Newsletter 05/02/2024
5 February 2024
Planning
Road Closure Order Notice
NALC News
Chief executive’s bulletin
1 February
NALC’s chair in Parliament
NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, has been busy championing the sector at various meetings and events over the last few days. In his recent open letter, you can read about how ensuring a strong national and local voice remains among his continuing priorities. On Monday night, Keith was at the Local Government Association’s parliamentary reception in the House of Lords, taking the opportunity early in the New Year to speak to ministers, shadow ministers, MPs, Peers and local government leaders. He reminded them about the fantastic work going on in the first tier of local government, as well as the policy objectives in our manifesto, such as civility and respect. Keith continued these conversations with an introductory meeting with the new shadow local government minister, Jim McMahon MP, briefing him on the work of NALC and county associations and discussing Labour’s General Election manifesto, pressing for our sector and policy ideas not to be overlooked. NALC’s recent submission to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee on the Office for Local Government (Oflog) was the focus of his meetings with Oflog’s chair, Lord Morse, and also the Committee’s chair, Clive Betts MP. Keith also met with the sport and civil society minister, Stuart Andrew MP, to brief him on how local (parish and town) councils are helping tackle loneliness, providing sports and leisure facilities and increasingly taking on youth services. He highlighted the need for direct access to funding to support their work. Plus, he had a catch up with NALC’s president, Baroness Scott of Needham Market, where they discussed our parliamentary engagement over the last year and the next twelve months. And you may have spotted Keith on Tuesday night’s The One Show, which was live from the launch of The Big Help Out 2024. Keith joined TV presenter and journalist Anneka Rice and British astronaut Tim Peake, both ambassadors for the campaign, along with a range of national bodies at the event. This event marked the beginning of the UK’s biggest ever mass volunteering movement taking place from 7-9 June. I’m delighted that NALC is backing this initiative, and I’m keen to see as many councils as possible get involved!
On the blog
This week’s blog is from NALC’s partner, Utility Aid. The financial world is very volatile right now, so strategic decision making is paramount. This is why Utility Aid are keen to equip our councils with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of energy contracts. Their timely blog sheds light on the nuances between fixed, flexible, and pass-through contracts, empowering readers to make informed decisions that safeguard their organisation’s financial stability. You can contact Utility Aid directly. Read the blog to find out more!
NALC National Network: Women councillors
NALC’s women councillor’s network met on 29 January 2024 to discuss NALC’s survey plus bullying and harassment in the sector. We’re currently running a survey for the network designed to provide insight into the experiences of women within the sector and how they would like to shape the delivery of the network and its work over the next two years. It was good to have our colleague Jackie Weaver from the Cheshire Association of Local Councils come along to speak about standards of behaviour, what sanctions exist, and the sanctions process, plus tips on dealing with bullying and harassment. Find out how to join the network!
Finance and Scrutiny Committee
Our new committees are settling in well and developing their roles. This week the Finance and Scrutiny Committee held a special meeting to discuss how its scrutiny function could be developed to cover corporate governance and performance as well as its traditional financial oversight. It also conducted a thorough overview of our financial systems as it developed proposals for reporting on finance matters to the National Assembly.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Rural insight forum
This month’s forum focussed on the work of the National Infrastructure Commission and its second National Infrastructure Assessment report, setting out a “thirty-year plan for a low carbon and resilient economy that supports economic growth and protects the national environment.” This plan will require significant investment across the UK and have implications for many communities, and I stressed the importance of ensuring community engagement and understanding of the challenges ahead. The forum also looked at recent changes to planning and rural housing and the future of the Rural England Prosperity Fund.
Special meeting of NALC Policy Committee
We convened a special online meeting of our Policy Committee on 26 January to shape our response to the Government’s street vote development order consultation. Headlines include:
• It should be a statutory requirement for local councils to be consulted on a street development order proposal.
• NALC is not in favour of the street votes concept, which is also supported by the Society of Local Council Clerks. However, we acknowledge that it is proceeding as an outcome of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. If it is to proceed, we suggest that the option, ideally with funding, should be given to local councils to act as micro-councils, covering 50 properties or less, for a street vote development order.
• We also consider that if this concept is to proceed, it should, where possible, reflect the democratic planning process for both the local and neighbourhood plan.
• We believe that this concept is perceived as urban, not rural, which will be a disbenefit to most local councils, and that the Policy Exchange and the government should have engaged more with the sector at the concept’s inception stages.
• We further believe that since this concept is largely urban it is an oblique attempt to ensure that, in certain circumstances, developers do not have to pay for affordable housing through specific developer contributions. We also expressed concern that the street vote concept is likely open to abuse in rural areas.
Funding to help organisations improve energy efficiency – the second part of the scheme now open
While local councils cannot directly apply for the newly launched fund, we wanted local councils to be aware of its existence. There could be opportunities for collaboration with local voluntary agencies when bids are made. On 7 December 2023, the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport launched a £25.5 million funding package to support voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England in enhancing their energy efficiency . Eligible organisations can apply for an independent energy assessment and capital grants to implement energy-efficient measures. The second phase commenced on 18 January, with organisations able to apply through three grant rounds, the last of which closes in August 2024. All measures must be installed and paid for by March 2025. Thus, it is advisable for all organisations, especially those with more complex projects, to apply early to ensure sufficient time for installation. Local councils are also encouraged to share details of this scheme with VCSE organisations in their areas.
National Assembly induction workshop
On Tuesday evening, we hosted a workshop for National Assembly members as part of an expanded programme of support for our councillors. As part of this induction, assembly members were given an overview of NALC’s governance arrangements and the role requirements of assembly members. We also shared some benefits of being a national assembly member and discussed ways to strengthen their role. We were really pleased to be joined by Councillor Abi Brown, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board, who shared her experiences of her role as part of the LGA’s governance arrangements.
Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments (SAAA) board meeting
As NALC’s member director on the Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments (SAAA) board, I am pleased to report that the new board’s chair, members, and chief executive have made huge progress over the last year in developing the organisation and enabling it to support the sector. This meeting focused on its corporate governance and agreed on some additional support to improve the functioning of the NALC supported Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance (JPAG) and to update guidance to councillors on their role. It also considered progress with its digitisation project to assess whether this might be viable for annual returns. I am pleased that over 100 local councils have responded to SAAA’s earlier call for views.
Civility and Respect Workshop at SLCC Practitioners Conference 2024
Hazel Broatch, project manager for the Civility and Respect Project, delivered a presentation at the Society of Local Council Clerk’s (SLCC) Practitioners Conference in Warwickshire. Hazel provided attendees with updates on the progress made by the Civility and Respect Project, including encouraging all councils to join the 1,400 already signed up to the Civility and Respect pledge, followed by a question-and-answer session. You can find out more about the Civility and Respect Project, sign up to the pledge and access a wide range of resources on the dedicated project webpage.
Debates in Parliament
Last week, NALC briefed members of the House of Lords on two debates in Parliament. We were keen to highlight the key messages from our response to a Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation on the protection of hedgerows and the challenges our councils have had with banking.
Regarding hedgerow protection:
• Calling for updating Schedule 1 of the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 with a clear, transparent, and more widely understood definition of a ‘protected hedgerow’ and ‘important hedgerow’
• Ensuring there is a greater understanding of land covered by the 1997 Hedgerow Regulations.
• Asking DEFRA to record ‘important’ hedgerows on subsidised agricultural holdings and clarify the definition of state-owned land.
• Calling for local councils to be consulted on the removal of protected hedgerows and have a recognised role in the future mapping/overseeing of important hedgerow
• Calling for the simplification of the system and removal of inconsistencies in hedgerow protection and enhancement.
On banking, this included:
• Highlighting challenges faced by our councils, such as an inability to complete mandate drawdowns for bank accounts, change of signatory problems, account closure threats, councillors being asked to go into bank branches 50 miles away to open accounts, and clerks being asked to produce financial evidence to confirm that their councillors had not been bankrupt
• Calling for improvements in the banking system for local councils, including a personal point of contact, a simpler and more responsive system recognition system for mandate changes, user-friendly online forms, and single, dual, or triple authorisation options.
• Advocating for clear passwords for telephone banking, real-time communication options, and a better understanding of local councils by banks.
• NALC has also developed a new banking webpage containing a range of resources for both local councils and banks.
Big Energy Saving Week
It was big energy saving week between 17 January and 23 January to raise awareness of making homes more energy efficient and getting the best deal possible from your energy supplier. The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) is urging eligible low income households across Great Britain to ensure they receive the £150 warm home discount by 29 February 2024. With over 3 million households at risk of fuel poverty, this vital support can make a significant difference in keeping homes warm during the colder months. While many automatically receive the discount, some customers in England and Wales may need to confirm their eligibility by calling the warm home discount helpline. Find out more information about the warm home discount. For more useful resources and information, visit NALC’s cost of living webpage.
And finally…
Local councils are invited to sign up for a free webinar on 28 February at 13:00. The webinar, hosted by the Community Interest Company Playing Out, will explore how outdoor play contributes to the happiness, health, and connectedness of both children and adults. The webinar will particularly focus on learnings and best practices gained from adapting the Play Streets model for areas of greater disadvantage.
NALC announces an exciting lineup of events for the first half of 2024/25 – News
NALC feature on the latest SLCC podcast – News
NALC publishes its quarterly activity report – News
Mid Sussex Voluntary Action News
MSVA E-Bulletin 1 February 2024
East Grinstead Business Association February Events
East Grinstead Business Association
EGTC Council Tax Press Release
Mid Sussex District Council
Mid Sussex DC have confirmed the CCTV is up and running at the lower car park by the pavilion. It is on a 15 second rotation on a 360 degree circle. The camera is a temporary one until the permanent camera can be wired in. This remains ongoing and will be completed as soon as possible.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner News 26 January 2024
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner News – Online safety act
NHS Sussex News
South East Water
South East Water want your views on the services they provide to their vulnerable customers in your area.
South East Water is undertaking some important research about the provision of services and support they provide for their customers with circumstances that make them vulnerable. To help with that, they’re undertaking research to understand how satisfied you are as a key stakeholder. Please see the link to the survey below:
If you can’t see or click the button above, please copy and paste this link into your browser:
https://secure2.accent-mr.com/A2/3407.aspx?urn=TuliRy&dy=t
This study is being carried out on behalf of South East Water by Accent, an independent market research company. Accent has been working with the company for over five years now to help it understand what customers want from their water service.
The research is being conducted under the terms of the MRS code of conduct and is completely confidential. Your answers will remain anonymous and you will not be identified in the data Accent will pass back to South East Water. If you would like to confirm Accent’s credentials, please call the MRS free on 0800 975 9596. This survey closes on Monday 19 February 2024.
CAGNE News
CAGNE aviation Town and Parish Council forum
CAGNE CAGNE 10th online AGM and ‘what do I say at the hearings’ briefing is 23rd February at 7pm.
House of Commons – Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee
Disabled people in the housing sector inquiry – Levelling-Up Committee publishes evidence ahead of opening evidence session on Monday
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee has today published written evidence submissions for its disabled people in the housing sector inquiry, ahead of opening public evidence session on Monday with disability, housing and planning experts (the full witness list is included below).
The written evidence published today includes evidence from a range of organisations including Disability Rights UK, Inclusion London, Housing Made for Everyone (HoME) coalition, and Habinteg, Propertymark, and the Chartered Institute of Building.
The written evidence submissions cover a range of issues relating to progress on mandating a minimum standard of accessible and adaptable dwellings for all new homes, developers incentives to build new accessible homes, references to disabled people in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and whether the maximum grant under the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) should be reviewed.
At Monday’s evidence session, the cross-party group of MPs are likely to question witnesses on a range of topics relating to disabled people’s experiences of finding suitable housing; the provision of support for disabled people to adapt their homes, including the DFG; and to what extent planning policy supports the delivery of accessible housing.
The inquiry is examining the role of Government, local councils and developers in ensuring the delivery of suitable housing for disabled people and what the Government can do to support disabled tenants in the private rented sector in England.
The Committee is also looking at the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and whether it ensures housebuilding complies with the Equality Act 2010. The inquiry is also examining the progress made since the publication of the findings (in July 2022) of the Government’s consultation titled ‘Raising accessibility standards for new homes’.
Key questions for the inquiry are included in the full terms of reference which are listed in this news website item.
The Committee will also be looking at how far the Government can ensure it provides provision to support disabled residents who do not live in new build homes and whether the Disabled Facilities Grant supports housing adaptations.
The Committee recently launched an online survey for its inquiry looking at what Government can do to ensure disabled people have access to accessible and adaptable housing in England (see news item). The survey is designed to gather disabled people’s views and experiences of finding or adapting suitable housing. The closing date for responses is Thursday 15 February.
Evidence session – Monday 5 February, 16.00 Committee Room 15
Watch live on parliamentlive.tv
Witnesses:
From 16.00
· Mikey Erhardt, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Disability Rights UK
· Christina McGill, Co-Chair, HoME coalition (Housing Made for Everyone), Director of Social Impact and External Affairs, Habinteg Housing Association
· Jacquel Runnalls, Co-opted Lead in Accessibility and Inclusive Design, Royal College of Occupational Therapist’s (RCOT) Specialist Section in Housing
From 17.00
· Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Member of the Local Infrastructure & Net Zero Board, Local Government Association, and Leader of the Opposition (Liberal Democrats) on Southwark Council
· Adrian Dobson, Executive Director Professional Knowledge and Standards, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
· Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Propertymark
Sam Stafford, Planning Director, Home Builders Federation
Citizen Advice Survey
Citizens Advice West Sussex is looking to gain insights on how we can improve our services and better support our local community.
We have created an online anonymous survey which can be accessed through the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/83CL92L
The survey will take a few minutes to complete and your responses will be kept confidential.
Gatcom News
WSCC – Post-16 Transport Policy Statement
West Sussex County Council asks for views each year about the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement. The consultation aims to make sure the information in the Policy Statement is up to date and complete.
The Policy Statement sets out the help that is available through the council, schools, colleges and transport operators for young people of sixth-form age and those who are 19+ with an Education Health and Care Plan to get to school or college.
A consultation is now open and available via this link and runs until 17 March 2024 . All responses will be considered before the council’s Post-16 Transport Policy statement is published at the end of May.
E-mail:Post16Travel@westsussex.gov.uk (www.westsussex.gov.uk/Post-16transport)
WSCC Plan and Budget proposals
| Council plan and budget proposals endorsed by Cabinet |
| A revised council plan and a series of measures to ensure a balanced budget for the year ahead have been endorsed by the Cabinet of West Sussex County Council at a meeting today (Tuesday 30 January) at County Hall, Chichester.
Following a public consultation, the Cabinet has confirmed its commitment to four key priority areas, underpinned by a cross cutting theme of ‘protecting the environment’. The priorities are:
Leader of West Sussex County Council, Cllr Paul Marshall said: “We asked residents how they felt about our priorities, and we were reassured to see more than two thirds strongly agreed or tended to agree with our approach. We are therefore confident that our priorities are right, and they will continue to inform our decisions about how we use resources in the coming year. “Following the consultation, we are also proposing to continue with additional investment to areas our residents have told us are important, such as roads and highways and education and skills.” The council reported in July last year that it was looking at ways to close a £45m budget gap for the coming year (2024/25). Balancing the budget for the year ahead has been made even more challenging with the publication of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement from central government. Cllr Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, said: “Whilst the funding offered to us by government is welcome, unfortunately it remains a long way short of what we need in order to cover the cost of vital services for our residents. “A spiralling increase in demand and cost of services, particularly in social care, home to school transport, and funding the National Living Wage, has made preparing next year’s budget even more challenging. “In order to balance our budget, we have proposed budget reductions of £15.7m, a one off use of reserves, and an increase in core council tax of 2.99%, plus an additional adult social care precept of 2%. “We don’t put forward these proposals lightly, but our priority is to make best use of our limited resources and do all we can to protect essential front line services. “Our reserves are vital for managing the many risks and uncertainties we are facing next year, as well as our financial stability over the longer term. That is why we have plans in place to replenish any use of our Budget Management Reserve. “However, the lobbying we, and others, have undertaken over the last few weeks has resulted in government recognising the pressures we and others are facing and the additional funding they announced only last week is most welcome. We await the final settlement for confirmation, but it may mean we no longer need to rely on our reserves to balance next year’s budget.” The revised council plan and the proposed budget will now go before a meeting of the Full Council on Friday 16 February for a final decision. At Full Council, the proposals and any amendments put forward will be debated, followed by a vote. The budget proposals set out how the County Council is expected to spend £2 billion during 2024/25 on day-to-day services and £131.6m through capital investment into areas such as schools, highways, and the environment. After taking account of grants, fees and charges and other contributions, net revenue expenditure of £761.4m is expected. Part of the budget proposes to include an extra £81.9m in revenue spending on vital services including:
Cllr Paul Marshall added: “We know people in our communities, especially the most vulnerable, rely on our services and we will continue to do all we can to protect those services and invest in our county. “Alongside our MPs, we are committed to continuing to apply pressure to government to properly fund local government so we can deliver the vital services our residents, businesses, and local communities need and deserve.” You can find the agenda for Full Council and watch a live webcast of the meeting, or watch again at a later date, via our website www.westsussex.gov.uk. For latest news and information on the budget visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/Budget. |