Newsletter 07/07/23
7 July 2023
Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.
Whitehall Cinema Bombing
Mid Sussex District Council’s Standards Committee – call for Nominations for Town and Parish Members
(Sent by MSDC to Town Councillors at East Grinstead Town Council)
We currently have four vacancies for Town and Parish Councillors to sit on the Mid Sussex District Council’s Standards Committee. The purpose of this email is to seek nominations for these vacancies.
If Members would like to sit on this committee, please could you send your nominations to committees@midsussex.gov.uk by 5pm Monday 31 July 2023. Please do include whether they have sat on this, or a similar committee in the past. We will be in touch to advise who has been appointed.
Standards Committee
The Committee comprises of six District Councillors and four Town and Parish Councillors. The role is for a four-year term until April 2027.
Three Independent Persons are also in attendance at committee meetings.
The Committee meets approximately twice a year, with meetings normally held in the evenings at 7.00pm at the Mid Sussex District Council Chamber in Haywards Heath.
The first Standards Committee meeting will be held on Monday 11 September 2023 at 7pm.
What does the role entail?
We are seeking Town and Parish Members to provide representation from across the District.
The role requires an ability to act with integrity and impartiality. The Council’s Standards Committee has a number of duties relating to:
- the promotion of high standards of conduct by Councillors,
- reviewing and monitoring complaints under the Council’s Complaints Procedure and
- monitoring the operation of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.
- Should a complaint against a Councillor require assessment, you may be required to sit on an Assessment Sub Committee and Hearings Panel. This would be on an ad-hoc basis and would comprise 3 members of the Standards Committee.
County Councils appointed to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies for Sussex
(Sent by West Sussex County Council to all major stakeholders)
West Sussex and East Sussex County Councils have been appointed as the ‘Responsible Authorities’ for the production of two Local Nature Recovery Strategies for Sussex over the next 18 months: one covering West Sussex, and one for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a flagship measure in the Environment Act 2021 to encourage more coordinated, practical, and focussed action and investment in nature. It is the first time that planning for nature recovery in England has been put on a statutory footing.
We will be working in partnership to produce these stakeholder-led and evidence-based strategies, supported by Brighton & Hove City Council and Natural England. We will explore what actions can be taken to address the biodiversity crisis in Sussex as well as related matters, including the impacts of climate change.
To develop these Local Nature Recovery Strategies, we will work in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Sussex Nature Partnership, local authorities, the South Downs National Park Authority and the bodies for the two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Sussex Wildlife Trust, and major landowners.
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “I’m delighted that the County Council has been appointed to prepare the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Sussex. We look forward to working with East Sussex County Council, our partners, and a wide range of stakeholders, including local communities, farmers and landowners, and biodiversity and natural environment experts. We want our Local Nature Recovery Strategies for Sussex to link nature to people and places and to explore what actions can be taken to deliver positive change for nature and to aid its recovery.”
Notes to editors:
- Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new policy contained in the Environment Act 2021.
- The responsible authorities are now able to begin preparing their strategies, which should take between 12-18 months. They will begin working with local stakeholders over the next few months.
- On 23 March 2023, the government published regulations and statutory guidance setting out the process that each responsible authority must follow and what each strategy should include.
- The preparation of each LNRS will be supported by Natural England, the Environment Agency, and the Forestry Commission.
- LNRS will not mandate any changes to local landowners.
Planning Applications & Decisions
Investing in Better Roads
(Sent by West Sussex County Council to all major stakeholders)
West Sussex County Council is investing a further £4.5 million into maintaining the county’s highways and roads following a sharp increase in the number of safety defects and issues being reported by our residents.
This gives a total boost of £14.5 million to funding for highways operations with the rest being made up of the £7 million increase in funds for road maintenance from the Council’s capital budget, and £3 million allocated to the county by central government for pothole repairs. We will continue to monitor the impact this increased funding has on the condition of the road network and will review if further investment is required.
Last year, West Sussex experienced one of its hottest summers, which was then followed by higher-than-average rainfall from September to January combined with extremely cold periods in the winter months. These extreme fluctuations in the weather caused repeated expansion and contraction of the road surfaces, which led to a higher-than-normal number of potholes forming.
Over the past four years, the County Council has received 15,800 reports about potholes on average per year. Within the first 5 months of 2023, we have received 22,000 reports of potholes and this number will continue to grow as the year progresses.
In order to make best use of resources, West Sussex County Council has introduced a number of proactive measures to try and tackle the ongoing problems faced by those who use our approximately 4,000km of road network.
The agreed funding will be used to provide resources to repair potholes including additional gangs working on the road network and procurement of an additional road patching machine, bringing our total to three road patching machines operating within the county this year. We will also be carrying out drainage works and refreshing signs and lines across West Sussex to improve visibility and safety.
Cllr Joy Dennis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: “We understand the frustrations felt by those who use our county’s roads over the poor conditions found in some areas and the impact this can have on their journeys. Please know that we feel that frustration too and are working hard to make improvements.
“This year, the County Council has agreed to exceptional one-off funding of £4.5million which is in addition to our agreed yearly budget for road maintenance. I am confident that this will enable us to tackle the majority of the current backlog of repairs through the summer months and provide smoother journeys to residents.”
Road users can report potholes using our online form. Please provide as much detail as you can about the size and exact location to help us to respond quickly. https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-pothole-online/
GATCOM News Bulletin
RSN Rural Funding Digest – July 2023 Edition
To access the new Rural Funding Digest please click this hyperlink.
The Rural Bulletin – 4 July 2023
To access the new Rural Bulletin please click this hyperlink.
Chief executive’s bulletin6 July 2023 A new online event on reconnecting communities through community transport This week NALC launched another online event on reconnecting communities through community transport on 27 March 2024. In recent years, the provision of community transport has become an increasingly important issue for local (parish and town) councils. This event will showcase successful community transport programmes that local councils have implemented, provide details about the national stakeholders, and show how local councils can collaborate with other organisations to improve transport options in their area. Register your place today and visit our website to learn more about our other online events. National Assembly agenda papers NALC’s National Assembly will next meet on 11 July 2023. The assembly comprises councillor representatives from all 43 county associations. Next week’s agenda includes NALC committee elections, strategic updates on the office move, proposals on NALC governance, updates from committee chairs and a discussion on the climate emergency, including a guest speaker from Utility Aid. You can read the full agenda on our website. On the blog: The Climate Coalition The Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group dedicated to action against climate change, writes this week’s blog. Local councils have a unique opportunity to spearhead initiatives in the communities they know best, which will contribute to a more sustainable future. The blog lists five ways local councils and communities in the UK can get involved, tackle climate change, and create more climate-friendly environments. These include communications, sustainable practices, encouraging low-carbon travel, promoting nature and green spaces, and collaboration and partnerships. Read the blog to learn how your local council can create climate-friendly environments that contribute to the fight against climate change. Net zero Leicestershire! This week on 3 July 2023, I gave an update on the work local councils are doing nationally to deliver on net zero to this year’s annual parish council liaison event hosted by the Leicestershire and Rutland Association of Local Councils (LRALC) and Leicestershire County Council (LCC). It was a well-attended face-to-face event, and good to hear what councils are doing locally. Another presenter flagged up the experience of one parish council that had set up a repair cafe saving some 35.3m tonnes of CO2 emissions. This annual event is an excellent example of partnership working with LRALC and LCC, also holding operational meetings every six weeks to brief clerks on developments and respond to questions. Local Government Association survey on remote meetings A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) overwhelmingly found that most councils (95 per cent) want the powers to reintroduce virtual and hybrid technology for statutory council meetings. Two years have passed since the government’s call for evidence on the issue closing. Our chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, was also quoted in the findings: “We need to make it easier, not harder, for people to participate in civic life and get involved in their local communities. Giving local (parish and town) councils the flexibility to hold online and hybrid council meetings is a great place to start and should be decided locally and not in Downing Street”. The BBC also covered the story of the survey’s findings that councillors are quitting over in-person meetings. A legal requirement to hold full council meetings in person was temporarily dropped during the pandemic but reintroduced in May 2021. The survey found that one in 10 councils had seen members stand down since then due to the change. Why do parish councils matter? Ahead of NALC’s fringe session at the LGA Conference, representatives from the LGA’s four political groups (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent) have written essays on why they think local councils matter. It includes their closeness to the communities they serve, their empowerment of local communities by involving them in decision-making processes, their ability to provide a rapid yet locally-led response to national events and to deliver essential local services and the vital role they play in environmental stewardship and in holding principal authorities to account. You can read all the essays on our website. Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments new website The Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments (SAAA) launched their new website last week. The new design has improved many functions, such as better layout and more detailed navigation, making information much more accessible and much easier to find for authorities, stakeholders and the general public. The new website has various key documents, explains the audit process in more detail, and allows searching by county area for the appointed auditor. It also contains Google Analytics, which will allow for more significant insights to help make further improvements in the future. Check out the website! Eden Project — Community Nature Trails The Eden Project is inviting local communities to get involved with their new initiative and create a Community Nature Trail this summer. A Community Nature Trail is a local map developed by the community for the community that highlights spaces, activities, events, and projects that helps bring people closer to nature and each other. The Eden Project partnered with RSPB, More Human, and members of the Community Action Collective to develop the project. More Human, a community events expert organisation, has made it easy for communities to build, promote, and share nature trails. This summer, you can get the neighbourhood involved in nature-related activities by creating your Community Nature Trail today! And finally… Last week, we shared some information on our partners, GoCollaborate, offering free online demonstrations of their consultation and engagement tool. Unfortunately, the date for their session was incorrect. County officers, councillors and clerks can register for a half-hour session on 10 July at 11 am or 2 pm to see and discuss how the tool can be used to gain high-quality community feedback and information needed to assist in making robust and inclusive planning decisions. |
NALC Newsletter
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