News

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.

Today (1 September 2015) the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has launched its new multi-million pound ‘transparency fund’ to help thousands of small parish councils meet new audit and transparency rules and join the digital age.

NALC successfully persuaded the Government to provide financial assistance to smaller sized parish councils to help them become web-enabled and comply with new rules on publishing information about their work and finances.

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

This week, we would like to congratulate a rural parish in County Durham on a significant recent achievement.  Through an enormous amount of hard work and with tenacity and determination, Cornsay Parish Council has secured funding to complete a project that will have a profound and lasting impact on its community.

This week, we are celebrating the recent hard work and achievements of Newport Pagnell Town Council, in Milton Keynes.

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 one that can be commended for its fantastic provision and improvement of facilities and initiatives for its community. 

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is encouraging all local (parish and town) councils, neighbourhoods and communities to enter The...

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

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

Half a million people in communities right across the country are to benefit from new funding and advice this year thanks to their local parish and town councils.

Details of a £5m fund to conserve and protect war memorials were revealed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Culture Secretary, Sajid Javid MP.

This week’s Council of the Week is the only council in South-East England to be accepted so far on the Locality/Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Community Ownership and Management of Assets (COMA) programme in 2015/16. The scheme is largely aimed at principal authorities, making this achievement all the more significant.   

Scotland's local government and community empowerment minister Marco Biagi is to visit the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) during a 'fact finding' visit on 28 July 2015.

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

Devolution to Sutton Coldfield is on the cards as residents deal resounding ‘Yes’ to new town council.

The Government has backed a proposal from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to lead the national procurement of audit for parish and town (local) councils and other smaller bodies from 2017.

Hawthorn is a very small rural village with a population of 400 situated 10 miles east of Durham City near the coast and between the larger cities of Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The Council has 7 Councillors and a precept of £7,000 whilst the village itself has a community centre, one pub, village green and a children’s play area.

The National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) What Next for Local Councils event, 15 July 2015, looked at the implications of the general election results for communities, neighbourhoods, local (parish and town) councils in the context of austerity and devolution.

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) sent its larger councils committee to come on board at Falmouth, Cornwall, and visit this historic town in a fact-finding mission on Tuesday 7 July 2015. Falmouth is situated on the south coast of Cornwall and is one of the county’s most diverse, vibrant and largest towns.

National Association of Local Councils (NALC) chief executive, Jonathan Owen, said: “England's 9,000 local (parish and town) councils are the backbone of local democracy, giving people a voice and structure for taking action. They are increasingly delivering more services to improve their area as austerity bites. They can provide very local services extremely cost effectively and should be part of the solution to the financial challenges the country faces.

Shrewsbury Town Council is widely recognised as one of the leading local (parish and town) councils in England and so is very deserving of the Council of the Week.

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) warmly welcomes that its ongoing campaign to protect local (parish and town) councils’ investments and savings has finally succeeded.

England's parish councils are the unsung heroes of neighbourhood planning and key to putting communities in control of shaping future development and housing, according to their umbrella body the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Starting on 9 July 2015, the Display Energy Certificates (DECs) will be required for all buildings over 250 square metres occupied by a public authority and frequently visited by the public. The threshold for requiring these certificates was prior to this change 500 square metres.

Scores of MPs lined up to signal their support for England’s ‘localist powerhouse’ yesterday during a ‘lobby day’ organized by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

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

NALC welcomes the availability of DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) Big Energy Saving Network (BESN) grant funding programme for parish and town councils

Having been awarded the Quality Standard twice under the old scheme and been awarded both the Foundation and Quality Awards under the new Local Council Award Scheme, it is clear to see that Folkestone is a town council is a high achiever, and an obvious candidate for Council of the Week. 

England’s 9,000 parish councils are marching on the Houses of Parliament on 30 June 2015 in a ‘lobby day’ to meet with Members of Parliament.

Scores of local (parish and town) council representatives from across the country will be descending on Westminster as part of the first ever ‘lobby day’ by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) aimed at raising the profile of our most local level of government.

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

Southbourne Parish Council is the well deserving Council of the Week for amongst other things being the first parish council in England to be accepted onto the Locality/Department of Communities and Local Government Community Ownership and Management of Assets (COMA) programme in 2015/16.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) supports calls from parish and town councils for the government to reconsider proposals for exempting these councils for paying business rates on the important neighbourhood matter of public toilets.

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) would like to congratulate individuals from the parish and town councils sector on being recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

This week, we would like to celebrate the work of a relatively new council that has adopted a pro-active and holistic approach to developing and improving the local area since 2007. 

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has selected Aon UK Limited as its ‘Gold plus’ status partner for insurance services in a deal running until 2017.

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

On 8 June 2015, the chairman of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) sent an open letter to all English Members of Parliament, calling on them to support the nation's 9,000 local (parish and town) councils and meet with parish councillors during their Lobby Day on 30 June 2015.

This week, we would like to draw attention to an active parish in Staffordshire with commendable fundraising achievements and an impressive commitment to its community.

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