News

AUTHOR: GARETH ELLIOT, HEAD OF POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS AT MOBILE UK

Patchy mobile coverage is one of today’s real concerns as the world becomes ever more connected. In the UK, many of the rural areas currently get only partial coverage or none at all. Ofcom’s most recent data states that 91% of the country receives 4G coverage from at least one operator and 66% from all four. Having good mobile coverage is widely recognised as being essential for the future prosperity of the rural economy and rural communities. People increasingly want the flexibility to work from home, and many sectors such as farming, tourism and transport are using mobile connectivity to increase productivity and improve services. Happily, the industry and the Government agreed on an unprecedented deal on 9th March 2020 that will extend coverage and eliminate the vast majority of partial not-spots coverage by all four operators.

The Great British Spring Clean has decided to postpone its annual event due to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

The Ramblers has launched a campaign to build a growing movement across the country to uncover and save generations of lost paths and hidden ways before it is too late.

The new chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, has set out in his first budget a plan to support public services, individuals and businesses that may be affected by the coronavirus.

AUTHOR: STUART WILBUR, MICROSHADE VSM

Microshade VSM works in close co-operation with cybersecurity experts to ensure the safety of local (parish and town) councils' data. We wish to share this information with the sector that has given to us.

Members of Parliament have proudly supported their local (parish and town) councils by taking part in the National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Lobby Day in parliament.

Hullbridge Parish Council in Essex has an estimated population of over 7,000 with a precept of £165,240 and 13 locally elected councillors. The council is also accredited with the Quality Gold Award under the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Local Council Award Scheme.

AUTHOR: ANGE JONES, AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES MANAGER AT THE CENTRE FOR AGEING BETTER

An Age-friendly Community is a place where people of all ages are able to live healthy and active later lives. It involves local groups, councils, businesses and residents all working together to identify and make changes in both the physical and social environments. This could be anything from transport and outdoor spaces to volunteering and employment or leisure and community services.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the University of Plymouth (UoP) are to undertake ground-breaking research on dementia in local (parish and town) councils.

Ric Holden MP has supported the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) long campaign to end the dreaded toilet tax.

Rishi Sunak MP, who did an exclusive interview with the National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) magazine, LCR, has been appointed as the new chancellor following a shock move in the cabinet reshuffle.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has addressed a commission looking at the future of local government, calling for a levelling up of local democracy to boost community power through the establishment of local (parish and town) councils across the whole country.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) announces today that Olivia Butterworth and Anna Calderwood from NHS England and Clare Pelham from the Epilepsy Society will speak at its Spring Conference on 17 March 2020. This year’s theme is health and wellbeing and is aimed at larger local (parish and town) councils.

With climate change one of the biggest global threats we face and extreme weather events more frequent and more severe, the Property Flood Resilience Roundtable (PFRR) has launched the Property Flood Resilience Code of Practice.

Watchet Town Council (WTC) in Somerset is a proactive, forward-thinking local council which benefits from a wealth of skills from its hard-working 12 councillors and staff of five. The town is located in West Somerset, which has been identified as the UK’s most deprived area in terms of employment, education and housing as measured by the social mobility index. By working with local businesses, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and social enterprises, such as the new East Quay Development where many jobs will be created, WTC provides a voice to link and address these local issues.

AUTHOR: ANDREW TUBB, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CIRENCESTER TOWN COUNCIL

Having received over 500 positive and constructive responses to a public consultation on Cirencester Town Council’s budget proposal and always seeking to raise the bar even higher, I was interested to learn about innovative democracy at a conference in Manchester, part of International Week for Democratic Innovation.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and its Peer Review team arrived today at Falmouth Town Council to pilot its second-ever Peer Review of a local (parish or town) council.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has expanded its services by launching a new suite of HR resources to help local (parish and town) councils on a range of employment matters.

Cherilyn Mackrory MP for Falmouth and Truro, and Richard Holden MP for North West Durham, both elected in December's General Election, are to become champions of local (parish and town) councils in parliament.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has reacted to the publication of the government's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission report by saying that government attempts to improve housing quality shouldn't weaken the planning system.

AUTHOR: CLLR LILLIAN BURNS, PRESTBURY PARISH COUNCIL

Citizens’ Assemblies were very much to the fore at the Innovating Local Democracy Conference which took place in Manchester in January. Earnest local authority officers and others spent much time examining different models and how to make them work most effectively and learning best practice from each other. All good stuff.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has announced that it will once again hold a Lobby Day, on 10 March 2020.

Yate Town Council has an estimated population of 22,000 and a precept of £1.3m. Their budget of £1.8m is spent on services, facilities and projects to enhance the local area and support the community.

Baroness Jane Scott of Bybrook OBE is the new president of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), the representative body for England’s 10,000 local (parish and town) councils.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has told the government that it needs to exclude local (parish and town) councils permanently from referendum principles for council tax increases.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has successfully piloted a national panel for its Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS).

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is seeking opinions on behalf of the Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance (JPAG) on its Practitioners' Guide.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling on local (parish and town) councils to get involved as Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) launches the Great British Spring Clean 2020.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has launched three new study tours across 2020/21 at three dynamic larger local (parish and town) councils.

AUTHOR: DANIELLE FROST, HEALTH AND WELLBEING OFFICER AT THE ESSEX ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS

The health and wellbeing movement is fundamental to Essex County Council’s strategic plan and they understand that to be successful, they need the local council sector to engage with it. Local (parish and town) councils are the closest layer of government to residents and can have the greatest impact on residents’ lives, from beginning to end.

Building stronger communities were the theme of October’s NALC Annual Conference where Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, paid tribute to England’s 100,000 councillors for all the work they do for their places. And I want to add my own thanks and appreciation, and wish you all the very best for the new decade ahead.

CRISPIN TRUMAN OBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND

Standing in the High Weald in Kent recently, I’d been hearing about the multitude of problems the local area faces, with the pressures of development, degradation of nature, the finances of farming and the decline in traditional forms of community and participation.

The Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter has written to local (parish and town) councils in England and Wales reminding them of the rules around the use of surveillance camera systems in public places.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has attended a meeting of Birchwood Big Local in Lincoln to discuss the creation of a new urban local (parish and town) council for the area.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) celebrated Tree Charter Day on 30 November, as part of National Tree Week.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has just completed the elections process for 2019-21 for its Larger Councils Committee (its corporate voice for larger local councils).

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has opened bookings to its Spring Conference next year on 17 March 2020.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has notified the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) that the appropriate sum for the purpose of section 137(4)(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the 1972 Act) for parish and town councils in England for 2020-21 is £8.32 per elector.

AUTHOR: JONATHAN OWEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS

Amidst all the current manifesto talk there is a frisson of excitement in the world of think tanks which is highly relevant to our movement, especially our largest ‘super’ local (parish and town) councils, about the concept of ‘community power’.

AUTHOR: ANDREW TUBB, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CIRENCESTER TOWN COUNCIL

It was great to be asked to chair the making communities healthier workshops at the NALC annual conference, with a strong focus on loneliness; during the sessions I had a strong sense that whilst loneliness is on-trend, the most important message to take away was the impact we can all have where we live and work.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today launched a new webpage on health and wellbeing to support one of...

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has written an open letter to political party leaders urging their General Election manifestos to help communities to help themselves so local people can build strong communities.

AUTHOR: CLLR BARONESS SCOTT OF BYBROOK OBE, WILTSHIRE COUNCIL

Retiring as leader of Wiltshire Council this year has offered me the opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved, and how local government has changed over the last ten years. For me, chief among these was the creation of Wiltshire Council in 2009. As the leader of Wiltshire County Council at the time, applying for unitary status seemed like a golden opportunity to improve the delivery and efficiency of services for 470,000 people.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has published a new guide for local (parish and town) councillors on transport planning.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) declared a climate emergency following overwhelming support at a panel session this year's Annual Conference.

AUTHOR: JAMES BEVAN, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER AT THE CCLA

Planning ahead for costs and revenues or profits and losses requires assumptions to be set on the what will happen to economies, the environment and markets. Climate change can affect all three.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today launched a new joint guide with the Local Government Association (LGA) on tackling loneliness.

The Princess Royal, today visited the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Annual Conference to celebrate 125 years of local (parish and town) councils.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Star Council Awards winners were this evening announced at a celebratory ceremony at NALC’s Annual Conference.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has held a very ‘positive’ introductory meeting with Luke Hall MP, the new local government minister.