The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Policy Committee met on 24 January 2023 to discuss several topics, including councillor training, government consultations, local government finance and NALC campaigns.
The committee discussed the Smaller Councils Committee's request to review NALC's policy on mandatory training for councillors. It agreed that further engagement was necessary to asses views from across the sector.
The committee agreed to engage with the Local Government Association on energy efficiency in listed buildings following consideration of a policy motion from the Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils. The committee also adopted a policy motion from the County Durham Association of Local Councils on extraordinary parish council meetings, which calls for a change in the number of councillors who can call such meetings, to be proportionate to the council size.
The committee reviews Gordon Brown's Report of the Commission on the UK's Future. While noting the lack of detail on many recommendations, they supported measures covering local control, autonomy and longer-term financial certainty for local government and double devolution. Finally, the committee agreed that an informal policy on land management companies and open spaces should be considered at the next meeting.