Newsletter 25/11/22
25 November 2022
Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.
Queens Jubilee Gate
The East Grinstead Town Council has completed another project as part of the Queens Platinum Jubilee commemorations.
The wrought iron gate which stood at the end of Church Walk and formed part of the kissing gate was removed for safe keeping during 2021 following an unsuccessful attempt to steal the gate by persons unknown.
The Council, aware that the gate had been placed there as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee commemorations in 1977, were keen to repair and replace the gate during the Platinum Jubilee commemorations of 2022.
The Gate has been restored to working use and replaced at the end of Church Walk. Sadly the Kissing Gate was not within the Councils budget at this time to replace (which went missing some time ago). St Swithuns Historic preservation group have been asked to look at restoring the arch and the railings, and the electricity has already been returned to the light on the archway. Finding a contractor to restore the arch in situ is still causing some difficulty but the preservation group are continuing to seek someone to bring this back to its former glory. Once the works are complete the Council will place a plaque at the site of the gate to recognize the link between the two jubilees that this work signifies.
Cllr Helen Farren, Chairman of the Town Council Amenities and Tourism Committee said “We are really pleased to replace this part of the towns history and delighted that we have been able to do so during 2022 marking the historic jubilee”
Christmas Parking
(Excerpt taken from PR2479)
Mid Sussex District Council is providing all-day town centre parking for £1.50 on each Saturday in December.
The Council is supporting shoppers and traders with discounted parking on Saturdays in the towns of Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. The £1.50 parking offer will be available in long stay car parks owned by Mid Sussex District Council.
Parking in Mid Sussex is completely free on Sundays, so that’s a whole weekend of shopping for the same price as a loaf of bread.
The £1.50 all day parking charge will apply on 3 December 2022, 10 December 2022, 17 December 2022 and 24 December 2022. The parking discounts will be available at the following locations:
Cyprus Road (long-stay section) car park – Burgess Hill
Queens Crescent car park – Burgess Hill
Station Road car park – Burgess Hill
The Vicarage car park – East Grinstead
Norton House car park – East Grinstead
Franklynn Road car park – Haywards Heath
Muster Green car park – Haywards Heath
This free weekend of parking in MSDC’s Burgess Hill long stay car parks will help those visiting the town to enjoy MSDC’s festive family activities in the town on Sat 3 December. A town centre marquee will be hosting family entertainment, crafts and fun – all completely free, for more details on these please see www.midsussex.gov.uk/playdays
Short stay car parks in Burgess Hill and East Grinstead were made free after 1pm on the day of the Christmas light switch-on events in the two towns. To coincide with the Christmas Market at the Orchards in Haywards Heath this Saturday, 26 November, parking will be free after 1pm in the following car parks in Haywards Heath:
The Orchards, Haywards Heath
Hazelgrove, Haywards Heath
Haywards East, Haywards Heath
Gower Road, Haywards Heath
Haywards West, Haywards Heath
Councillor Ruth DeMierre, MSDC’s Cabinet for Leisure and Parking said ““We’re reducing our parking charges in the long stay car parks across our three towns to really help families and businesses during the busy festive period. We hope that as many people as possible will come into our towns to make the most of all the Christmas festivities and, of course, support local business”.
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For more information about parking across Mid Sussex visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/parking.
District Plan – Exhibition Information and FAQs
The below timetable has been approved by Mid Sussex DC for the exhibition of the Draft District Plan, as there are only 45 homes approved for East Grinstead through this new plan, no exhibition has been arranged for East Grinstead. We will therefore be advertising the Crawley Down event for anyone who wishes to attend.
The full schedule of exhibitions is as follows, all sessions 5pm – 7pm.
| Monday 21st November | Bolney (Rawson Hall) |
| Tuesday 22nd November | Hurstpierpoint (Holy Trinity Church) |
| Wednesday 23rd November | Ansty (Village Hall) |
| Thursday 24th November | Sayers Common (Village Hall) |
| Monday 28th November | Crawley Down (Haven Centre) |
| Wednesday 30th November | Burgess Hill (Cyprus Hall) |
| Tuesday 6th December | Haywards Heath (MSDC Council Chamber) |
In addition as set of Frequently Asked Questions has been prepared and is available on the web site at faqs-14-11-22.pdf (midsussex.gov.uk)
Public Footpath No. 7EG (part) – Temporary Closure Notice (Issue no. 39337)
Mid Sussex Applauds our community champions
(Excerpt taken from PR2481)
The Mid Sussex Applauds Awards 2022 took place on Sunday 20th of November, showcasing the amazing people, groups and organisations in Mid Sussex.
Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council, Councillor Margaret Belsey hosted Mid Sussex Applauds, the community recognition awards, on 20th November at the South of England Showground in Ardingly.
Councillor Belsey commented, “It is always heartening to hear these positive and supportive stories from our community. This lovely event allows us to appreciate and celebrate residents for the amazing activities across our district. Being joined by nominators and sponsors in this positive celebratory event makes it a true celebration.”
The 2022 Awards were made in the following eight categories –
Business in the Community Award (sponsored by ShopAppy)
Highly Commended – Cox Skips and Tulleys Farm.
Winner – Old Dunnings Mill
Lisa McNamara the Manager at Dunnings Mill has supported Being Neighbourly, a community group in East Grinstead and especially the Tuesday group called Chatter Chat, established for isolated elderly neighbours to meet up for a jolly good chat. There is nothing which is too much trouble for Lisa and her amazing team at Old Dunnings Mill. Her nomination concluded – “She is a STAR!”
Good Sport Award (sponsored by Places Leisure)
Highly Commended – John Kendall (posthumous) of West Hoathly Football Club and Michael Wain of Matt Fiddes Martial Arts.
Winner – Ray and Lesley Dennis
Ray and Lesley have been an inspiration to many for decades having devoted many thousands of hours to build Ashurst Wood Junior Football Club to the amazing standard today. From an immense struggle to keep the club going they now have over 200 children playing (ages 5 to 17 years) in many teams – making the club financially sound and achieving England Football accredited status. They have turned the club around through working together and are still married after 50 years! “Without their involvement the club could have easily folded rather than being the immense success it is today.”
Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by JobsGoPublic)
Highly Commended – Andrew Thurgood (posthumous) and Jon Martin.
Winner – Christina Chelmick
Christina is a founder member of Good Neighbours Care. Currently the organisation which relies on finding volunteers has around 150 it can call upon for the needs of over 300 clients across the area. Helping with tasks such as organising transportation for shopping trips, Hospital, GP and Dentist appointments.
Stronger Communities Award (sponsored by CJ Founds Associates)
Highly Commended – Burgess Hill Bonfire Society and Sayers Common Community Shop.
Winner – Dandylion Style, Ardingly
Dandylion Style have come into the village and very quickly become a focal point for the Ardingly community. They have tackled social exclusion by regularly holding coffee mornings and lunches for the elderly. They put everything on free of charge and they even collect and drop off residents so they can attend. Owner and founder Igor recently brought the whole community together when he hired a van and encouraged residents to fill it with essential items and then he drove it himself across to Ukraine.
Stronger Together Award (sponsored by The Orchards Shopping Centre)
Highly Commended – Lindy Elphick, Lyn (Dizzie) Howes and Eva Sonneveld.
Winner – Trevor Carpenter
Over the past 18 months Trevor Carpenter has given a huge amount of time and energy in setting up Lindfield’s Repair Café. Trevor has worked relentlessly to make the Café a success – inspiring volunteers, building skills, linking the community and tackling waste. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves a round of applause more than Trevor.”
Young Volunteer of the Year Award (sponsored by Clarion Futures)
Highly Commended – Kieron Fox and Millie Hill.
Joint Winners – Francesca Butler-King and Jessica Divall
Francesca is a committed young member of Woodside Netball Club who attends training and coaches the young children from the ages of 5 to 12. “ Nothing is ever too much for her and anything you ask her to do she does with a smile on her face and with great energy.”
Jessica has been a regular volunteer with sessions run by Albion in the Community as part of the youth club programme. Jess completed over 100 hours of volunteering and attended Young Leader Training. In addition, Jess has become a volunteer with Burgess Hill Little Theatre developing her skills and interest in the technical side of theatre production.
Take Pride in Mid Sussex Award (sponsored by ID Verde)
Highly Commended – Mark Plass, Derek and Brenda Sisson.
Joint Winners – John Pierpoint and The Monday Group
John has served Balcombe as an un-paid village ranger for decades. He keeps the verges mown and drains unblocked. Mending and tending to our hedges, footpaths, signposts, fences, bus stops and flower beds, he keeps the village clean and tidy and its assets working. “John is a true ambassador for village life, always with a warm greeting, an engaged conversation and an eye out for a task to be done.”
The Monday Group is made up of volunteers who build and maintain stiles and other wooden structures on public rights-of-way across the district and wider afield. In 2021 there have been 227 jobs completed including 73 stile repairs and 33 new stile, 56 clearance jobs and seven gates. Their work helps to open up access to nature and the outdoors, allowing many people who would otherwise struggle to enjoy the exercise and fresh air.
Young Achiever Award (sponsored by HSBC)
Highly Commended – Harri Gander and Kobi Ghasemi.
Winner – Jessica Richardson Blunt
Jessica has shown amazing strength and resilience through some major changes in her life. Jessica works with a positive outlook, to the best of her abilities and as a result, she has made excellent academic progress. Jess was a class ‘Student Councillor’ in Key Stage 4 and is now House Captain.
Peer Nominated Award
In this category each nominee is given the chance to vote for their favourite in any of the categories. The winner was – The Monday Group who were delighted to have been chosen.
Awards were presented by sponsors and by High Sheriff of West Sussex James Whitmore. Full details of the winners’ stories can be found at www.midsussexapplauds.co.uk
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£7.4million worth of road surface improvements completed in just six months at 197 sites countywide
(Email sent by West Sussex County Council to all major stakeholders)
A total of £7.4million worth of road surface improvement schemes were completed at 197 sites countywide in just six months.
From April to October, 138km of road were either completely resurfaced or had surface dressing or micro-asphalt treatments. The three programmes of work comprised:
- Thirty-eight resurfacing schemes, totalling approximately 25km in length, were completed across West Sussex, representing a total investment of £3.4million. A warm mix material was used, with approximately 11 per cent less carbon emissions than traditional methods. The new road surfaces are more durable, making them more resilient to potholes, and smoother, too, which lessens road noise.
- Micro-asphalt treatment was used at 113 sites, with a total of 44km roads treated and representing a £2million investment. This treatment delays the need to do more significant work which would otherwise cause more disruption for residents and road users. With the existing road surface left in place, reduced working times and no need for disposal of materials, less carbon emissions are produced. A cold-lay material is used in this process, again supporting carbon reduction.
- Forty-six sites, totalling 69km of road, received surface dressing treatment, representing an investment of £2million. Surface dressing involves coating the road in bitumen and chippings and utilises the weight of traffic using the road to embed the chippings. It is used as a cost-effective method to prolong the lifespan of suitable roads.
Joy Dennis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We know how important developing a modern infrastructure is to residents and businesses in West Sussex, which is why there are key targets on road condition in our Council Plan : a £7.4million investment in highway improvements in just six months is testament to the hard work of our highways officers and contractors, and shows our commitment to developing that modern infrastructure.
“Potholes are a big source of frustration for all road users, and in the six months from April this year, approximately 22,000 were filled by our Highways teams and contractor. But we are also taking a holistic approach to the condition of our roads, with whole roads and larger sections completely resurfaced to make them more resilient to potholes, and vastly reduce the need for small-scale, disruptive repairs.
“Micro-asphalt and surface dressing methods have also been deployed on suitable roads as cost-effective ways of improving and prolonging their lifespan.”
Picture montage: clockwise, from top left, ‘after’ photos following resurfacing at: the B2133 Guildford Road, Loxwood, B1267 Spring Gardens, Southwick, A286 North Street, Midhurst, and the A29 Shripney Road in Bognor Regis
Free ice skating and festive family fun in Burgess Hill this Christmas!
(Excerpt taken from PR2480)
Mid Sussex District Council is working with Burgess Hill Town Council to bring free ice skating and a free family fun day to Burgess Hill town centre this Christmas as part of a range of ‘Ho-Ho Holiday Fun’ activities.
On Saturday 3 December a giant marquee will house two sessions of Christmas activities for families @RH15 9NN. From 10am until 12 noon, local firm Scrapless will help everyone get ready for a sustainable Christmas by demonstrating how to make salt dough decorations and The Kiln will be providing craft activities.
There will be the chance to exchange old toys and decorations for something different as part of a Swap Shop and little ones can enjoy story time with Burgess Hill Library or songs and rhymes with Music Bus.
In the afternoon from 1pm until 3pm children will be able to enjoy a round of crazy golf and a puppet show or marvel at the stilt walker and giant bubble maker. Youngsters that want to try some circus skills themselves can join the creative and trained Circus performers at Poi Passion and learn to juggle, hula-hoop, tightrope walk, and balance on stilts. Music and DJ lessons will be provided by DJ Neel and Sussex Clubs for Young people will be providing arts and crafts activities.
A synthetic ice rink will be in the Martlets Shopping Centre from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 December to provide people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to skate for free.
Everything has been taken care of, with a dedicated changing area, ice skates in all sizes to borrow, seating for spectators and trained staff on hand to ensure everyone is safe.
The rink, which is 13 metres square and capable of accommodating up to 45 skaters at a time. The area will be decorated with Christmas lights and Christmas music will play in the background to create a festive atmosphere for everyone visiting the town.
Councillor Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Net Zero said:
“Christmas is a wonderful time for people to come together and Burgess Hill is a great place to meet up with friends and family this year.
“We want Burgess Hill town centre to be buzzing for our local traders this Christmas so please make sure you pop into town and show them your support while having fun with the family.
“We’ve got a whole host of free activities for local families to enjoy, from ice skating to crazy golf, so there really is something for everyone at our Ho Ho Holidays events this Christmas.”
The programme has been put together by Mid Sussex District Council, supported by Burgess Hill Town Council and New River REIT.
From 23 December 2022 to 1 January 2023 Benson’s Fun Fair will be visiting the site, offering discounted rides in the town centre. In addition, during December MSDC are offering a flat fee of £1.50 to park on Saturdays (Sundays are free) in some of the longstay car parks in Burgess Hill.
Financial support, shop local, win some West Sussex sparkle!
(Email sent by West Sussex County Council to all major stakeholders)
Help with your finances and budgeting
| With the government’s Autumn Statement 2022 announced today, budgeting and finances continue to be front and centre in many people’s minds.
We’ve gathered details of where you can access local and national help and support with the cost of living. The Budget and Finance section includes information about:
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Find out the latest flooding information
| Many areas of West Sussex were affected by flooding last night.
Keep one step ahead of the rain by checking out our flooding update pages where you’ll find the latest information on issues across the county. On these webpages you’ll find details of which areas are affected or likely to be affected by flooding, road closures, and advice on how to take action if you are at risk of flooding. |
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Boost your immunity this winter
| Covid-19 and flu spread quickly in winter and can cause serious illness.
Vaccinations are our best protection against the viruses and will help keep you, and those around you safe this winter. Even if you’ve had all your Covid-19 vaccinations or had the virus itself, your immunity decreases over time and the latest booster provides extra protection against newer variants of the virus. It’s important to have your flu vaccine each year as well, to protect yourself against the circulating flu virus. If you’re aged 50+, in an at-risk group, pregnant, or you’re a health and social care worker, you are eligible for a free flu and Covid-19 booster vaccine this winter. It’s safe to have both vaccines at the same time, but you need to book them separately. For more information on how to book click on the link below. We can all continue to protect ourselves and each other from Covid-19, colds, and flu viruses this winter by taking these simple steps:
You can also have your say on how you think the pandemic should be remembered via the Covid Commemoration consultation. Closing date: 5 December 2022. |
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Life-saving road safety show relaunched
| Our West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has relaunched its thought-provoking road safety show for the first time since the pandemic, with a new interactive element.
Safe Drive Stay Alive, a driver awareness programme, returned to Chichester College this week and was delivered to around 3,000 students. The programme has been shown to thousands of young people across the county since it first launched in 2006. It brings to life difficult messages to make young people aware of their responsibilities on the road through the personal accounts of emergency services and members of the public, as they recall their first-hand experiences of road traffic collisions. |
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Local Christmas gift inspiration
| Delight your family and friends this Christmas by giving them a gift from right here in West Sussex.
From spa breaks and West Sussex sparkling wine, to gift vouchers and local attraction tickets, we’ve a whole sack full of inspiration for you! |
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Win some West Sussex sparkle!
| Enter our Experience West Sussex competition and you could win yourself a sparkling treat in time for Christmas!
Glittering light shows, luxury afternoon teas and a local wine tour are the prizes on offer. Closing date: 1 December 2022. |
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Our Climate Action hub launches
| This week we’ve launched a new Climate Action Hub for residents in West Sussex – an online space to share ideas and views on ways to tackle climate change.
You can get involved by adding suggestions to the Ideas Bank or joining the Discussion Forum to talk about issues such as electric vehicles, recycling, biodiversity, and food waste. Not surprisingly, with winter fast approaching and household costs and bills soaring, the most current topic of conversation on the Hub is how households can reduce their energy use. If you’d like to learn more about what’s happening in West Sussex and how you can help reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably, you can also sign up to our monthly Environment & Climate Change eNewsletter. |
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Supporting White Ribbon Day
| This year, the Community Safety team are supporting White Ribbon Day on 25 November, which falls on the same week as the start of the men’s World Cup. The day aims to raise awareness of gender inequality and #TheGoal is that we all join together, to end violence against women and girls for good.
Football is not responsible for domestic abuse. However, research shows that when England loses a World Cup game, incidents of domestic abuse increase by 38% and by 28% when they win. There is no excuse for abuse. If you, or someone that you know is experiencing domestic abuse WORTH services are able to offer specialist support and advice on 0330 222 8181 Monday to Friday. Talk to us. We can help. In an emergency, call 999. The Domestic Abuse Act also recognises children as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. If you think a child is being harmed, abused or neglected, then you can report it online to the West Sussex Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Follow our @WSxCommsafety Facebook and Twitter pages to learn more about the issues, support services and how you can get involved. |
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More news
Head to our Newsroom to find all the latest news. Below are some highlights:
- Government funding of up to £1.8million has been awarded to the West Sussex Chargepoint Network, which is providing electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints for residents in areas which have no off-street parking.
- Friend and family carers can benefit from a free service that can help them access and sustain paid employment, after new figures revealed three-quarters worry about juggling work and care.
- Construction is progressing well at three Active Travel Fund schemes in West Sussex which will all provide improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
- There are currently over 850 children we care for in West Sussex, and an urgent appeal is being made for more people to help support them by becoming foster carers.
- We are running scam awareness webinars so you can learn how to stay safe online.
- West Sussex is set to be one of a small number of areas in England to benefit from the government’s Create Growth programme.
| If you are researching your family tree you can now get free access to the 1921 census in all our libraries and at West Sussex Record Office. You can explore your family history with Ancestry, Findmypast and other resources – which are free to access with your library card. |
10 years of making a difference – Sussex Police
(Email sent by Katy Bourne OBE to all major stakeholders)
| Hello
Tuesday 15 November marked a decade since I became Sussex’s first Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC). It is a privilege to be the longest serving female PCC and I’m fortunate to have worked alongside so many people who help to make such positive differences to our county. The role not only means I hold police to account for delivery and ensure public money is spent wisely but I am provided with the opportunity to challenge and change aspects of national policing. You can watch my 10 year video and read more about some of the achievements and highlights of the past decade on my website. It has been an enormous honour to be the Sussex PCC for the past ten years and I hope to be able to continue for as long as I have the public’s support. Fittingly, my 100th Performance and Accountability meeting also took place today when we were joined by Deputy Chief Constable McLaren and Assistant Chief Constable Dobinson. I began by asking for clarity on Sussex Police’s financial position for the remainder of this year and the year ahead and we looked at the challenges the Force faces from inflation, rising fuel and supplier costs and meeting pay awards. Whilst the Force will balance the budget this year, they face a savings requirement of £17m next year so all budget holders will be expected to look for efficiencies without reducing frontline services. I made it clear that residents and council taxpayers tell me they want to maintain neighbourhood policing and increased visibility and, given that we have invested in these areas over the past four years, I will be fighting hard for improved funding from government. We also looked at the performance in the contact centre. DCC McLaren said they had ended the 101 email reporting route to encourage people to use the online webforms which collect more precise information and can be better analysed and actioned. |
| Welcoming the Minister of State for Crime, Policing & Fire to Sussex |
| On Wednesday, we welcomed Minister Chris Philp MP to Brighton. I joined Chief Constable Shiner and the Sussex Police leads for serious violence and knife crime to speak to the Minister about the Force’s work in combating knife crime.
With the visit taking place during Op Spectre week – the nationwide intensification on tackling knife crime and highlighting the dangers of carrying a knife – it was a great opportunity to recognise the successes of Sussex’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). Our VRU brings together specialists from police, local government, health, probation services and community organisations to tackle serious violence and the underlying causes of violent crime. The Minister was shown the Force’s knife crime engagement van, observed a knife sweep alongside the Sussex Community Search Team and met with Sussex’s Night Safety Marshals. During the last year, there has been a 24% reduction in knife crime in Sussex, compared to a 10% national average and the risk of ‘violence with injury’ continues to remain low. It is vital we recognise that early intervention and preventative work are fundamental to violence reduction. I am delighted that the funding I have secured from the Home Office has allowed for support programmes to be developed for vulnerable young people and has enabled Sussex’s VRU to be extended for the next three years. Katy Bourne OBE Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner |
Chief executive’s bulletinAutumn Statement The new chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, presented his Autumn Statement to Parliament on 17 November 2022, outlining the government’s spending plans by setting budgets for each central government department. The chancellor stated that the government will deliver a plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and rebuild the UK economy, with priorities of stability, growth, and public services. Measures of interest to local government include:
In NALC’s response to the Autumn Statement, we highlight the role of local councils in communities and their funding, call for the exemption from council tax referendums to continue along with direct access to government funds, devolution must extend beyond mayors to communities and local councils, and the levelling up white paper commitment to review neighbourhood governance should start as a matter of urgency. NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, will shortly be meeting with the new local government minister, Lee Rowley MP, where he will be directly pressing these and other issues. November’s Civility and Respect Project newsletter The November edition of the Civility and Respect newsletter is out now! There has been significant progress over the last few months. I’m delighted we have made available many new resources specifically developed to address the issues of civility and respect across our sector. The November newsletter includes articles on respectful social media and staying safe online, updates on the legislation workstream and the pledge, new guides on councillors’ responsibilities as employers and recruitment, a new series of podcasts, new model documents including a councillor/officer protocol and roles and responsibilities, and the training workshops. Book now for NALC’s upcoming online events! NALC’s regular monthly online events programme continues to be extremely popular, with dynamic, hard-hitting topics up the street of local councils, with most events selling out! NALC has recently confirmed two new online events on ‘Local councils and community outreach’ on 14 December 2022 and ‘Local councils and community engagement’ on 25 January 2023). Join us at the December event to learn more about how local councils can engage in meaningful community outreach and improve local service delivery. And come to the January event to hear how to engage residents, which methods to use, and how to involve people in local council decisions. You can find out more about these events and register your place here. Fortnightly meeting with county officers At this week’s meeting between NALC and county officers, we discussed national and county conferences and annual general meetings, their format, and how they work. I am particularly keen for NALC to attend and support as many as possible; I know many of our partners do too, so we are working together on how to do this more effectively. There were also updates on our engagement with the government and forthcoming meeting with the new local government minister, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities select committee inquiry on levelling up funding, and our review of NALC publications, including advice and guidance. Improvement and Development Board I was pleased to chair the latest Improvement and Development Board meeting on 17 November, which brings together colleagues from NALC, the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) and several county associations. The board discussed plans to recruit a new independent chair, proposals for developing an intervention workstream for councils who face severe financial or performance challenges, as well as receiving updates on a range of improvement initiatives such as the Certificate in Local Council Administration, the community governance qualifications, the Local Council Award Scheme, and e-learning. National Employment Strategy Advisory Group The second meeting of the National Employment Advisory Group, made up of representatives from NALC, SLCC and county associations, took place on 16 November. The group reviewed plans for an update to the Good Councillors Guide to Employment which will be completed in early 2023, received an update on the development of a template contract of employment for local councils, and the Local Government Association presented a proposal for a sector-wide workforce survey to help inform the development of a new national employment strategy. I am particularly excited about this survey which will be the first in many years that aims to get robust national data on the nature of the workforce employed by local councils – more news to come on that in the new year! Out and about Over the last few years, I’ve been pleased to develop NALC’s relationship with the Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO) and work with them and other sector bodies on remote meetings. This is why it was great for NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, to be invited to attend their annual conference and awards this week as their guest. As well as taking the chance to promote the sector to attendees, Keith also participated in a question time panel session covering issues such as standards, democratic engagement, and training. Do check out ADSO’s Twitter for more highlights from the event. And our head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, was at the sixth annual power, reputation and influence lecture hosted by NALC’s partner CCLA. NALC National Network: Coastal Communities This is a reminder that the next meeting of NALC’s National Network: Coastal Communities will take place on 24 November. You can sign up to join the network here. And finally… Congratulations to the latest local councils to be accredited under the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS). As you know, LCAS celebrates the best of local councils, helps them develop their potential, and recognises that they are well-run and meet the required standards. The latest councils to be accredited are Hungerford Town Council in Berkshire for the Quality Award and Lickey and Blackwell Parish Council in Worcestershire for the Foundation Award. A huge well done to everyone involved. You can find out more about the scheme and how to apply on the NALC website. And we’re also holding a free online event on how to prepare an award-winning application on 23 November. This will provide insights into submitting an award-winning application for each award level and help increase chances of achieving the award level hoped for. The event is open to clerks, councillors and council staff interested in the scheme. |
NALC Newsletter
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