East Grinstead Town Council has bought a Speed Indicator Device (SID) of its own to help remind motorists to slow down while driving in the town.
East Grinstead Town Centre has a speed limit of 20 MPH but the rest of the built-up area is 30. There have been a number of complaints over the years as to the speed that some drivers reach in the residential areas and the Council has shared in a SID with the other northern parishes for a few years, targeting some of the speed hotspots, usually having a SID for around 20 weeks a year with it moving around different streets for a few weeks at a time.
The West Sussex SID has come to the end of its days and the County Council are not to replace it. The Town Council had decided to buy their own device so that it was always in the town. It can be moved to other locations but at the moment It is in Dunnings Road.
The device does not have ANPR and therefore cannot identify a car, but it does record the speeds that drivers go through the area. The data will be looked at to determine whether further more permanent speed monitoring or traffic calming is needed.
Cllr Jason Woodgate, Chairman of the Public Services Committee said “ this device is to help remind drivers that they have entered the town, it is near a school and this is a busy road. We hope the SID will help to keep the road safe for all users”.
Four new trees have been planted on the East Court Estate as part of the Queens Green Canopy to mark the historic platinum Jubilee. The canopy project was extended by King Charles following the passing of his Mother Queen Elizabeth ll. Three of the trees are English indigenous and the fourth is a Ginkgo, which once was seen all over the world but during Jurassic times it became restricted to Japan. Since the 17th century it has however been spreading back around the world. The Gingko suits our climate and produces the most beautiful leaves and plant shape.
The Ginkgo was planted on behalf of East Grinstead Town Council
The Pear was donated by East Grinstead in Bloom
One of the Whitebeams was donated by the family of Robert Blowe and the other Whitebeam was donated by the East Grinstead Natural History Society on their 90th Anniversary
The Trees were planted by the Town Mayor Cllr Adam Peacock, family members of Mr Blowe and representatives of the EG Natural History Society, replacing trees which have been recently lost to disease on the estate.
Mid Sussex District residents are asked to check if they are eligible to receive a new grant to help them heat their homes, lower their carbon emissions, and save money on their fuel bills.
In partnership with other Councils Mid Sussex District Council has secured funding from the Government to improve the energy efficiency of eligible homes. Warmer Homes funding is available until March 2023, to install the following energy efficiency measures:
Insulation
solar PV panels
air source heat pumps
Up to £25,000 is available per home if you meet the following criteria:
Your home has an EPC rating of E, F or G (limited funding is available for EPC D rated properties).
And either:
You have a total household annual income of £30,000 or less (before housing costs/bills)
This funding is available to owner occupiers and those living in privately rented homes on a first-come, first served basis and it only takes 5 minutes to make an application.
Councillor Norman Webster, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Community said:
“With energy bills almost tripling in just one year, our residents are already being affected by the growing cost of living crisis, and the colder winter months are fast approaching.
“This Warmer Homes Programme can offer vital energy efficiency improvements for those on low incomes. The range of measures available can help people to stay warmer, reduce their energy use and therefore lower bills whilst also making their homes greener by cutting carbon emissions.”
Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, said:
“The Council is delighted to have successfully secured this funding to help support many of our residents during this challenging time. I would encourage as many local people as possible to check if they are eligible, either by visiting the Warmer Homes website or calling the freephone number provided and reap the benefits of this scheme without delay.“
Alternatively, call 0800 038 5737 (freephone) Monday – Friday during office hours to find out more and apply by phone.
Gatwick Airport FASI-S Parish Council Stakeholder Briefing Sessions December 2022
(Received by FASI-S Project Team at Gatwick Airport)
In October 2018, following the publication of the Government and CAA co-sponsored Airspace Modernisation Strategy, Gatwick Airport Limited initiated a project to redesign its departure and arrival routes and procedures under the auspices of the Future Airspace Strategy Implementation – South (FASI-S) Airspace Change programme.
The development of this airspace change project is following the CAA’s CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process and has consequently up to this point focused engagement with a targeted group of stakeholders. These included local government (some parish, borough, district and county councils) as well as key local environmental and community noise action groups.
The stakeholders already involved have been engaged throughout the airspace change process so far, contributing both to the Define Stage (Stage 1) and the current Develop and Assess Stage (Stage 2).
While the regulatory process does not require wider engagement at this stage we are expanding the range of stakeholders involved to include a broader range of parish council representation at the point the airspace design options being created are more mature and a meaningful shortlist of viable options is available to help simplify the process and make the potential impact clearer to the local communities, and you their representatives.
This process is under way now, with the anticipated final engagement, detailing the outcomes of ‘Design Principle Evaluation’ and progress of ‘Initial Options Appraisal’, being planned for January 2023. We should be clear that this is still relatively early in the process and well ahead of a full public consultation that will take place much later in Stage 3 but the sessions we have planned should help you to be as well informed as possible, which we believe will be helpful to you given the relatively complex nature of the process and the project itself.
We invited 75 of our nearest parish councils to two Parish Council Stakeholder briefing sessions on 5th and 6th October, where we explained the progress of this airspace change to date and updated on the Comprehensive List of Options we have developed as well as provided an overview of the Design Principle Evaluation and Initial Options Appraisal processes, so that you, the parish council stakeholders, could join and participate in the upcoming engagement sessions that we plan to schedule early next year.
In order to reach as many of you as possible we have decided to hold two further briefings. The planned agenda and content in these sessions will be the same as the October sessions.
The briefings will be conducted as a virtual meetings using the Microsoft Teams application. Two virtual meetings are planned for:
17:30 to 19:30 on 5th December
10:30 to 12:30 on 9th December
Please email LGWairspace.FASIS@gatwickairport.com to confirm your intention to participate in one of the two virtual meetings by 30 November. The link to join the online briefing will be circulated the day prior to the meeting to all registered attendees.
Mid Sussex District Council has thanked the residents taking part in a new food waste collection trial after they recycled more than 29,000 Kilograms (29 Tonnes) of food in the first four weeks.
Residents in the trial areas have embraced the new collection system by placing any food waste they have into a dedicated food waste bin, which is collected from the kerbside every week.
The aim of the trial is to work with residents to boost recycling and reduce the amount of general waste produced. If participants continue to recycle food at the current rate, then potentially over 377,000 Kilograms (377 Tonnes) of food will be removed the rubbish in the trial area and recycled over the course of a year.
Mid Sussex residents in parts of Ashurst Wood, Burgess Hill and Lindfield have been selected to take part in the new waste collection trial. These areas have been chosen because they include a mix of housing types and locations that ensure the trial is representative of the whole of Mid Sussex. The trial will enable Mid Sussex District Council and West Sussex County Council to assess the feasibility of rolling out a similar service across the whole of Mid Sussex.
Councillor John Belsey, Deputy Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who is working with us to trial this new collection system and reduce the amount of food that goes in our general waste bins.
“By collecting our food waste separately we can ensure it is being put to good use. Once collected, it’s taken to a specialist facility and placed in an anaerobic digester, which uses the gas that is produced when the food breaks down to generate energy and turns the left-over material into a soil fertiliser.
“A lorry load of food waste can generate enough renewable energy to power 20,000 televisions for an hour, so recycling it really can make a big difference to our long-term sustainability.
Councillor Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change said:
“Residents have done a tremendous job of recycling their food waste so far and I would like to thank each and every one of them sincerely for their efforts.
“We’ve already received lots of valuable feedback from residents and we will continue to take it all on board as the trial progresses. Your experiences will help us to provide a greener service in the future, with improved recycling rates.”
Building Connections
The Building Connections project aims to support young people age 16-25 in to opportunities, it will do this by supporting with things like C.V writing, short courses to pad the C.V, interview skills, volunteer work experience and mentoring. Please do share the flyers with any of your contacts that are working with young people age 16-25.
Meridian Line Newsletter
Monday 3rd October was a special day – our 23rd annual Charity Golf Day, at Sweetwoods Park Golf Club. 18 teams entered and we were fortunate to have good weather. The day started with players being served a bacon roll with coffee or tea and after the game we all enjoyed a delicious 2-course buffet lunch. For the first time ever we had a Shot Gun start – each team goes to their allocated starting hole and all teams start playing at 9:15am.
Chief organiser was Roger Lewis, who said afterwards “I had a great team of supporters, including my wife Dianne who ran the Registration Desk. Barry Byrne organised 4-person Green Fee vouchers from 12 golf clubs for the Silent Auction; this raised over £1,000. He also arranged the balls for the Yellow Ball competition which ran alongside the main Stableford competition. Keith Harding, in charge of the Raffle, did a great job, assisted by Gill Frost, raising £595. Judith Riches sold £425 of £5 Mulligan vouchers. The £10 note draw raised £250, with 50% going to the winner. Bob Shaw was a great help, checking the scores as players returned with their completed score cards. Brian Riches was a huge help setting up the banners from sponsors RH & RW Clutton, Beaufort Financial and the Caravan & Motorhome Club and taking photos of the players around the course. Phil Baker and President Michael Haynes provided great assistance during the day in the club house”.
The day raised £3,000+ for charity: donations of £500 each have been given to the QVH Superheroes Fund for children with severe burns and the Rotary Fund to help Ukraine. The remaining £2,000, now in our Charity account, will enable us to assist groups and individuals throughout the year as needs arise. All in all, a very good result!
On 5th October the four young participants in our 2022 Rotary District Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) scheme came along to tell us about their experiences. Aged 15 – 16, two are at Imberhorne school and two at Sackville. RYLA is a 5-day residential leadership course held at High Ashurst Outdoor Activity Centre near Dorking. The aims are to develop young people’s self-esteem and confidence and improve their social and leadership skills. The activities include an assault course, orienteering, all day map reading walk, problem solving, aqua sports, raft building challenge – and more!
All four participants, Holly, Liam, Sienna and Brody shared their experiences with a PowerPoint presentation and said they gained self-assurance working in teams with those they had never met before. They all agreed Rotary had given them a unique opportunity to improve their confidence.
The planned talk on 19th, about the UK charity ‘Tools with a Mission’, had to be postponed as the speaker was unwell.
“Grow the Tallest Sunflower” competition – results
We launched this free competition for children at the May Fayre. Each young entrant received a packet of Sunflower seeds, pots and growing instructions. The competition was generously sponsored by Orchard Nursery and King’s seeds. On Sunday 16th October the winners gathered, with their families, at Orchard Nursery, and were each presented with a prize and Meridian Rotary certificate. The tallest sunflower was an amazing 9’ 11” (3.58 m)!
What are we doing in November?
Our meetings (7.30 p.m. at The Dorset Arms, EG) will feature:-
Wed 2nd November Jacquie Thomas from St Catherine’s Hospice will tell us about progress on the new Hospice, under construction in Pease Pottage. and the enhanced facilities it will provide. If you’d like to find out more, log onto our website https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=1561 scroll down to ‘This week’s meeting’ on right and click on ‘Details’.
Wed 16th November Business meeting (members and Associate members only)
Wed 30thNovember A talk about Chailey Heritage School, near Lewis. This specialist school provides education and care services for children and young people with complex neuro-disabilities.
Guests are very welcome – if you’d like to come along, please e-mail us at info@meridianrotary.co.uk
On Tuesday 15th November teams from local senior schools will compete in our annual competition “Rotary Youth Speaks – a Debate”. Each team has three members:- Chairperson, Proposer and Opposer, who debate a topic of their choice, in front of an audience (mostly teachers, parents and Rotarians, but all are welcome). An independent questioner then ‘quizzes’ them on their arguments. The winners are selected by independent judges, and go on to the next heat of this national Rotary competition. The venue is St Swithun’s Church, start time 6 p.m.
Further details about us and our activities are on our website www.meridianrotary.co.uk
Chief executive’s bulletin
The latest meeting between chairs of NALC and SLCC
The latest meeting between the chair of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), Cllr Keith Stevens, and the chair of the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), Steven Trice, took place on 21 October. They agreed to sign a protocol at the SLCC’s forthcoming conference and a commitment to promote this partnership and deliver on key projects, including a new workforce strategy and continuing the Civility and Respect Project into 2023. You can read more in our news story.
Civility and Respect Pledge hits 500
I’m pleased that over 500 local councils have signed up for the Civility and Respect Pledge since it was launched just three months ago. While the Pledge is voluntary, it provides an essential way for local councils to make a public statement about standing up to poor behaviour across our sector and stating upfront how they will handle poor behaviour if it happens. Suppose your local council hasn’t yet signed the Pledge. In that case, there’s a video featuring representatives from SLCC and NALC explaining the Pledge and its importance in demonstrating the positive actions which support civil and respectful conduct. The video can be shared with attendees before the meeting where the pledge is to be discussed to help explain why the pledge is so important. You can find out more details, watch the video and sign up for the Pledge on the Civility and Respect Project webpage.
The GMB Union have announced the results of its Green Book pay consultation, where its members voted to accept the employers’ final offer by 67% to 33%. However, the entire Trade Union Side is not due to meet until 1 November to discuss their respective consultations’ results and decide whether to formally accept the employers’ offer. Therefore, employers should not implement the pay offer until the National Joint Council pay circular, which constitutes a formal collective agreement, has been issued. The national employers are fully aware of payroll cut-off dates as Christmas approaches, so they will endeavour to distribute the circular as soon as possible after 1 November if most of the unions accept the employers’ offer. NALC will also be issuing guidance, including updated pay scales and an updated template annual leave policy.
NALC Annual General Meeting 2022
It was good to see over a hundred colleagues from county associations at this week’s annual general meeting (AGM), which we again held online. In advance of the draft minutes being available, here’s a summary:
Introducing the annual report – which you can read along with the rest of the AGM papers here – NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, spoke about progress on his three priorities set out in his January 2022 open letter and thanked his vice chairs, county associations and NALC staff for their support through the last year.
In my short speech, I extended my thanks to everyone involved in NALC’s governance, county associations, staff, partner organisations and local councils, also highlighting the extensive engagement throughout the year enabled by online meetings and events and how councils were doing brilliant things for their communities demonstrating their relevance every day.
The audited accounts and three year-budget were noted, and the affiliation fee for 2023/24 of 7.71 pence per elector, capped at £1,978 for larger councils, was agreed upon.
The AGM passed a motion from theNorthamptonshire County Association of Local Councils that the workforce challenge is one of the biggest challenges of our time and that there is an issue with recruitment, retention, and capacity in local councils, and NALC engages a consultant to benchmark clerks’ terms and conditions.
The current president and vice presidents were appointed by the AGM in 2021 and will continue in post until the AGM in 2023.
Updated legal guidance
We have updated Legal Topic Note (LTN) 5E on parish council meetings in England to give guidance in paragraph 42 on remote public participation at council meetings. You can find this and our extensive suite of other LTNs in the members’ area of the NALC website in the LTN’s section (login required). This month’s regular legal bulletin for county officers covered qualifying conditions to become a councillor, local councils and church property, power to make a grant to a company, and annual meeting dates for local councils with elections in 2023.
NALC online event on communication strategies
I was pleased to join over 150 attendees at this week’s hugely popular online event on communication strategies. A huge thank you to our brilliant speakers Daniel Purchese from NALC’s partner Breakthrough Communications, Cllr John Harvey from Buckingham Town Council, and Alix Macfarlane from LGcomms for sharing their top tips, insights, and knowledge on everything from having a clear vision to building positive relations with the media, from recognizing communications expertise to engaging with residents. And impressive feedback from attendees so far, with 100% stating the event met their expectations ‘fully’ or ‘somewhat’, and 100% would recommend NALC’s online events to others! So do join us at our upcoming online events on the Local Council Award Scheme, community outreach and our Empowering Communities conference.
NALC’s response to the government review of net-zero
In our response to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) independent review of net zero, we have highlighted the role local councils could play in decarbonisation, urging the government to recognise the role local councils can play to help the government meet its net-zero targets and not just factor in the private sector. You can read more, including our full response to the consultation, in our news story here.
Working with Cabinet Office on .gov.uk domains
I am pleased that NALC is working with the domain management team in the Cabinet Office, which aims to ensure that every council, no matter its size, has a .gov.uk domain. There are many benefits that come with getting a .gov.uk domain name. For example, a .gov.uk website gives residents confidence they are interacting with a legitimate site, emails from a .gov.uk address are more trustworthy, and it can help reduce the risk of cyber-attack. If your local council already has a .gov.uk domain, then the team is keen to understand your experiences. So please look out for their emails fromsupport@domains.gov.uk asking you to sign up for their free protection services (Detectify Surface Monitoring and Registry Lock) and participate in pilot projects they will run.
New prime minister and cabinet
Rishi Sunak MP, who was a keynote speaker at our annual conference and has been featured in NALC publications, was appointed as the new prime minister this week. In his first speech as prime minister outside Number 10 on 25 October 2022, he recommitted to the Conservatives 2019 manifesto, which includes levelling up. In his cabinetreshuffle, Michael Gove MP has replaced Simon Clarke MP as secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Keith has already extended his congratulations to the newprime minister and secretary of state and writing to them in more detail.
White Ribbon Day on 25 November
On 25 November, we will be supporting White Ribbon Day, a day to work towards ending violence against women and girls. We are making a short video to show male support, and we are keen for as many men as possible from the sector to help us out – more information can be found here.
Out and about
Keith was at the well-attended Cheshire Association of Local Councils AGM on 27 October, where he presented NALC’s work with county associations to support and promote local councils. You can watch the video of the event here. Gary Barker, solicitor, gave an update on a range of legal issues and the Civility and Respect Project at the Oxfordshire Association of Local Council larger councils’ meeting on 26 October, which was attended by clerks and councillors from the majority of the county’s 14 larger councils.
And finally…
Dealing with the cost-of-living crisis is the hot topic on the NALC blog this week. Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, chair of the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network, provides an example of how councils are at the forefront of the cost-of-living crisis. And Martin Buttle from NALC’s partner CCLA, covers some thought-provoking figures from the Living Wage Foundation, why it is important to address the cost-of-living crisis, and upcoming research on steps employers are taking to address this challenge.
For any organisation that is taking part in the parade you will need to get to King Street by 10:15 and make your self known to the Parade Marshall. If you can please bring service sheets for your group.
Mayoral Reception to Recognise Community Champions
Town Mayor Cllr Adam Peacock held a reception on 18th October at East Court Mansion. The guests comprised some of the unsung heroes of the community, people who have not been acknowledged but work hard to improve our community and the lives of others.
This was an inaugural reception and the Town Mayor said “It is a lovely way to say thank you and to make sure that people who do work hard are recognized. There are many schemes for acknowledging people’s contribution, yet still many are left out. I wanted to hold a reception for a few of these people to let them know that they are appreciated”. The names came up as those who do not appear to have been nominated for other accolades despite playing significant roles in the Town.
Mingling with the Councillors at the event were:
Rev Andrew Hawken – St Swithuns church
Lisa Mcnamra – The Old Dunnings Pub
Lee Walker – Imberhorne School Head Teacher
Jo Meloni – Sackville School Head Teacher
Eva Sonneveld – East Grinstead Mums
James Lawson – What’s happening in East Grinstead
Steve Hill – Head of year 7 – Imberhorne School
Paul Johnson – Chair of Disability Access
Bob Shelley – Chair East Grinstead Sports Council
Phil Andrews – former head of Art Sackville School
Mel Wightman & Jogeline Ramos – Charters Court
Annie Burisky & Louisa White – Brendoncare
Sharon Fox & Michelle Knox – Littlefair Care Home
It is hoped that the reception will continue each year, celebrating different areas of the town’s unsung heroes. Nominations for invitation to a future reception can be made via email to MayorsSecretary@eastgrinstead.gov.uk
This year’s Remembrance Services are being held on Sunday 13th November and the Town Council plays a part in these.
There are two poppy wreath laying services. The first is at 10am at the East Court Memorial. Any members wishing to attend this Service must arrive at the East Court Memorial no later than 9.50am. This Service will last no more than 10 minutes and consists of the Town Mayor and RBL laying a poppy wreath on the East Court memorial. The service will be conducted and a few words spoken by a member of the East Grinstead Parish Clergy. At the conclusion of this service, Members should make their way to Kings Street where the parade will start this year, please wait on the pavement until told otherwise. Any Councillors not coming to East Court should meet at Kings Street, no later than 10.20am.
The Town Mayor will lead Councillors in procession up London Road and on to the High Street to gather by the High Street War Memorial. There will be a parade marshal and Members will be instructed on when to move off. Councillors should please march together and should be wearing their Town tie or scarf and/or any military ties, badges, regalia etc as appropriate. Also please wear appropriate clothing for the weather, no umbrellas please, but hats may be worn if it is wet or cold. Medals awarded may be worn on the left, medals of relatives worn on the right.
The Deputy Lieutenant for West Sussex, Mr John Barclay DL, Town Mayor, Cllr Adam Peacock and many other organisations will lay wreaths.
After the service the procession will then continue along the High Street, turning down Church Lane and will disband at the Chequer Mead car park.
Councillors may be accompanied by members of their immediate family i.e. spouse, partner, children who can walk the route and following the service the Royal British Legion will attend the Ex-serviceman’s Club (opposite the Fire Station) and Councillors will be most welcome to join them. There is a pay bar in the Club.
On Friday 11th November at 11am, the Mayor will be laying a wreath at the High Street Memorial, if you wish to mark the 1 minute silence please be at the High Street Memorial by 10:55am.
SGN Presence in Blackwell Rd and Lewes Rd
Streetworks from WSCC have given us the following update regarding Blackwell Road (with thanks to Cllr Jacquie Russell who let us know about this)
I can confirm that the TTL’s at the Blackwell Road roundabout were removed by the end of 21.10.22. It was necessary to have these lights in place as there was an open excavation in the carriageway and the lights were there to protect the road users whilst works were being carried out.
There are still remaining works in the footway that need completing ( approx. 9-12 services to properties still need to be installed) but this will be done without the need for any positive TM so there will be no clash with the works that starting at the Beeching Way roundabout.
Latest update I have received from SGN in respect of the next phase of works is;
Cranston Road – works to start 24/10/2022 until 23/12/2022 under Give & Take only.
Cranston Road Junction with Blackwell Road – there will be a need for 3-way temp traffic lights for a duration of 2 weeks to excavate in the c/w and mains connections – my understanding and the current agreement with SGN is that these will be Off Peak Only (09:30 – 16:00) but still manually controlled during these times. Dates currently proposed for these works are 14th – 25th November 2022.
The works will be completed at Beeching Way roundabout by this time with the works moving further away along Lewes Road to the East.
Unfortunately, we had problems at the start of the week as we had some illegal works in progress at a property near Cranston Gardens where the contractors has pick ups etc in the carriageway causing significant congestion and safety issues with the passing traffic. This was actually brought to our attention by SGN and we were then able to rectify the situation and remove the illegal works. (Weds 19th Oct).
Planning Applications & Decisions
Rail Travel on Remembrance Sunday Weekend
(Sent by GTR to Key Stakeholders)
We are writing to let you know about the free travel available for serving military personnel and veterans to and from Services of Remembrance, as well as give early warning about important engineering work which will affect some rail passenger services on our network (Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express) over the weekend of 12-13 November.
Please note that our services for that weekend have been updated in journey planners such as www.nationalrail.co.uk however we are aware that some other operator’s services are yet to be updated. The information noted in this email is the latest position and should be used for planning purposes until journey planners have been fully updated.
Free Travel
We are delighted that we can confirm that Train Operating Companies will be offering free travel for serving military personnel and veterans to and from Services of Remembrance across Great Britain.
For those travelling to attend the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London, free travel on National Rail services will be available on either Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 November from a home station to any London Terminal station. It’s important to note that free return travel will be available on Sunday 13 November only.
For those travelling to attend a Service of Remembrance anywhere else in Great Britain, free travel on National Rail services from/to a home station to the closest rail station to the service will be available on Sunday 13 November.
Full details are available here – National Rail Enquiries – Remembrance Sunday
Engineering works 12-13 November – Midland Mainline
It is also important to note that there will unfortunately be some engineering work taking place on Remembrance weekend. Works on the development of the new station at Brent Cross; a new footbridge at St Albans and an upgrade of the overhead power lines south of Bedford require the railway to be closed to trains between Luton and London St Pancras on three forthcoming weekends including Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November. The line will also close on 5-6 November and 10-11 December.
Rail replacement buses will run between Luton and West Hampstead Thameslink via Harpenden; between Luton Airport Parkway and Hitchin via Luton; and between Harpenden and Potters Bar via St Albans.
Thameslink will run limited rail services from Kentish Town and West Hampstead to London St Pancras.
The work on the weekend of Remembrance Sunday was originally postponed from 17-18 September to allow people to travel to London to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. In rescheduling the work, the industry aimed to make sure that passengers would have alternative means to travel to London, albeit via a diversionary route. Whilst we understand and share the importance of Remembrance weekend, after discussion it was found that the weekend of 12 and 13 November is the only available weekend where significant work was not planned on alternative routes and is therefore the only weekend when this work can be completed.
Engineering works Saturday 12 November – Brighton Main Line
Work is taking place between Three Bridges and Brighton, and between Three Bridges and Lewes on Saturday 12 November so rail replacement buses will run between these stations.
Some Southern trains will still run directly between London Victoria and Brighton, diverted via Horsham and Littlehampton with extended journey times. Services on the London Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour / Southampton route will run to an amended timetable and they will split and join at Barnham instead of Horsham. Southern trains will run to an amended timetable between Brighton and Eastbourne/Ore. A reduced number of trains will run between Brighton and Hove.
Thameslink services will not run between Three Bridges and Brighton.
Gatwick Express will not run.
Engineering works Sunday 13 November – Arun Valley
Work is taking place between Pulborough, Horsham and Three Bridges on Sunday 13 November so rail replacement buses will run between these stations. The Southern service between London Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour will run to an amended timetable via Hove and the London to Horsham Thameslink service will terminate at Gatwick Airport.
Other works
As well as the three larger areas of work noted above, other local changes may affect journeys and we suggest that you check journey planners before booking tickets or putting together travel plans.
Check before you travel
Where journeys require a rail replacement bus, they will of course take longer than normal. For those travelling on the weekend of Remembrance Sunday the advice is for passengers to check their journey at www.nationalrail.co.uk, and to check again nearer the time for any further changes.
Charters Court Care Home Open Afternoon
Charters Court Care Home are having an open afternoon on Wednesday the 2nd of November between 2pm-5pm as they have had a recent refurbishment. The Mayor is attending but the invitation extends to all other councillors who wish to visit.
Welbeck Land – Land South and West of Imberhorne Upper School
Warmer Homes for Residents in Mid Sussex
(Excerpt taken from PR 2471 by MSDC)
Mid Sussex District residents are asked to check if they are eligible to receive a new grant to help them heat their homes, lower their carbon emissions, and save money on their fuel bills.
In partnership with other Councils Mid Sussex District Council has secured funding from the Government to improve the energy efficiency of eligible homes. Warmer Homes funding is available until March 2023, to install the following energy efficiency measures:
• Insulation
• solar PV panels
• air source heat pumps
Up to £25,000 is available per home if you meet the following criteria:
• Your home has an EPC rating of E, F or G (limited funding is available for EPC D rated properties).
And either:
• You have a total household annual income of £30,000 or less (before housing costs/bills)
Or:
• You receive a means-tested benefit
Residents can check the EPC rating of their home online at www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
This funding is available to owner occupiers and those living in privately rented homes on a first-come, first served basis and it only takes 5 minutes to make an application.
Councillor Norman Webster, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Community said:
“With energy bills almost tripling in just one year, our residents are already being affected by the growing cost of living crisis, and the colder winter months are fast approaching.
“This Warmer Homes Programme can offer vital energy efficiency improvements for those on low incomes. The range of measures available can help people to stay warmer, reduce their energy use and therefore lower bills whilst also making their homes greener by cutting carbon emissions.”
Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, said:
“The Council is delighted to have successfully secured this funding to help support many of our residents during this challenging time. I would encourage as many local people as possible to check if they are eligible, either by visiting the Warmer Homes website or calling the freephone number provided and reap the benefits of this scheme without delay.“
For further information about the programme and to apply online, residents should visit the Warmer Homes website: www.warmerhomes.org.uk/programme and click ‘apply now’ or email: retrofit@warmerhomes.org.uk
Alternatively, call 0800 038 5737 (freephone) Monday – Friday during office hours to find out more and apply by phone.
Mid Sussex District Council to Seek Investment Partner and Cultural Anchor Tenant for Modern Venue on Clair Hall Site
(Excerpt taken from PR 2470 by MSDC)
MSDC’s Cabinet met on Monday 17 October to review the final report of BOP, the Council’s lead specialist cultural and creative advisors.
At this Cabinet meeting MSDC agreed to proceed with the recommendations outlined in this final report. These are to produce a brief for the site in order to seek an investment partner and cultural anchor tenant for a new, modern venue on the Clair Hall site.
Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said:
“I am grateful to BOP for the expertise that they have provided to our project to revitalise the Clair Hall site. Following careful consideration, we will be taking forward the recommendations in BOP’s final report.
“BOP’s report outlined the challenging economic climate that creates significant risks to investment in cultural facilities. However, they also outlined the positive findings from their investigations and confirmed that they are cautiously optimistic about the approach the Council is taking.
“Our goal remains to secure a cultural anchor tenant who can deliver a cultural and community offer for the whole of Mid Sussex now and in the future in a modern, fit for purpose venue on the Clair Hall site”.
MSDC Officers will now start work to commission a specialist broker/agent to develop a detailed briefing and legal pack for the site. This pack will build on the resident engagement and consultation, and all the information gathered by BOP and other specialists commissioned by the Council to improve the chances of successful delivery of this project.
The briefing pack will outline the expected deliverables for interested parties and it is anticipated that officers will feedback on progress of this work early in the new year.
Ofsted report: West Sussex Children’s Services Continues to Improve
(Sent by Press Office at WSCC)
West Sussex County Council’s Children’s Services continue to make improvements to the lives of vulnerable children and young people in the county, but more work is needed to increase the pace of progress.
These are the findings of a recent Ofsted report into the Council’s service, published today following a monitoring visit in September. Read the Ofsted report in full.
The visit focused on the quality of social work practice to support and protect vulnerable children and young people and the effectiveness of child-in-need and child protection plans.
Findings from the report include:
• There is evidence and a clear vision for ongoing improvement
• The quality and impact of social work is variable, although some practice is strong
• All children that Ofsted spoke to felt listened to and were visited on a regular basis
• Children’s Services have strong corporate and political support to improve practice
• Staff are enthusiastic about the new family safeguarding practice model
• There has been some fluctuation in performance due to the challenges in recruiting social workers, which is a national issue
• Increased demand and complexity have meant some children are waiting too long for help
• Children’s Services have been relentless in their focus and approach to recruiting social workers
• Ofsted saw evidence of positive social work to improve outcomes for children and families
• Children who have the same social worker have seen positive change and benefit from this consistency
Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Everyone in our Children’s Services teams is committed to putting children first and building strong relationships with our children, young people, and their families. This is at the heart of everything we do and a core part of Our Council Plan.
“We actively support more than 5,500 vulnerable children and young people and have made significant progress over the last few years to redesign and improve our services, with a determination to provide the standard of service our communities deserve.
“So, it’s encouraging to see that Ofsted has recognised the progress we’re making and highlighted areas where we need to maintain our focus.
“As part of our Children’s First practice improvement plan, we are working hard to address the variability within some of our practice that the report references. I am very conscious of the need to increase the pace of our improvement work, which is impacted by the increased demand and complexity of cases we’re managing. Recruiting to our teams remains a priority and I’m pleased to say that, following an overseas recruitment drive last month, we are looking forward to welcoming 36 new social workers to West Sussex in the new year. They will bring their knowledge, expertise, and experience, and provide much-needed support to help us deliver the best service to our children, young people and families.
“I would like to express my personal thanks to staff across the Council’s Children’s Services who work tirelessly to put children first.”
South East Water Invests Further in East Grinstead
(Sent by SEW to Key Stakeholders)
Following early completion of our £470,000 project to lay a new water main in Turners Hill Road and West Hill, East Grinstead, we’re now investing a further £350,000 in the area to replace 350m of aging, burst-prone main in Queen’s Road.
If you are interested in speaking to our engineers, we’re holding a public drop-in session in November where they will be on hand to answer any questions you may have (details at the end of this email).
The pipeline upgrade will take place between the junction with West Hill and Dallaway Gardens. The main will be installed in stages, with the road being returned to its original state upon completion of each stage before work progresses to the next section. This will prevent too many residential parking spaces being inaccessible at any one time.
As a safety precaution for pedestrians, motorists and our workforce, we’ll need to close Queen’s Road to undertake these works. Advanced warning signs will be in place along the road before it is closed. The diversion route, which has been agreed in conjunction with the local highways authority, will be clearly signed for the duration of the work.
Access to homes or businesses will be maintained throughout this project, although we are advising customers to park elsewhere to avoid delays.
Throughout the project can find the latest scheme news on our website: southeastwater.co.uk/queensroad
Drop-in session details
When: Monday 14 November between 4.00pm and 7.00pm
Where: Glen Vue Community Centre, Railway Approach, East Grinstead, RH19 1BS
We look forward to seeing you there.
Sussex Police National Road Safety Week
(Sent by Katy Bourne OBE)
This week it’s National Business Crime Week of Action, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Sussex Police’s dedicated Business Crime Team has been visiting premises to offer crime prevention advice, highlighting the importance of reporting and sharing information to target prolific offenders.
Sussex Police will be publishing the outcomes of the week from Monday and I’m sure the results will be of great interest to everyone.
You can read more about the initiatives in Sussex that help to tackle business and retail crime on my website.
This week is also Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) week of action.
Project EDWARD is the UK’s biggest platform showcasing best practice in road safety. Working alongside partners such as the emergency services, National Highways and British businesses, they promote what is being done around the four nations focusing on: safe vehicles; road use; speed; safe roads/roadsides and post-crash care.
It was a privilege to help launch the Project EDWARD national week of action in Brighton earlier this week. Not only does it provide a space to come together and discuss the good work that’s being carried out to make our roads safer but it’s also an opportunity to discuss what more we can do to really drive forward progressive and lasting change on our roads.
In today’s webcast Performance and Accountability Meeting with Chief Constable Shiner and Deputy Chief Constable McLaren, I scrutinised the progress on officer recruitment, how the force deal with unauthorised encampments and its response to tackling anti-social behaviour.
Following the HMICFRS inspection report on burglary, we also discussed how police locally were responding to criticisms of a national postcode lottery for victims and implementing criminal justice scorecards which look in particular, at the timeliness of police and CPS investigations and prosecutions.
Chief Constable Shiner was able to reassure me that Sussex is still on track with its recruitment programme.
With further intakes this year and in January and March, Sussex is adding 163 police officers from the national Op Uplift programme, an additional nine for the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and a further 20 officers funded by local taxpayers through the precept.
This will take the headcount to 3,186 full time equivalent police officers by March 31st 2023.
I asked what financial and well-being support measures were in place to help officers with the cost of living and work pressures. I was pleased to hear there was positive dialogue between between Chief Officers and the Police Federation, Unison and the Superintendents’ Association and I was delighted that Sussex were winners in the national Oscar Kilo Wellbeing Awards.
Due to strike action on 7 November by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, our Empowering Communities hybrid conference will now be held online only. I am as disappointed as you are that this strike action, which is completely outside our control, will significantly impact travel arrangements and mean we can’t bring so many people together in person at the conference. The good news, of course, is the event will still go ahead (you can still book your places here) as we have a brilliant line-up of speakers on the big issues facing communities, from health and well-being to housing, civility in public life to levelling up, and diversity to resilience. More good news is we will be holding an in-person event at the original venue in the first few months of 2023. More details on that to follow!
More tickets released for communication strategies online event
Even more good news, as next week’s online event, Local councils and communication strategies on 26 October has sold out, we have released more tickets to ensure no one misses out. Speakers include NALC’s communications partner Breakthrough Communications, Buckingham Town Council and LGComms.
NALC Larger Councils Committee
NALC’s Larger Councils Committee met remotely on 18 October before the draft minutes were available. Here are a few highlights:
The committee welcomed Elaine Anderson from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. They spoke about their invitation for views from councils on Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and their role in their local area. Issues raised by the committee included relationships and engagement, identifying and sharing good practices, links with surrounding areas, partnership working, and BID governance.
Increased energy, insurance and staffing costs and rising inflation were identified as common cost pressures facing larger councils during a round-robin discussion on funding; the committee also considered and welcomed NALC’s analysis of council tax levels of local precepting authorities.
Other items included the Sustainable Communities Act proposal by Weymouth Town Council for local councils to pay the dependent’s carers allowances, where the committee supported continued lobbying on this issue, and an update on NALC’s national networks on coastal communities, climate emergency and super councils.
NALC Policy Committee
Also meeting remotely this week was NALC’s Policy Councils Committee on 19 October. Here’s a summary:
Colleagues from the Devon Association of Local Councils joined the meeting to explain their policy motion on speed limits on single-track roads, and it was agreed to undertake more work on the issue, including liaising with the Department for Transport and Local Government Association (LGA); the Avon Local Councils Association set out their proposal for local councils to be exempted from red diesel regulations which were supported.
The committee also received a presentation from Cllr Kay Wesley, Congleton Town Council, and Cllr Sue Baxter, NALC vice president, on a proposal from the NALC National Network: Women Councillors to support the White Ribbon Campaign, which they agreed.
Other items included an agreement to support the British Parking Association Be Kind – Park with Others in Mind campaign, noting progress by the funding task and finish group, an update on the recent Rural Services Network conference and noting NALC had responded to consultations on short-term holiday and the English portion of the dormant assets funding.
Creation of more new local councils
I was delighted to hear that more new local councils will be established in the Avon and Cumbria county association areas. Following a community governance review, four new local councils, including a new town council for Kingswood, will be created in South Gloucestershire. While the new Westmorland and Furness shadow authority has approved a new town councilfor Barrow. Well done, county association colleagues, for keeping us moving towards our shared goal of local councils across England!
In/out and about
Thanks to Derbyshire Association of Local Councils colleagues for the opportunity to explain to their annual general meeting (AGM) on 20 October the work of NALC and the huge potential of the sector to support communities in challenging times. This potential was illustrated in their local award winners, which included Rosliston Parish Council for their work promoting health and well-being. The meeting also heard from Ann Webster, equalities lead at Derby City Council, who stressed the importance of local councils complying with relevant legislation, urged councillors to think of equality in all the decisions they make, and to celebrate and mark equality events and get the community involved!
Later the same day, Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services, spoke at the Bedfordshire Association of Town and Parish Councils well attended AGM, which highlighted some of their recent achievements and plans for growth in their training offer next year.
It’s also been a busy week for NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, who was at a meeting of the Rural Coalition, the District Councils Network parliamentary reception and the Local Government Association’s councillors’ forum (where he also took the opportunity to meet with LGA’s chair, Cllr James Jamieson, to discuss working together, funding, civility and respect in public life, and sector support).
And finally…
Our national politics continues to be very much in the spotlight, with Liz Truss MP resigning this week as Conservative leader and prime minister. Another leadership election is now underway, and we will know the result on Monday or next Friday, with a cabinet and ministerial reshuffle likely to follow.
Following early completion of our £470,000 project to lay a new water main in Turners Hill Road and West Hill, East Grinstead, we’re now investing a further £350,000 in the area to replace 350m of aging, burst-prone main in Queen’s Road.
If you are interested in speaking to our engineers, we’re holding a public drop-in session in November where they will be on hand to answer any questions you may have (details at the end of this email).
The pipeline upgrade will take place between the junction with West Hill and Dallaway Gardens. The main will be installed in stages, with the road being returned to its original state upon completion of each stage before work progresses to the next section. This will prevent too many residential parking spaces being inaccessible at any one time.
As a safety precaution for pedestrians, motorists and our workforce, we’ll need to close Queen’s Road to undertake these works. Advanced warning signs will be in place along the road before it is closed. The diversion route, which has been agreed in conjunction with the local highways authority, will be clearly signed for the duration of the work.
Access to homes or businesses will be maintained throughout this project, although we are advising customers to park elsewhere to avoid delays.
Throughout the project can find the latest scheme news on our website: southeastwater.co.uk/queensroad
Drop-in session details
When: Monday 14 November between 4.00pm and 7.00pm
Where: Glen Vue Community Centre, Railway Approach, East Grinstead, RH19 1BS
What a superb evening! The Town Mayors’ reception celebrating some of our unsung community heroes.
Half Term Activity Day
Seventy Happy and Glorious Years
East Grinstead Museum are thrilled to announce their latest temporary exhibition which explores Royal memorabilia from Queen Victoria to King Charles III.
The exhibition showcases an eclectic array of items from the museums archive including a delicate Victorian clip from 1897, made to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, to more everyday keepsakes such as Coronation mugs and commemorative coins.
The exhibition also includes a selection of items loaned by local museum volunteers, including a wonderful scrapbook handcrafted in 1953 at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation and a trinket tray from the Balmoral Estate.
The exhibition is free to enjoy and runs until January 2023.
East Grinstead Museum is open Wednesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm.
Planning Applications & Decisions
Warm Coats – Glen Vue Community Hub
(From Glen Vue Community Hub’s Facebook Page)
We have a rail full of lovely winter coats available for FREE for anyone who needs one. Just drop in and choose a coat from the rail, no questions asked. The coats have been donated by local members of the community to help make sure no-one is cold this winter.
While you are here enjoy a hot drink in the Glen Vue Café and pay what you can. Glen Vue is a ‘Warm Space’ open to all this winter in partnership with East Grinstead Town Council
The Rural Bulletin – News Section Updated
Please follow this hyperlink to access the last news from the Rural Services Network :- https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/category/news (this will open a new tab)
Chief executive’s bulletin
Star Council Awards 2022 winners
This week’s highlight was undoubtedly the announcement of the winners of our Star Council Awards 2022 at the online ceremony. The awards are the only awards in England to recognise and celebrate the local (parish and town) council sector’s contributions to their communities. This year’s winners are:
Council of the Year: Alcester Town Council, Warwickshire and West Midlands
Councillor of the Year: Cllr Jeremy Richardson, Cold Norton Parish Council, Essex
Young Councillor of the Year: Cllr Stefan Heighway, Great Dawley Town Council, Shropshire
County Association Project of the Year: Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils
Clerk of the Year: Terry Philpott, Ware Town Council, Hertfordshire
I want to extend a huge congratulations to all the winners and a well done to all the finalists. You can read more about all the finalists and winners, and if you missed the ceremony, don’t worry you can watch it again.
Civility and Respect Project
Colleagues from NALC, Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) and county associations met this week at the project board to discuss progress on the Civility and Respect Project. I am pleased that hundreds of clerks and councillors across England have now attended training courses, watched the video, signed the Pledge and used the range of toolkits and governance documents. The project board also supported proposals from its intervention workstream to fund a straightforward guide to help councils develop constructive workplace communication between employees and councillors. They also agreed to brief senior civil servants and parliamentarians on the project and the importance of strengthening the standards regime.
Webinars on personal safety and handling online abuse and intimidation
Our colleagues at the Local Government Association (LGA) have some upcoming free webinars for councillors on personal safety and handling online abuse and intimidation. The first programme on personal safety has been specially devised for councillors keen to improve their awareness of personal safety. Built around the role of the elected member, the sessions provide practical advice and guidance, including references to surgeries, canvassing, home visits and managing unexpected doorstep visitors. These webinars are on 17 October from 17.30 to 19.00 (promo code: PSC171022) and on 7 December from 13.30 to 15.00 (promo code: PSC20712). The personal safety and handling online abuse and intimidation webinar will provide attendees with an awareness of the steps that can be taken to manage trolls and cyber-bullies, including a gentle introduction to the legal framework around social media posts. There will be guidance on how to be safe online generally, as well as tips on how to create a positive online presence. This webinar is on 27 October from 10.30 to 12.00 (promo code: HOAI2710).
Local government pay negotiations
The LGA has advised us that the Trade Union Side will be meeting on 1 November to discuss the results of their respective consultations and to decide whether to formally accept the employers’ offer. Therefore, if a pay deal is agreed upon, the National Joint Council pay circular will not be issued before 1 November. NALC will circulate the revised pay scales for our sector following that.
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding
I am pleased to say that local councils are eligible to apply to thePublic Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Phase 3b, which opened for applications on 12 October. This scheme makes funding available for installing low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings. The website includes the application form, videos, slide presentations as well as frequently asked questions to help guide you through the scheme. For those wishing to apply, please ensure you have registered an account with Salix and have read the guidance. If you need any further assistance, please contact phase3bpsdsgrantsinbox@salixfinance.co.uk.
NALC Smaller Councils Committee
NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee met remotely on 11 October. Ahead of the draft minutes being made available, here’s a summary:
There was an extensive discussion on the Governance Task and Finish Group, and the committee expressed its opposition to any change of its status in NALC’s governance and establishing any special interest group or network.
The committee welcomed NALC’s analysis of council tax levels of local precepting authorities 2022/23 and made several suggestions to be considered for next year’s report, including the bandings used and data for unitary areas; it was also agreed to discuss financial resilience at their next meeting as the committee is keen for smaller councils to take a positive approach to the use of the precept.
There was an update on the review of The Good Councillor’s Guide to Employment, and the committee gave feedback on aspects of the current guide and issues to consider, such as the model contract, Green Book, model policies, part-time employees and staffing committees.
Linda Larter from Sevenoaks Town Council and SLCC gave an overview of the work of the Civility and Respect Project, including the Pledge, as well as responding to questions on issues ranging from calling out poor behaviour, handling vexatious members of the public and councillor training.
The committee agreed to ask the Policy Committee to consider NALC’s policy on mandatory training for councillors and any associated legislative changes required.
NALC Policy and Larger Councils Committees
Our Policy Committee and Larger Councils Committee have meetings next week – you can read their respective agendas and supporting papers on the website here. Issues they will discuss include policy motions from county associations on speed limits and red diesel regulations, Funding Task and Finish Group, dependant carer’s allowance, Business Improvement Districts and campaigns on anti-social parking and violence against women and girls.
Updated legal guidance
We have updated Legal Topic Note (LTN) 9E on handling complaints. This was primarily to update a statutory reference in the table in paragraph 8, and we have also tied up and updated language as required. You can find this and our extensive suite of other LTNs in the members’ area of the NALC website in the LTN’s section (login required).
In/out and about
On 8 October, I was pleased to be in the cathedral city of Durham (which looked stunning in the autumnal sunshine) for the county association’s annual general meeting (AGM) and to present our work. It was interesting, as always, to hear about the work their councils are doing on climate change, and there was a stimulating discussion on how to increase participation by businesses and residents. I was also encouraged to hear the chair of Durham County Council talk about the importance of partnership working across the tiers of local government, hear hear! Jane Moore, senior solicitor and legal services manager, was at the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils AGM in Avebury on 10 October, where she gave a presentation on a range of legal issues and an update on the Civility and Respect Project.
And finally…
The date for His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation has been set for 6 May 2023. I am sure that our councils will want to help communities celebrate this occasion and are no doubt beginning planning already. We would like to organise an online event over the next few months to share what is happening and address any questions that may come up, including the proximity of the coronation to the local elections in some parts of the country.
Support and activities for West Sussex families this half-term
Support and activities for West Sussex families this half-term
Support is being provided to West Sussex children, young people and families who need it this half-term, October 24 to 30. Plenty of fun-filled events are also taking place over the week to keep the whole family entertained.
Free school meal food vouchers
West Sussex County Council is once again providing supermarket vouchers to every child who receives free school meals (benefits-related) over the half-term. Over 17,000 children will be given a £15 food voucher to spend at their family’s chosen supermarket.
To date, The County Council has allocated £6.8m of its Household Support Fund to the voucher scheme since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 180,000 vouchers have so far been issued to schools to distribute to their eligible families for school breaks.
Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Learning & Skills, said: “I am extremely pleased that we are again able to provide over 17,000 food vouchers to around 10,000 West Sussex households to support them over the October half-term. This underlines the Council’s ongoing commitment to helping families who are most in need, at a time when many are facing financial pressures.”
Half-term children’s activities at your library
Has your child been inspired by the England Lionesses becoming European football champions over the summer? Are they fans of Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Ellie Simmonds, now on Strictly Come Dancing, or Novak Djokovic, the winner of 21 tennis grand slams?
Then come and enjoy the free family activity Sporty Stars at a West Sussex library, where sporting figures will be celebrated with stories and crafts. Most libraries have limited spaces so booking is required. Sign up for Sporty Stars at your nearest library on website.
Libraries run regular events for young children including Rhyme time and Story time, as well as special events, which you can find on our library website.
Halloween and other events
Across West Sussex there are plenty of activities to keep all ages entertained. Looking for some inspiration? Experience West Sussex can help.
With Halloween approaching, you can find details of spooktacular walks and as well as pumpkin finding and other events on the Experience West Sussex website.
Ongoing family support and fun this winter
Holiday Activities and Food Christmas programme
Our popular Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is returning for the Christmas school holiday. 2,395 eligible children took part over the summer break, enjoying a range of clubs and groups along with a nutritious meal.
The free Christmas programme is open to all West Sussex children who receive benefits-related free school meals. Families will soon be able to book places at local clubs so keep checking our Holiday Activities and Food webpages, where you can also check if you’re eligible.
Family Hubs offering drop-in support
There are 12 Family Hubs across West Sussex with drop-in opening times for families and young people needing support.
Our ‘Find it Out’ offer is available to all young people in the county aged between 11 and 19. We also support young people up to 25 who have additional needs or who have experienced care.
Hubs can also help families with a range of other things, such as finding childcare, parenting, health advice, and help on how to access support to financial, legal or housing advice. Find your local Family Hub on our website.
Supporting children and young people’s mental health
Do you know a young person who is struggling? Your Mind Matters is a county council-led campaign which aims to ensure young people, parents and professionals across West Sussex know where to get help with their emotional wellbeing and mental health, both in general and in times of crisis.
Cost of living support
West Sussex County Council is here to help with cost of living advice and support for families and individuals. On our new ‘Here to help – Cost of living’ webpages, people can find lots of practical advice to help them, as well as information about how to apply for extra local and national support.
Recycle Week 2022 Special Edition E-Letter
Welcome to our special edition eNewsletter to highlight Recycle Week which this year runs from 17 to 23 October.
We know many of you are already doing a great job at recycling, but there is always more that can be done. Currently we are all recycling around 54% of our household waste on average, but a staggering 60% of the waste which is thrown into rubbish bins could in fact have been reduced, reused or recycled. And over 14% of the materials thrown away were items which could have easily been put into your home recycling bin.
We are always looking at ways we can help you to help us recycle more, and reach our target of recycling 55% of household waste by 2025 and some of our new initiatives are detailed below. If you’re unsure about what can and can’t be recycled at any time, then you can always refer to our handy A to Z guide to recycling where you’ll find out what waste items you can recycle, the bin you need to use, or which Recycling Centre you can take it to.
And don’t forget when recycling at home all items should be:
clean – free from food and drink leftovers
dry – keep your recycling bin lid shut
loose – no plastic bags.
Hard plastics can now be recycled
Hard plastics such as garden furniture, plants pots, coat hangers and toys can now be recycled at all our West Sussex Recycling Centres (with the exception of Midhurst for size reasons).These items have been accepted at some sites since February, and following your feedback we have now extended the scheme.
Unwanted walking aids? Return them during Recycle Week
Take unwanted walking aids such as crutches, sticks and frames to our Recycling Centres so they can be reused and recycled.
Reusing a refurbished walking aid results in 87% lower carbon emissions on average than providing a brand new piece of equipment and saves money.
Walking aids can be left with staff at your Recycling Centre gate or deposited in the on-site dedicated bin. Any items unsuitable for reuse will be recycled.
Recycling Centres will be able to accept walking aids until the end of Recycling Week on 23 October.
New scheme to reduce food waste and promote food rescue
A new ‘food rescue’ pilot, designed to reduce food waste and help people with the rising cost of their weekly shop, has begun in parts of West Sussex.
Working with UKHarvest, district and borough councils, and other partnerships and charities, we are running the pilot for six months in Bognor Regis, Crawley (Broadfield area), and Southwick (in Adur).
The idea behind the project is to encourage people to take advantage of surplus food rescue services and learn how to reduce the amount of edible food which ends up in their household rubbish bins.
A new recycling and general waste collection trial, that includes the separate collection of food waste and Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP), is underway in selected areas of Mid Sussex.
Residents in parts of Ashurst Wood, Burgess Hill and Lindfield are being provided with weekly kerbside collections of food waste and AHP as part of a trial being delivered in partnership with Mid Sussex District Council.
Find out more about the trial, including useful tips on reducing food waste and making food go further on the link below.
Do you want to know more about waste prevention and recycling?
If so, then please subscribe to our regular West Sussex Recycles newsletter.
Help us spread the message and get more people on board to make West Sussex a strong, safe and sustainable place to live.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest news and tips on waste reduction and recycling.
Chief executive’s bulletin
NALC at the Conservative Party conference
The Conservative Party held their annual conference in Birmingham this week. NALC’s vice president, Cllr Sue Baxter, was there and supported our head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, to raise the profile of our sector to ministers, councillors, journalists, think tanks and other organisations – here are a few highlights:
Beyond the headlines regarding the government’s growth plan, announcements of particular interest to our sector included replacing General Data Protection Regulation with a new data protection system, a delay to the fair funding review and in his recorded conference speech (which you can read here) the new secretary of state for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, Simon Clarke MP, signalled that levelling up would continue but with a focus on growth and investment zones, with more details to follow!
Sue met with the recently re-appointed minister for local government, Paul Scully MP, where she pressed the point that local councils are the first tier of local government and must not be overlooked, that they are changing and increasingly doing more on issues from the climate emergency to cost of living crisis, and that NALC is keen to work with the government on vital issues such as funding, standards and sector support. Other ministers Sue met included Lee Rowley MP, the new minister for housing and planning, and Stuart Andrew MP, the new minister for sport, arts and ceremonials.
Sue also took part in a private roundtable event on planning hosted by the Royal Town Planning Institute and spoke at a Conservative Home fringe event on ‘Levelling up: building better?’, asking a panel of MPs, councillors and planners about local plans working alongside neighbourhood plans and engaging local people in building the homes people need. You can watch the session again hereand the section with Sue’s question at 1:05:00 – 1:17.55.
Speaking at a Taxpayers Alliance breakfast fringe event on council tax, Justin ensured local councils were not overlooked in the debate, that session ishere, and Justin’s question is from 59:00 – 1:01:23.
And we were pleased to be joined by the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Local Democracy, Richard Holden MP, at our ‘pop-up’ event for local (parish and town) councillors, where we spoke to them about our work and how they could help promote the sector within the Conservative Party.
On the blog: BHIB on contract works insurance
Insurance is almost always one of the last things on people’s minds, yet a carefully considered insurance programme surrounding contract works can also take some time to compile. Thankfully, Lee Cleaver from NALC’s partner BHIB Councils Insurance has provided some really helpful advice for local (parish and town) councils in his latest blog on the NALC website, so do check it out.
Points of Light 2022
This week we published the 2022 edition of Points of Light, a collection of short case studies highlighting the fantastic work that local councils are undertaking to support their communities. Facilitating summer activity sessions for local children, running award-winning sports and community facilities, carrying out town centre improvements, funding a community agent post and supporting a cost-of-living day are just some of the examples contained in this year’s edition.
Fortnightly meeting with county officers
At this week’s meeting with county officers, we received a presentation on the Tri Sector Challenge, which is a competition and training opportunity open to all in the local council sector and previously won by Weymouth Town Council. The event comes highly recommended by those in the local sector who have participated and said it was one of the best training events they have attended. It is a good value given that it provides a career development opportunity that otherwise would not arise. We were also joined by colleagues from the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) to receive a general update on the Certificate in Local Council Administration, including training and how this is delivered by county associations.
LGBT+ councillors network
NALC’s National Network: LGBT+ Councillors met on 6 October, hosted by the network champion Cllr Mathew Hulbert from Barwell Parish Council. Discussions covered members of the network and communications, June’s Pride Month and related events, the Civility and Respect Project and the cost-of-living crisis. If you’re an LBGT+ councillor on a local council and would like to join the network, you can sign up here.
NALC Annual General Meeting 2022
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the sovereign body of NALC, comprising up to three representatives from each county association, and is responsible for overall strategy and general policies. This year’s AGM will take place on 25 October 2022 via Zoom, and county associations have been sent thefinal notice plus an invitation to their register their delegates. Observers can also register to attend but are not entitled to vote.
Out and about
Staying on the subject of AGMs, on 1 October, I was pleased to attend the Northamptonshire Association of Local Council’s 75th birthday event with NALC chair Cllr Keith Stevens. It was great to see so many people face to face, including a wide range of exhibitors who support the work of our councils. I was struck by the incredibly positive energy at the event about how our sector can help tackle climate change and the cost-of-living crisis. And these issues also came up at the also excellent Devon Association of Local Councils AGM on 5 October, which you can check out on their Twitter feed; their annual report is an example of the brilliant work county associations are doing to support local councils. I’ll be in Durham this weekend while Jane Moore, senior solicitor and legal services manager, is in Wiltshire. We’re both looking forward to seeing even more colleagues from our movement, which has such a tremendous reach across the country!
And finally…
NALC was extensively quoted in a story(subscription required) by the Sunday Telegraph on leaked interim findings of a survey of clerks conducted by De Montfort University Leicester for the SLCC. Issues covered in the piece include politics in local councils and standards, and I thought it would be helpful to share our quote in full:
“The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) represents England’s 10,000 local (parish and town) councils and wasn’t involved in the De Montfort University survey of clerks. Although we’re aware around 1% of clerks responded, we have no knowledge of the survey questions, responses, analysis or recommendations.
“But what is clear is that local councils – and their 100,000 unpaid councillors and clerks – are doing brilliant things to build strong communities and improve their areas. And that local councils are changing and doing more, helping to tackle the big challenges we face from the climate emergency to cost of living crisis, health and well-being to housing.
“Research consistently shows the vast majority of local councils are well-run with few behavioural issues and take their roles and responsibilities seriously. However, NALC is urging the new government to reset and prioritise standards in public life and introduce sanctions such as suspension for the minority of councillors who behave poorly. And to empower local councils through the promised review of neighbourhood governance to help local councils level up their areas and boost prosperity and pride in place.”
Students from every local senior school and college gathered in the Mid Sussex District Council Chamber on Friday 30 September for the launch of the Mid Sussex STEM challenge 2022.
STEM education, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics provides an excellent grounding for students who wish to pursue a career in medicine, scientific research, chemistry or engineering. There is currently a STEM skills shortage in the UK workforce, so engaging activities like the STEM Challenge have an important role to play in inspiring the next generation to develop these important skills.
Each year, talented students from schools across Mid Sussex and beyond compete against each other to complete a challenge that tests their technical engineering skills. In 2022, they must research, develop, and build a remote-control vehicle that is capable of navigating a large and complicated obstacle course. Teams are provided with a list of specifications they must meet, such as artificial intelligence, camera attachment and a motorised chassis, to ensure their vehicle is up to the test.
Eight teams from Burgess Hill Academy, Downlands Community School, Imberhorne School, Millais School, Oathall Community College, St Paul’s Catholic College, Sackville School and Warden Park Academy will battle it out to create to most agile and robust remote control vehicle, before it’s put to the test on 19 May 2023 at the South of England Showground.
Students taking part in the STEM Challenge 2022 will be supported by local engineering and medical companies who will act as mentors, working with the school to share their knowledge and show the students what it’s like to work in the industry. Staff from Flowserve, PSM Marine Engineering, Adelphi Nuffield Hospital, Bike Smart, Edwards Vacuum, Quantum Technologies, and Balfour Beatty will all be providing their advice and support to the challengers.
The STEM Challenge was launched by Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, Professor Winfried Hensinger from Quantum Technologies and Mr James Whitmore, The High Sheriff of West Sussex on Friday 30 September 2022.
Councillor Ruth de Mierre, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parking said: “Our annual STEM challenge is a fantastic way to get local school children excited and inspired about the practical application of scientific and technical knowledge, and realise the huge range of careers open to them.
“Mid Sussex District Council is a strong supporter of the event and it’s going to be wonderful to see the students starting with nothing, and working together as a team to design and create a remote control vehicle that will be capable of traversing a testing obstacle course.
“The students taking part are the future, not only for our economy but our environment and for our health. You never know, some of them may well be part of the breakthrough to find more cures to eliminate cancer – or allow us to say ‘beam me up Scottie’ (for those of us old enough to remember!)”
Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, said:
“A key priority in our local plan for economic growth is a regionally significant Science & Technology Park to the west of Burgess Hill. This will help create more high skill jobs in STEM subjects locally, so it has never been more important to engage young people in these areas. I wish all the students the very best with their project”.
Invite to The Swing Ninjas
PR 2466 New open space at Hill Place Farm, East Grinstead will support Bluebell Railway improvements
New open space at Hill Place Farm, East Grinstead will support Bluebell Railway improvements
Mid Sussex District Council has agreed a one-off payment of £692,500 to the Bluebell Railway that will enable the creation of a new Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) at Hill Place Farm in East Grinstead.
In Mid Sussex, developers seeking to build new homes within 7km of Ashdown Forest must pay towards the creation and maintenance of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces. Those developer payments will then gradually repay the Council’s investment in the Hill Place Farm SANG.
The policy, which is supported by Natural England, helps residents to access green spaces that are close to their homes and protects Ashdown Forest from excessive visitor numbers, which could affect the protected bird species that nest in the forest.
The new SANG, which is just off Turners Hill Road in East Grinstead, has been provided by developers Taylor Wimpey and Vistry as part of plans for 200 new homes at Hill Place Farm. The SANG is divided into two parts, with the Bluebell Railway line running through the middle of the site.
Mid Sussex District Council is providing the Bluebell Railway with a funding advance of £692,500 to provide safe access to the SANG and to support the development of the line. Visitors will be able to access all areas of the SANG by using a tunnel underneath the Bluebell Railway to cross the line.
The Hill Place Farm SANG features grassland habitats, natural woodlands, and benefits from stunning views of the historic Imberhorne Lane viaduct. The SANG has been enhanced by a programme of planting that, will complement the existing natural environment as it matures and a new walking route around the edge of the site makes it easier for people of all abilities to enjoy the space.
Councillor Robert Salisbury, MSDC Cabinet Member for Planning said:
“Natural England has advised the Council that one of the best ways to protect Ashdown Forest from increasing visitor numbers is to provide alternative areas for people to visit. That’s why, whenever developers want to build new homes within 7km of Ashdown Forest, they are required to provide Suitable Alternative Natural Green space or funding towards the improvement of an existing one.
“The new SANG at Hill Place Farm is a wonderful place for local people to relax, exercise and enjoy the natural surroundings. It’s fantastic for people to have such beautiful green spaces right on our doorstep, and it will only get better over the years as more improvements are made.
“We’re grateful to the Bluebell Railway for supporting public access throughout the SANG site and I hope this funding helps the railway in its efforts to switch to more sutainable energy sources. The Bluebell Railway is one of the foremost tourist attractions in our District and plays a vital role in preserving our heritage.
“The Council has provided funding to the Bluebell Railway in advance, so they aren’t required to wait for developer funding to come through and are able to progress immediately with their plans to improve the railway. The Council will then retain the financial contributions made by developers until the advance has been repaid.”
Geoff Mee, Chairman of Bluebell Railway PLC said:
“We have always prided ourselves on looking after the environment along the line in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We will use this money to improve our environmental credentials by placing solar panels on top of some of our buildings in order to reduce our rapidly increasing business energy costs.”
Welcome to our Bus it! special
Every day, thousands of people across West Sussex use buses. Buses are a sustainable way to travel and help you…
Save money on fuel and transport running costs
Keep in touch with friends and family
Travel to school, work or the shops
Maintain your independence
We’ve pulled together all you need to know in this special newsletter, including two fantastic opportunities to win £100 supermarket vouchers and an invitation to let us know what you think about bus travel in West Sussex!
Get onboard for new adventures!
Where will you travel by bus? We have some great tips and ideas of where to visit by bus on our Experience West Sussex website.
Then check your most convenient bus routes and timetables using our handy route planner below. We also have a page with the latest discounts on bus and coach travel.
Pensioners apply for or renew, your free bus pass!
Residents who are of state pension age (currently 66+) can travel off-peak free of charge on local buses anywhere in England as far and as often as they like.
Apply for or renew your pass before 16 December 2022 and you will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win £100 of supermarket vouchers.*
Jaki (73) from Petworth said: “Using my free bus pass has many benefits. I still work twice a week and the free bus pass saves me on car parking costs, petrol and car wear and tear. It’s more relaxing than driving and means I don’t have to travel on my own. It’s also very sociable and you get to meet all sorts of people”.
Take part in our ‘Bus It!’ survey and you could win £100 of supermarket vouchers*
We’re seeking feedback from all West Sussex residents aged over 65.
Whether you love traveling on the bus and use them all the time, or perhaps you aren’t a convert yet, we want to hear from you.
Our survey is open until 4 November 2022 and all participants will have the option to be entered into a free prize draw to win £100 worth of supermarket vouchers.
For more information about free bus passes for older people, the survey or the competition’s Terms & Conditions visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/BusIt
*You need to be 65+ and living in West Sussex to take part. Winner will be announced week commencing 14 November 2022.
Subscribe to our free bus newsletter or share your ideas
We are working with local bus companies to help improve services and await confirmation of funds to deliver the ambitions set out in our Bus Services Improvement Plan
If you have an ideas about how to improve bus services in your local area or would like to feedback anything about your service please join the conversation via our WestSussBus Forum.
Click on the link below to receive regular updates by email on all things buses!
Cracking down on waste crime – an update from Katy Bourne
At the start of the week, I joined the Rural Crime Team, Commercial Vehicle Unit and the Driver Standards and Vehicle Agency (DVSA) at Newhaven Port as they took part in a joint operation led by the Environment Agency (EA).
The aim of the operation was to tackle illegal waste carriers operating outside of the law, not following environmental regulations and not processing waste responsibly.
Waste crime can be detrimental to our county and can harm wildlife and the overall environment. The clean-up of hazardous substances that are dumped into country lanes continue to cost taxpayers and private landowners including farmers.
If waste crime isn’t tackled it can also lead to safety issues such as fire hazards and health risks.
It was a successful day at Newhaven as the teams worked together to check all vehicle documentation along with waste types that were going to permitted sites.
Throughout the day, 17 vehicles were taken off the roads, 10 prohibition notices were given out and 6 fines were issued ranging from £100 to £300. One driver was also given 9 points on their licence.
The EA’s Environmental Crime Officers found one illegal waste site in operation and has since escalated enforcement action.
This is yet again a great example of partnership working as our county’s protective services continue to tackle irresponsible, selfish and unlawful behaviours.
Over the past two weeks, my team have been attending various Fresher’s fairs at local universities to speak with students about safety, hear their concerns and provide advice and guidance.
We’ve been reminding students about my Safe Space Sussex App and our work with night-time venues to provide staff with additional training. My office has also funded night safety marshals and street pastors to help people get home safely.
Earlier in the year, I funded 250,000 drinks protectors known as ‘StopTopps’ to hand out to local venues and businesses. StopTopps can be secured to glasses or cups to deter predatory opportunists from spiking drinks.
Last weekend, members of my team attended ‘Boundary’ – the South Coast’s biggest electronic dance festival – to hand out anti-spiking StopTopps and remind people of my Do The Right Thing Campaign.
The drink covers were very popular, with young people speaking about their own experiences of spiking and many telling us that they appreciated being able to access a safety tool like this for free whilst out and about.
Luke Ralph, Boundary Festival Organiser, said: “We want our events to be spaces where people can feel comfortable and have fun. Initiatives like this and proactive reminders throughout the day can make a huge difference.”
Chief executive’s bulletin (1)
NALC at Labour Party Conference
As I’m sure you will have already read and heard much about, the Labour Party held their annual conference in Liverpool this week. NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, supported our head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, to promote our sector to shadow ministers, councillors, journalists and a range of organisations. Speaking at numerous fringe events, shadow ministers started to put (slightly!) more flesh on the bones of their policy agenda for levelling up and what that might mean for communities and local government. This included a commitment to shift money and power to the local level, with specific policies including introducing three-year local government finance settlements, replacing business rates with a new business taxation system, expanding the right to buy community assets and land, and introducing a sovereign wealth fund. You can also read the shadow levelling up secretary, Lisa Nandy MP, speech to the conference here. We also teamed up with Labour Coast and Country to hold a ‘pop-up’ event bringing local councillors together, which provided a great opportunity to talk to them about our work and get their help promoting our issues within the Labour Party.
NALC at Conservative Party Conference
And this weekend, it’s the turn of the Conservative Party, who will be in Birmingham for their annual conference. Justin will be there supporting NALC’s vice president, Cllr Sue Baxter, so if you’re going to the conference and want to meet up with them, especially if you are a local councillor, please emailjustin.griggs@nalc.gov.uk.
Working between the tiers
I was pleased to join over 100 attendees at our ‘Working between the tiers’ online event on 28 September. We heard our brilliant speakers, Tony Blake, programme director at Shared Intelligence, and Philip Clifford, senior advisor at the Local Government Association (LGA), talk in-depth about the LGA’s report Local service delivery and place-shaping: A framework to support parish and town councils and provide insights into building more effective relationships. Discussions also covered how in the current climate, local councils could be best equipped to take on further assets and services from principal councils and address the financial issues that go with that. The dialogue was identified as being key, as “nothing will happen without positive dialogue, building trust is vital”. Other issues included engaging with different professions within principal councils, progress on devolution, the levelling up white paper and empowering local councils to do more. You can find out more about upcoming online events ‘Local councils and communication strategies’ and ‘Local councils and community outreach here.
LGBT+ councillors network on 6 October 2022
NALC’s National Network: LGBT+ Councillors holds its next online meeting next week on 6 October. The agenda includes feedback on June’s Pride Month and related events, civility and respect, cost of living crisis, network communications, future guest speakers and an open forum for councillors to provide mutual support and share learning and good practice. If you’d like to come along and haven’t yet joined the network, you can sign uphere.
Rural Coalition letters to the government
With colleagues on the Rural Coalition, NALC has written to the new prime minister and the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to welcome them to their new roles, highlighting the challenges facing rural communities and businesses and setting out the coalition’s priorities. As well as focussing on the need to address the implications of the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas, the letters emphasise the importance of supporting social infrastructure – including local (parish and town) councils – to enable rural communities to make the best use of local resources and networks. Specific measures proposed include access to dormant asset funding and working with the banking sector to improve their engagement with the community and voluntary sector.
Local government pay negotiations
On a turnout of 34%, UNISON’s members have voted by 63.5% to 36.5% to accept the National Employers’ final pay offer for local government services (‘Green Book’) employees. GMB and/or Unite must also vote to accept the employers’ offer for the pay deal to be finalised, implemented and paid to employees. Unite’s membership consultation closes on 14 October, and GMB’s on 21 October. I will continue to keep you updated.
Free webinar on the Local Council Award Scheme
A reminder that our next free webinar about the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) is on 23 November 2022. Around 700 councils across England are already accredited, and this webinar explains the benefits of the scheme, and how it works and gives examples of how to submit a successful application. LCAS is all about celebrating the achievements of local councils and providing a framework to support all local councils to improve and develop to their full potential. You can book your place and find out more information about this and other upcoming events here.
The Civility and Respect Project
The Civility and Respect Project has released a new video to encourage local (parish and town) councils to sign up for its pledge. The video features representatives from the sector explaining the civility and respect pledge and encouraging local councils to sign up to help tackle poor behaviour and support culture change. As I say in my brief appearance, please sign the pledge!
On the blog: BHIB Councils Insurance
Insurance is almost always one of the last things on people’s minds, yet a carefully considered insurance programme surrounding the contract works can also take some time to compile. Find out more in our latest blog by our partners, BHIB Councils Insurance.
And finally…
Congratulations to our colleagues at NALC’s IT partner, Cloudy IT, for recently completing their Snowdon Charity Challenge. Completed in under 9 hours, their trek up and down the highest mountain in England and Wales was aid of their charity foundation which helps young people unlock their potential and discover exciting new career opportunities. Well done!
Chief executive’s bulletin (2)
Energy Bill Relief Scheme
Following the new prime minister’s recent pledge to act on energy bills, the government announced its Energy Bill Relief Scheme this week. This is an important issue we have been raising with the government, which is why I am pleased to say that we’ve been advised the scheme covers councils, including local (parish and town) councils. The scheme is a six-month energy price guarantee which should help mitigate some of the extra pressures councils at all levels face this year because of spiralling energy costs. We will continue to ensure the government understands the ongoing cost pressures on local councils, particularly related to the cost-of-living crisis. I am keen to continue to gather examples of what you are doing to help and support your communities, as well as the financial challenges you face – please let us know at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk, as well as to your county association.
On the blog: CCLA on interest rates
New on the blog this week is an assessment of the Bank of England’s decision to increase interest rates by Rob Evans, senior portfolio manager at NALC’s partners,CCLA. Rob’s highly informative piece covers the rationale behind the increase, the risk of recession, quantitative tightening, the future path for the Bank Rate and the impact on deposit funds.
Fortnightly meeting with county officers
At this week’s regular fortnightly meeting with county officers, we were joined by Julie Walker and Kevin Richards from NALC partners BHIB Councils Insurance. They ran through the current status of the insurance market and the support they offer to local councils, as well as answered questions on issues that local councils are currently facing with insurance. Later in the meeting, we looked to the future coronation of the King and discussed the support and advice that local councils would find useful in the run-up to that event.
NALC committees
NALC’s Finance and Scrutiny Committee and the Management Board both met this week. Their main item of business was financial. They noted that our external auditors had agreed to our accounts for 2021/22 without qualification. The Finance and Scrutiny Committee took a long and hard look at our indicative future budgets, especially with current inflationary pressures. In light of those discussions, both meetings recommended a small increase in our affiliation fee for 2023/24 to 7.71 pence per elector, capped at £1,978 for larger councils.
In/out and about
September always marks the start of a nice and busy Autumn season of conferences and events, including the county association’s annual general meetings. It’s great to see the number of face-to-face events increasing alongside the continuation of some very productive remote meetings. I think it is important that the sector maximises the benefits from both ways of coming together.
This week I was thrilled to attend the inspirational Suffolk Community Awards, showcasing what community groups, individuals and local councils can do to improve quality of life in challenging times. NALC’s president, Baroness Scott of Needham Market, presented the Suffolk Association of Local Councils award of the village of the year to Bredfield, demonstrating what a small local council of 150 households can do to promote community spirit, including art classes, a French conversation group, a bowls club, Jubilee Meadow project, community orchard, a Wildlife Friendly Village and even a pop-up pub!
I also travelled to Leeds to speak at the latest impressive conference from the Yorkshire Local Councils Association, which had a packed programme from early morning to early evening filled with keynote speakers, 20 workshops and several exhibitors. I can certainly see why they won County Association Project of the Year in the NALC Star Council Awards 2021!
On 22 September, Jane Moore, senior solicitor and legal services manager, was a speaker at the Westminster Insight conduct and standards in public life online training day about how NALC and the wider sector have sought to raise standards and improve culture, highlighting, in particular, the work of the Civility and Respect Project. That evening Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services, spoke at the AGM of the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association to give an update on the work of NALC and issues affecting the sector at a national level; there was also an update from Humberside Police Force.
Both NALC and SLCC colleagues joined up on 21 September at an online meeting to brief Emma Hardy, MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (and a former town councillor herself!), on theCivility and Respect Project, where she offered to support and promote our work on standards locally as well as in Parliament.
NALC National Network: Super Councils
The NALC National Network: Super Councils met remotely on 14 September 2022, hosted by Chris Borg, policy manager. We were pleased to be joined by Will Brett and Inayat Omarji from the We’re Right Here campaign, which urges the national government to increase community power at the local level, including through a new Community Power Act. They are keen to build a group of local councils from among the network and beyond to support and inform the campaign and help advocate for community power – if you’d like to get involved, please let us know at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk. During a discussion on the cost-of-living crisis, some councils were concerned about the impact of increasing energy costs and were keen for NALC to lobby the government to ensure local councils were included in any energy bill relief scheme. The network agreed to provide examples and evidence to support our work. Other issues discussed in the open forum included parish polls, community governance reviews and Operation London Bridge. The next meeting is on 31 October.
