NALC becomes a White Ribbon Accredited organisation
I’m delighted to announce that NALC has become a White Ribbon Accredited organisation for our commitment to ending men’s violence against women in the workplace and the local community. And we are the first national body in the local government sector to achieve this! As a White Ribbon Accredited organisation, NALC will be taking forward a three-year action plan of activities to change staff culture, systems and raise awareness within the local (parish and town) council sector. Please learn more about White Ribbon UK and consider making the White Ribbon Promise.
Want to take part in the corporate peer challenge programme?
We are continuing to work with the Local Government Association (LGA) to offer a new round of corporate peer challenges for the largest councils. The corporate peer challenge is part of our improvement work and allows councils to benchmark themselves against similar councils, look at what they do well or could do better, and receive advice from experienced peers from other areas. Corporate peer challenges are open to super councils which are those with an annual precept of over £1m or an annual turnover of over £1.5m. Visit our website to find out how it works, and if you’re interested in participating, please contact NALC at anders.hanson@nalc.gov.uk.
Extra tickets are available for a sold-out event!
We’ve released extra tickets to our sold-out event on engaging with local communities through digital engagement, which takes place on 27 September 2023. Digital engagement with local communities has become even more crucial in today’s rapidly changing world, especially when delivering community regeneration and neighbourhood development plans. Join us to learn about effective digital engagement strategies that broaden community participation beyond the usual suspects. You will discover how digital tools and platforms can enable local councils to connect with residents more efficiently and effectively and make it easier for people to engage with the decision-making processes that affect their lives. Register your place today and find out more about our other events.
On the blog: LGA Labour Group
This week’s blog is written by the new chair of LGA and former leader of the LGA Labour Group, Cllr Shaun Davies. The blog is on the same theme as our fringe event at the LGA Annual Conference on 5 July 2023 on why parish councils matter, where all the LGA’s political groups joined us to share what they think. In Shaun’s essay he covers why, as a town councillor himself, parish councils really do matter, stressing the vital role local councils play in any community and that they are central to local activity. Read the blog to find out more!
Latest legal bulletin published
Our August legal bulletin for county officers was sent out earlier this week. The bulletin features guidance on adverse possession such as maintenance of land by different local authorities, freemen and using gender neutral terms, Sections 15 and 16 of the Local Government Act 1972 and recording of meetings and whether this should happen immediately or when the meeting starts.
Letter to councils on Remembrance parades and services
NALC, LGA and the Royal British Legion (RBL) have published a joint letter to all councils regarding Remembrance events. The letter, signed by chairs of NALC and LGA, and the director general of RBL, thanks councils for their support and assistance in organising parades and services. It also asks for continued assistance and support to make them cost-effective, highlighting the part RBL branches and volunteers can play. I would be grateful if county associations could help share the letter with councils in their areas. As I know local councils are at the heart of the community and commemorative events, I’m sure you will continue to work with RBL branches and other Armed Forces organisations to enable local people to remember their fallen and look forward to the continued observance of this time-honoured tradition. You can also find out more information about Remembrance on RBL’s website.
And finally…
Later this year, as part of our Make A Change campaign, we’ll be hosting an online event with the LGA on how you can be the voice of your community by standing for election as a local councillor. The empowering event on 14 November 2023 will discuss the path to becoming a local councillor and positively impacting your local area and society. The event will provide an invaluable opportunity to learn about the vital work and role of councillors from an expert panel. Councillors who have served at various local government levels will share their insights, experiences, and advice about the world of local leadership. Claim your FREE place today!
This week, we created a dedicated webpage on planning to help local (parish and town) councils in their local engagement with the planning system. We have continuously highlighted the crucial work councils do on planning and continue to push the government for increased powers and control over planning matters. The planning webpage has information on local councils’ planning powers, case studies highlighting examples of how local councils have best used the planning system to help their communities, and valuable resources. Please take some time to look at it and share it with your colleagues.
New and updated housing and planning guides
As part of our drive to support you on housing and planning matters, I’m excited that NALC is currently working with the Campaign to Protect Rural England and English Rural to update existing guides on planning and developing a new guide on housing design. In 2011, NALC worked with CPRE to publish Planning Explained, How to Respond to Planning Applications, and How to Shape Where You Live: A Guide to Neighbourhood Planning. These guides provide easy-to-use planning advice to our members, networks and the general public. All three are well-used and are consistently the most downloaded publications on our websites, with over a quarter of a million downloads! However, since their publication, national policy and legislation have shifted considerably, and we recognise that areas within each document need to be updated and refreshed. We are in the early stages of preparing to update all three guides to better reflect the current legislative and cultural climate. To help us, we’d welcome your feedback on the existing guides, so please complete the short survey. If you have any queries or additional comments, please contact the CPRE planning team at planning@cpre.org.uk or NALC at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk. I’m also pleased NALC has been invited to join the advisory panel for a new good design guide on affordable rural homes, developed by the housing association English Rural and is due to be published in early Spring 2024. One of the principal challenges facing rural housing delivery is local opposition, often rooted in stigma about what homes will look like and their impact on the heritage of the existing settlements. Poor design of some rural developments has mainstreamed this view and can lead to delay or even completely derail proposals for new affordable homes. This project will bring together an advisory panel and utilise the valuable input of artist and architectural expert Matthew Rice to explore, illustrate and showcase good design, how this can be achieved and provide a resource that local communities can hold up as something to be welcomed as an enhancement of their existing built and natural environment. I’ll keep you informed on both projects as they develop.
Committee elections
NALC is led by councillors appointed by county associations to its National Assembly. The National Assembly elects its committee members, the NALC chair and vice-chairs. The elections are held every two years, with the next round to start on 23 August 2023. There are also opportunities for councillors not on the National Assembly and clerks to stand for the direct elections to the Larger Councils Committee and Smaller Councils Committee. All these elections are managed online by UK Engage, and for the first time, they will be conducted based on the single transferable vote process.
The positions available for elections are:
NALC chair — one seat for a member of the National Assembly.
NALC vice-chairs (finance and member services) — two seats for members of the National Assembly.
Management Board — Six seats for members of the National Assembly.
Policy Committee — Seven seats for members of the National Assembly.
Larger Councils Committee — Four seats for members of the National Assembly. Eight directly elected councillors from larger councils, four directly elected non-voting clerks from larger councils and two seats from super councils.
Smaller Councils Committee — Five seats for members of the National Assembly. Three directly elected clerks and councillors from smaller councils.
Prospective candidates can refer to the NALC member role profiles. More information will be available over the coming weeks to help interested candidates learn about the election process and how to participate effectively. For those not eligible to stand for these elections, please consider getting involved in the work of your county association.
On the blog: LGA Conservative Group
This week’s blog is written by the former leader of the Local Government Association (LGA) Conservative Group, Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE. The essay explores what she spoke about during our fringe event at the LGA Annual Conference on 5 July 2023. The essay asks why parish councils matter, and she stresses the critical role that local councils play in delivering services, supporting communities and ensuring that residents’ views are heard. Read the blog to find out more!
Updates to Legal Topic Note 78 on The Equality Act 2010
This week we reissued Legal Topic Note 78 on The Equality Act 2010 to make the note’s content more practical, including links to helpful guidance. The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. Local councils with specific equality issues can request legal advice under the NALC legal scheme.
Fortnightly county officers call
In this week’s meeting on 9 August 2023 between NALC and county officers, we were joined by the Royal British Legion. They ran through some of their work, such as their support services for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and key events such as Remembrance Sunday, next year’s 80th anniversary of D-Day and Armed Forces Day. There was also a discussion on how branches liaise with local councils and the logistics of local events. They also introduced their new Councillor Network. The meeting also reviewed a recent NALC activity update and information on committee elections.
Community Engagement Fund
The Home Office, on 2 August 2023, launched the Community Engagement Fund (CEF), a £150,000 fund to support grassroots and community groups. The purpose of the fund is to raise awareness of and address any misinformation about the Windrush Compensation Scheme and Windrush Scheme, build on the insights and learning taken from the existing work on Windrush to understand why individuals are not applying for the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Windrush Scheme, and how to encourage eligible individuals to apply to the schemes mentioned above. Councils are encouraged to share this information with relevant organisations in their local area. To apply, organisations will need to register an interest in the fund using the find a grant portal or by email to CommunityEngagementFundCompetition@homeoffice.gov.uk.
The closing date to submit an application is 30 August 2023 (4 pm). Information sessions will be held for community and grassroots organisations interested in learning more about the fund and how to submit an application. The sessions will be held on 8 August 2023 (2 pm – 3.30 pm) and 10 August 2023 (11 am – 12.30 pm). If your organisation is interested in joining a session, please email the address above.
And finally…
The Royal British Legion has launched a new network for councillors. Any councillor can sign up and receive regular communication about how councils (both local councils and principal authorities) can support the Armed Forces community and the broader work of the Royal British Legion, ranging from Remembrance to fundraising and membership. You can find out more and join on the Royal British Legion website.
More retailers reporting crime in Sussex
by Katy Bourne OBE
This week I spoke with the BBC about the rise in shoplifting offences recorded in the south east. Data released by the Office for National Statistics showed that there has been a rise of up to 42% of shoplifting cases in Sussex.
Whilst a higher number of cases may seem as if more crimes are being committed, the figures will also reflect increased confidence in reporting of crimes by retailers in Sussex.
We know retailers work in extremely fast-paced environments and we know many of them don’t always have the time to report, or access to equipment allowing them to gather information or intelligence needed by police to further pursue offenders.
Understanding these frustrations, we have worked closely with the Co-op, piloting our ‘One Touch Reporting’ tool in 24 of their stores in Sussex. This gives staff the ability to reduce their crime reporting time from over 30 minutes per offence, to just two minutes – and do so with a click of a button.
This intuitive system is helping the Co-op to transform the way they report crime, making it quicker and easier for staff and providing Sussex Police with additional information about criminals. We have also introduced DISC – an information and intelligence sharing app which is now being used by many retailers across Sussex.
Sussex Police can attribute many arrests to the use of One Touch Reporting and the rise in numbers is evidence that some retailers are able to report crimes more easily.
Last week I joined Sussex’s Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU) on one of their training days to see the skills and expertise needed in the challenging role.
Firearms officers often respond to high-risk incidents where intelligence has suggested firearms support may be required. They also provide public reassurance at events and airports and have specialist paramedic training that can save lives.
Sussex has over 150 authorised firearms officers who complete a minimum of 118 hours refresher training each year.
It was a fascinating day to learn even more about the TFU and visit the training facilities we have in Sussex, which are regarded as some of the best in the country.
British police firearms officers are admired the world over for their levels of training and tactical knowledge. Although there are many thousands of police firearms operations every year officers very rarely discharge their weapons. Figures for forces across England and Wales for the past year show that there were over 18,000 firearms operations and only 10 incidents where shots were fired.
Cheap and free bus travel across West Sussex – Bus it! Special Edition
Welcome to our special edition eNewsletter, with all you need to know about travelling by bus in West Sussex.
So if you want to
give buses a try
discover new routes
reduce travel costs
enjoy the park without the parking
catch up with friends for coffee in town
visit the West Sussex coast or countryside
– then Bus it! and hop aboard for cheap or free travel!
Introducing“Book-a-Bus”– your new flexible friend
Getting around parts of the county has become even easier with the introduction of “Book-a-Bus”, a new flexible, on-demand bus service that has launched in the Chichester and Petworth areas.
Our first on-demand services are available on the “99” and “99 Flex” (Petworth – Chichester) operated by Compass Travel, and the “98 Flex” (north of Petworth zone), operated by CT Sussex. They serve the more rural areas of the county that currently have limited or no traditional bus services.
Funded by central government, as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan, the new services operate within set zones and offer passenger pick-up in a location closer to them – all for the same price as a standard bus fare, currently capped at £2 per trip until 31 October 2023.
If you are a permanent West Sussex resident who has reached state pension age, you can get a free five-year bus pass for travelling off-peak all over England. This means you can catch a bus to anywhere in the county – and beyond, weekdays between 9.30am and 11pm and all day on weekends and bank holidays, free of charge!
Discover other discounts and offers from local bus companies on the link below.
Mid Sussex District Council Summer of fun
This summer Mid Sussex District Council has been hosting several free events aimed at children and young people.
The popular Play Day events kicked off on July 25 and there are still four events to get involved with. Aimed at children under 10, the Play Days offer activities such as puppet shows, rugby sessions, circus skills, henna tattoos, DJ workshops and much more.
The Skate Fest events are aimed at young people aged 10+ offering a chance to learn new skateboard skills, get their wheels checked, and get involved with DJ workshops.
Councillors from Mid Sussex District Council have been visiting the events that are running across the district. Councillor Alison Bennett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Communications, said: “The events really are fantastic. Our local providers are doing a brilliant job offering engaging, fun activities for children and their families, and there is a great atmosphere. There are still five events left in our summer of fun, so don’t miss out!”
The upcoming events are taking place on:
15 August – Haven Rec, Crawley Down – 1pm to 3pm (Play Day)
17 August – Mount Noddy, East Grinstead – 1pm to 3pm (Play Day)
22 August – Humphreys Field, Copthorne – 1pm to 3pm (Play Day)
24 August – John Pears Field, Ashurst Wood – 1pm to 3pm (Play Day)
25 August – King George’s Field, East Grinstead – 2pm to 4.30pm (Skate Fest)
Local organisations are providing many of the workshops and the events are supported by Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, and East Grinstead Town Councils, as well as the six local Parish Councils.
Mid Sussex District Council is asking people to walk, cycle to or use public transport where possible as some venues have limited parking available.
For further information about what’s on offer at each event, please visit the Mid Sussex District Council website: www.midsussex.gov.uk/playdays.
Sussex music festival director says no to spiking – From Katy Bourne OBE
This week a national partnership agreement was signed which will see all police forces across England and Wales take a new approach to dealing with mental health incidents. The new proposal will ensure that the appropriate partner agencies, not the police, are the first point of call to any health-related situations that involve no safety risk or crime.
The ‘Right Care Right Person’ approach was first initiated by Humberside Police and a toolkit for all police forces has now been developed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, who have worked closely with partners in health & social care on the national partnership agreement.
It means that people in need of help will receive specialist and specific support and it could also save up to one million police officer hours nationally each year.
When it comes to mental health and wellbeing, it is important that, particularly in a time of crisis, people have access to the right care from the right person and, whilst police officers will always assiduously uphold their duties to serve and protect the public, we know they are not always the best placed in many health-related situations.
I look forward to discussing what the approach will look like for Sussex in one of my upcoming Performance & Accountability Meetings with Chief Constable Shiner.
This weekend, Sussex’s leading rock and metal festival, Hammerdown, will be taking place in Worthing. Earlier in the week, the festival’s director Harry White told my team about his experience of being spiked when he was just 17, describing it as “extremely disorientating”.
In a bid to prevent this happening at his own events, Harry will be offering the anti-spiking drink covers, known as StopTopps, to any guests who may want to use them. As part of my work tackling violence against women and girls and improving safety within the night-time economy, I have been able to fund thousands of StopTopps which have been provided, free of charge, to promoters, venues, bars, clubs and events across our county.
Spiking is no joke, it’s an offence and it can be very dangerous – you can read more about Harry’s experience and the festival on my website.
On Monday, I visited Crawley’s Manor Royal Business District. Manor Royal is home to over 600 businesses, has generated 30,000 jobs and also has the UK’s largest Business Improve District (BID).
On behalf of the Manor Royal BID, I was successful in securing monies from the Government’s Safer Streets 4 funding round. The BID has worked hard to put in multiple safety and prevention tools such as free security radios for retailers and a dedicated Business Ranger Security team – however, the funding they requested from me was specifically for an upgrade to their CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition system.
I’m delighted to have been able to award funding for improvements to their technology systems, which includes a re-deployable camera that can be moved around the business district to tackle certain issues such as fly-tipping and anti-social driving. The advances and improvements to the cameras will help the BID to work even more closely with Sussex Police, allowing them to share information, deter criminals and further protect businesses.
We know retail crime can have long-term consequences on business owners, employees and surrounding communities. Whether it’s retail stores on our high streets or industrial zones in our town centres, it’s vital we protect our county’s businesses and ensure the residents of Sussex feel safe when they’re at work.
Chief Executive’s Bulletin
Demystifying the role of local councillors online event
The latest online event on demystifying the role of local councillors took place on 26 July 2023. It was great to see so many attendees at the event, which explored more on a local councillor’s role and the crucial skillset they require. The panel featured Cllr Michaella Biscomb, vice chair of Kippax Parish Council, the former Local Government Association chair Cllr James Jamieson, and Cllr Jeremy Richardson, from Cold Norton Parish Council, who all spoke about their experiences as a councillor while highlighting that councillors should have a passion for making their town and community better and how key characteristics, such as confidence, curiosity, and a willingness to learn, will enable individuals to do this role successfully. We also have plenty of other events throughout the year, so please check out our website to learn more about them.
Climate emergency network
NALC’s national network on climate emergency met on 27 July 2023, which has now over 300 members! Congratulations to Cllr Tony Aslam of Wellingborough Town Council and Cllr Sarah Barker of Kingshill Parish Council who were appointed as the two new co-chairs. The network was also joined by Dr Daphne Du Cros (Shropshire Good Food Partnership), who spoke about the Right to Grow initiative she has been involved in with Bishop’s Castle Town Council, Andrew Maliphant (The Community Works) talked about the draft planning application and climate action guidance for smaller councils, and Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan spoke about Heritage Declares, a group of heritage practitioners who have come together to urge the sector to react more quickly and effectively to the climate and ecological emergency. You can learn more about this and our other networks and how to get involved on our website.
Star Council Awards 2023
Last week the nomination period for our Star Council Awards 2023 ended! The awards help recognise the achievements of the local (parish and town) council sector and showcase the hidden heroes of our communities. It was another successful year for nominations, with the quality extremely high and varied. We received 158 across the five categories, beating last year’s 145. The nominations will be taken to our judging panels in the coming months for further scrutiny. After that, we’ll reveal the finalists, with the winners being announced at a ceremony in the House of Lords on 29 November 2023.
Local Council Award Scheme member briefing
This week on 1 August 2023, we held a briefing on the Local Council Awards Scheme hosted by our member services team. It was part of the current recruitment process for new panel members who are essential in assessing the scheme’s applications. The role is voluntary, and attendance at the briefing was good, with a mixture of councillors and clerks from around the country. The team were also joined by current panel member and last year’s Star Council Awards Clerk of the Year winner, Terry Philpott, town clerk for Ware Town Council, who gave some valuable tips and insights from his own experiences as an assessor.
Welsh National Training Advisory Group
NALC’s member service manager Anders Hanson attended a quarterly meeting of the Welsh National Training Advisory Group (NTAG). The group is convened by One Voice Wales. It brings together the Society of Local Council Clerks, the Welsh Local Government Association and the Welsh Government to discuss the development of training for community councils in Wales. NALC has a role in providing legal support and guidance for One Voice Wales. The discussion included the recruitment and retention of clerks, a training needs survey, and the development of webinars on finance and governance and cyber training.
On the blog: Hope for the Future
This week’s blog by Hope for the Future discusses the importance of young people taking action on climate change for International Youth Day. The United Nations theme for International Youth Day 2023 is Green Skills for Youth: Towards A Sustainable World, highlighting the need for technical skills and knowledge to support a transition to a greener world. Local government is crucial in providing education and training for green skills, like retrofitting, to achieve a sustainable future. You can find more information on climate change and young people on our website.
Fortnightly county officers call
At last week’s meeting on 26 July 2023 between NALC and county officers, the Civility and Respect Project manager, Hazel Broatch, spoke about the ideas that emerged from the intervention workshop. County officers gave feedback on the ideas split into quick wins, longer-term and blue skies ideas. There was also a discussion on a draft briefing on email addresses and domain names and an update on recent committee meetings.
Neighbourhood Planning Support Programme
Last week, on 25 July 2023, some great news was that the government committed an additional £7.1 million to the Neighbourhood Planning Support Programme. The programme, run by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLHUC), aims to support groups developing neighbourhood plans and neighbourhood development orders. The further funding brings the total funding to the programme to over £47 million since 2018, allowing the scheme to continue for a sixth year. Applications for support are now open for this financial year (2023/24).
Community Ownership Fund
As previously reported, the government opened its £150m Community Ownership Fund to applications from local councils. This week on 31 July 2023, DLUHC updated the Community Ownership Fund prospectus to reflect the extension of the maximum capital funding available to new applicants from round three, window two onwards. Applicants are now able to apply for up to £2 million in capital funding. I’d encourage councils to consider whether applying to this fund may suit you.
80th anniversary of D-Day
We’re honoured to support the 80th anniversary to commemorate D-Day on 6 June 2024. It marks when Allied forces mounted the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever witnessed that would bring about the liberation of north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. Local councils have always performed a lead role in commemorative and celebration events, such as the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons, which is why we support this initiative. I urge all councils to support this event. We are working with Pageantmaster Bruno Peek, who leads these historical celebrations and will provide more information in the coming months.
And finally…
Another landmark for the Civility and Respect Pledge, with over 1,300 local councils taking the pledge to demonstrate that they are committed to standing up to bullying, harassment and intimidation. If you still need to sign the pledge, consider it today! More information is available on our website on the pledge but also on the entire Civility and Respect Project.
In the evidence, NALC has supported the government’s aim of making the public safer at publicly accessible locations and security measures but stressed that interventions should be reasonable, affordable, and proportionate. While NALC is keen to work with the government on the Bill, it is concerned about the lack of engagement with the local council sector. NALC also highlighted the impact the legislation would have on councils as organisers of events covered by the duty, the lack of an impact assessment including costs, concerns about the capacity thresholds being used and the need for proportionality, especially of risk, lack of clarity on the regulator and enforcement, the need for a communications campaign and dedicated programme of support and guidance, and an extensive lead in time to allow councils to prepare.
NALC concerns are included in the Home Affairs Committee’s response published on 27 July 2023. The committee has warned the draft bill fails to address the real risk of terror attacks and that small venues face implementing costly measures while larger venues fall out of scope. It calls for the legislation to be introduced in stages (with larger venues first), further research to assess the threat to small organisations and venues, adequate funding to be in place, a communications campaign and comprehensive proposals for the regulator.
The Bill sets out requirements that venues and organisations must meet to ensure public safety. The proposed legislation is known as Martyn’s Law in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017 and whose mother, Figen Murray, has since campaigned for greater security at venues.
Demystify the role of local councillors
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) held an online event about demystifying the role of local councillors on 26 July 2023, which looked at a local councillor’s role and the crucial skillset they require.
The expert panel featured Cllr Michaella Biscomb, vice chair of Kippax Parish Council, the former Local Government Association chair Cllr James Jamieson, and Cllr Jeremy Richardson, from Cold Norton Parish Council, who all spoke about their experiences as a councillor while highlighting that councillors should have a passion for making their town and community better and how key characteristics, such as confidence, curiosity, and a willingness to learn, will enable individuals to do this role successfully.
Cllr Michaella emphasised that councillors need four skills: confidence and curiosity, willingness to learn, energy and enthusiasm to get involved, and knowing when to bite your tongue. She stated, “As a councillor, it is essential to have the skill of confidence and curiosity to not always rely on people who have been councillors for a long time telling you this is how procedures and process have always been done”.
Cllr Richardson stressed the importance of building a team with fellow councillors and the local community. He said, “At the village level, the most important team you can build is with the residents”.
Cllr Jamieson spoke about returning to basics, stating, “No matter what type of councillor you are, the job’s core is the same. It is about improving your place. It is about working with people to improve your town and community”.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has moved closer to becoming White Ribbon accredited after its steering group met on 25 July 2023.
The group approved the three-year action to implement between 2023 and 2026. The action plan includes various activities, timescales, target dates and how it will be evidenced. NALC will now submit its application and work towards completing the action plan.
At the meeting, Cllr Kay Wesley, White Ribbon Champion and deputy town mayor of Congleton Town Council shared what her council is doing to encourage people to take the White Ribbon promise with the success of a White Ribbon stall at Congleton Pride on 22 July 2023.
With rapid progress over the last few months, the group agreed to move meetings bi-monthly. NALC will continue to provide regular updates when they become available.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) national network on climate emergency appointed new co-chairs at its meeting on 27 July 2023.
Cllr Tony Aslam of Wellingborough Town Council (Northamptonshire) and Cllr Sarah Barker of Kingshill Parish Council (Kent) were appointed as network co-chairs from January 2024. While Cllr Chris Church of Botley & North Hinksey Parish Council (Oxford), Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan of Wallingford Town Council (Oxford) and Charmaine Keatley, chief executive officer of the Kent Association of Local Councils also agreed to monitor communications between network members.
The network was joined by Dr Daphne Du Cros, director and coordinator for the Shropshire Good Food Partnership, to discuss the Right to Grow initiative she has been involved in with Bishop’s Castle Town Council. Andrew Maliphant, project manager for The Community Works, addressed the draft planning application and climate action guidance for smaller councils, where members commented it could do with a section on retrofitting heritage buildings. Cllr Keats-Rohan spoke about Heritage Declares, a group of heritage practitioners who have come together to urge the sector to react more quickly and effectively to the climate and ecological emergency.
