Chief executive’s bulletin

1 August 2024

Proposed reforms and changes to the planning system

The government this week announced plans to overhaul the planning system and increase housebuilding. These include introducing mandatory planning targets to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to bring back mandatory housing targets, ensuring every area has a local plan and building the next generation of new towns. Among the proposals in the eight week consultation on the NPPF are restoring mandatory housing targets and updating the method used to calculate them, not implementing the Infrastructure Levy as introduced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, introducing the concept of grey belt into green belt considerations, changing affordable housing and mix policy, refocusing design policy on good design rather than ‘beauty’, and no changes to neighbourhood planning. We will be responding to the NPPF consultation as well as seeking engagement with the New Towns Taskforce.

Smaller Councils Committee

NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee met online on 30 July 2024. In advance of the draft minutes being made available, here are some highlights:

• A further discussion about the committee’s 2024-2025 workplan which was well underway, committee members emphasised how important it was that they were given the opportunity to contribute to NALC’s work in particular the development of publications and guidance.

• The committee agreed to support proposed changes to the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) criteria, including embedding civility and respect into the scheme, adding a requirement for communication of democratic activity at all levels, the option to provide evidence that the council has actively promoted engagement and participation in the democratic process instead of demonstrating that two thirds of seats were filled by councillors who had stood for election, and changing the name of the different levels.

• Action with Communities in Rural England’s (ACRE) chief executive, Corinne Pluchino, and policy advisor, Jeremy Leggett, were our guest speakers and gave a presentation on ACRE’s fair deal for rural communities, the 30 asks they had of government prior to the general election and their plans for engaging with the new government now the general election is over.

• The committee received updates on the inaugural meeting of the national network for micro councils, NALC’s Star Council Awards and the work of the Martyn’s Law Steering Group.

• It was also noted the Policy Committee had supported a motion on the reuse of graves which had been referred from the committee.

National network: micro councils

NALC’s national network for Micro Councils – aimed at local (parish and town) councils with an annual budgeted precept or turnover of £10,000 or less – held its inaugural meeting on 25 July 2024. Cllr Mark Valladares was elected co-chair, with other network members encouraged to put themselves forward to fill the remaining co-chair vacancy. The network heard from Charlotte Lewis and Natalie Turner from the Centre for Ageing Better about actions micro councils could take to make their communities Age Friendly. The meeting also discussed its purpose and how members could share good practice. The next meeting will take place on 4 October 2024 and I would encourage more micro councils to join the network.

NALC online event on artificial intelligence (AI)

The latest NALC online event – Decoding the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Local Governance – took place on 24 July 2024. Our expert panel featured Jenny McEneaney, senior improvement policy advisor on cyber, digital and technology for the Local Government Association (LGA), and Steve Walker, head of local government at the Cloudy Group. Jenny emphasized the need for AI policy to address the digital divide and proposed a local government centre for digital technology. Steve explained how AI can help local councils with tasks like information retrieval, meeting minutes, and surveys, and stressed the importance of preparing data for AI use. Both experts underscored the importance of targeted resources to ensure all councils can benefit from AI advancements. You can find out more about upcoming NALC events on our website.

On the blog: Star Council Awards 2023 Councillor of the year

This week’s blog is from the outstanding Cllr Lorna Berrett from Botley and North Hinksey Parish Council who was crowned councillor of the year in NALC’s Star Council Awards 2023. She writes on her reflections of being named councillor of the year, shares that the awards show in Westminster was a highlight for her as a politics enthusiast and recalls connecting with fellow councillors, clerks, and local council representatives who shared similar challenges and successes. She states that NALC’s Star Council Awards celebrate the crucial roles of town and parish councillors, highlighting their dedication and the positive changes they facilitate, and encourages readers to get their nominations in today! Read the blog to find out more!

Rural Coalition

On 24 July 2024, the 12 national organisations making up the rural coalition held their first meeting since the General Election. Its chair, Margaret Clarke CBE, had written to the new prime minister and secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Steve Reed MP, stressing the potential of rural areas to support the government’s five missions, especially growing the economy. The coalition will shortly be publishing a major report it commissioned on how rural communities can help drive economic growth and the meeting considered how best to seek to influence the new government’s approach to rural affairs. We also received a briefing from senior DEFRA officials who advised that the new minister responsible for rural affairs is Daniel Zeichner MP, who has previously attended the coalition and will be invited to future meetings. The coalition was also briefed on the work of the Office for Place by Nicholas Boys Smith, interim chair. NALCs chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, and I stressed the importance of neighbourhood planning to support the growth and housing agenda in rural areas, as well as highlighting concerns about the impact of land management company service charges on the affordability of housing costs in some new developments. After the meeting, Keith met with the chair of our coalition partner Campaign to Protect Rural England, Simon Murray, to swap intelligence on what the new Government means for rural areas. They agreed on the importance of working together to promote neighbourhood planning and on guidance to local councils and communities on planning.

Meetings with DEFRA and MHCLG

After the general election interregnum, the machinery of government has cracked into action! Justin Griggs, head of policy and communications, and I were briefed on new ministerial teams and plans for the new government’s five missions in separate meetings with senior officials from DEFRA and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). We stressed that NALC was keen to play a positive part and that our councils can contribute much to the government’s missions on economic growth, clean energy, community safety, promoting opportunity and improving health. We used the opportunities to press the importance of extending the devolution agenda to rural areas and including our tier of local government, not just stopping at metro mayors. As our president, Baroness Scott of Needham Market said in the House of Lords recently, neighbourhood planning is crucial in providing housing and promoting economic prosperity, and we pressed for the continuation of grant funding and other support. On funding, we called for a multi-year financial settlement with no extension of referendum principles and for our councils to have direct access to funding streams such as the continuation of the Community Ownership Fund. We also urged the government to revisit standards as part of their reset and plans to rebuild local government. Officials committed to further meetings as the new government’s priorities and policy programme become clearer.

New report on devolution

Staying on the subject of devolution, Justin was at a Future Governance Forum event at County Hall in London last week for the launch of their report Impactful Devolution: a new framework for inclusive local growth and national renewal. Principally focussed on regional devolution, the report puts forward a programme to help deliver Labour’s missions for government and drive local growth, calling for a new devolution framework built on partnership. Justin was at the event to engage with attendees and speakers on the role our councils can play in devolution, taking the opportunity to speak to the new MHCLG minister Jim McMahon MP where he congratulated him on his appointment, welcomed his remarks that “with more devolution we need more localism and community empowerment”, and stressed this should include our councils as local leaders. Both LGC and TheMJ have write ups of the minister’s speech.

Out and about

Jane Moore, legal services manager, attended the Lincolnshire Association of Local Council conference held in Grantham on 24 July 2024. Jane joined a panel discussion and Q&A with other participants, including the assistant director of democratic services at North Kesteven District Council, County Council representatives speaking on flood prevention and emergency planning and a health and safety consultant from NALC’s partner Worknest.

And finally… 

Local government annual pay increases for those on Green Book terms are determined through negotiations between Employer Representatives, through the LGA, and Trades Unions. Currently, the employers’ full and final pay offer has been rejected by Unite and UNISON. UNISON will conduct a ballot for industrial action from 4 September to 16 October, while Unite’s ballot for strike action will run from 27 August to 15 October. GMB members voted to accept the offer. NALC is not involved in these negotiations and has no influence over the timing, although we regularly press for early settlement as the delay in awarding pay increases is a concern in our councils. You will be familiar from previous years that the National Employers advise very strongly against imposing any pay offer before the collective bargaining process has concluded. Further updates will be provided in due course.