14 August 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.

Chief Executive Bulletin

10 August 2023

A new webpage dedicated to planning 

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.
• Finance and Scrutiny Committee — Five 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.

What are the latest offers and discounts?

• The government has extended the bus cap fare of £2 until 31 October 2023. After this, the bus fare cap will change to £2.50 for single tickets until 30 November 2024.
• 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!
• The county council provides a free bus pass to people who are disabled, incapacitated, or medically unfit to drive.
• 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.

Planning applications and decisions