and Leicestershire borders, to the north east of Daventry. 

The National Association of Local Councils recently referred back to Government the Sevenoaks Town Council called for all parish and town...

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