2 October 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.

Planning Applications

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner – National Rural Crime Network

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Speed limit on road outside of school in Shipley reduced to make children’s journey safer

Children, parents and staffs’ journey to a school in Shipley has been made safer as the speed limit is reduced from 60mph to 30mph on School Lane and Red Lane and 20mph on a section outside of the school.

West Sussex County Council received an application for a speed limit traffic regulation order to reduce the speed from 60mph to 30mph due to many children and parents walking to Shipley CE Primary School from the nearby area. The change was applied in August 2023 and thanks to West Sussex County Council’s new speed limit policy a further reduction to 20mph outside of the school was implemented.

In December 2022 the speed limit policy was approved by Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, speaking about the policy Joy said: “The policy was introduced to help vulnerable road users and make active travel choices more attractive in West Sussex.

“Part of the policy includes an option for lower speed limits on rural roads and to make it easier for 20mph limits to be introduced outside of schools. The safety of children going to school is of the upmost importance to us so it’s great to see this policy being used effectively in Shipley.

“I hope that this change also encourages children, parents and staff to feel safe and confident to walk or cycle to the school.”

Both the speed limit policy and decision to lower the speed limit supports active travel, which is one of the key aspects of the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022 – 2036, which also underpins the Council Plan priority of supporting a sustainable and prosperous economy.

The applicant of the speed limit traffic regulation order, Sarah Cuthbertson said: “I’m hugely grateful and delighted to West Sussex County Council for approving and implementing the new 20/30MPH zone. 

“With cars being faster than ever before, it is so easy to not realise how fast we are driving. Slower speeds are crucial, especially on single carriage roads such as Red Lane and School Lane, which in particular sees a high volume of traffic during term times due to the primary school, but it also doubles up as a popular road for walkers and equestrians too.”

Amanda Jupp, local councillor for Billingshurst who supported this scheme said: “With the introduction of the new 20 mph speed limit outside Shipley School, I hope that this will make it safer for all drivers and school users.  My thanks to all who supported it.”

If a community identifies support for a speed limit change – including support from the local County Councillor and Parish Council (if there is one) it will be considered via the existing Traffic Regulation Order or Community Highway Scheme process depending on whether additional measures are required.

More information about Traffic Regulation Orders and how to apply for them can be found on West Sussex County Council’s website at https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/traffic-regulation-orders/.

NALC Events

Model Financial Regulations consultation 2 October 2023 — 12.00 – 13.00 12 October 2023 — 18.30 – 19.30 NALC is working with The Parkinson Partnership LLP to update its 2019 Model Financial Regulations for England and Wales. The model financial regulations are part of a support package that local (parish and town) councils receive through their NALC and county association membership. They are an essential tool for councils of all sizes, setting out the framework within which the council ensures responsible, sustainable and compliant management of its finances. NALC is seeking views on the technical aspects of the regulations. The responses will inform the revision and content of the model financial regulations.

Empowering young voices in your community

25 October 2023 — 12.00 – 13.15

Local (parish and town) councils have a long history of working with young people in their communities. However, engaging with today’s youth can be challenging, especially with the rapid changes in technology and communication.

This event aims to provide practical tips and guidance on new ways to engage with young people in your community, understand their needs, and gather their views on crucial local topics. By listening to young people’s voices, local councils can empower them to become leaders and spokespeople for change in their communities.

Join us to learn about strategies for engaging with young people that go beyond traditional methods and find out how to get the most out of the local leaders of tomorrow in your area. Our expert speakers will share their experiences creating effective youth engagement programs, using digital tools, and building strong partnerships with schools, youth organisations, and other community stakeholders.

Whether you are a local councillor, community leader, or youth worker, this event is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable wisdom and helpful tips on engaging with young people and empowering them to impact your community positively. Join us and discover how to harness the power of youth voices to create a better future for all.

Speakers: Danny Brown (British Youth Council), Cllr Adam Duce (Godalming Town Council) and Cllr Stefan Heighway (Great Dawley Town Council)

Making the planning system work for local councils

22 November 2023 — 12.00 – 13.15

Planning is undoubtedly the most significant issue affecting most parished communities in England. While the government has retreated from some of its controversial policy commitments from the 2020 white paper, it is time to re-examine the sector’s current concerns about planning in local council areas.

Join us at this exciting event to hear from a national policy stakeholder and relevant planning case studies from the local council sector on improving the planning system to meet local (parish and town) council needs. Our expert speakers will share their knowledge on the challenges and opportunities of planning in local councils and discuss approaches for improving community engagement, promoting sustainable development, and ensuring a fair and transparent planning process.

You will have the opportunity to engage in lively discussions with fellow attendees and learn from the experiences of other local councils facing similar planning challenges. Whether you are a local councillor, community leader, planner, or resident interested in planning issues, this event is an excellent opportunity to gain wisdom on revitalising your community’s planning.

Join us and discover how to work towards a planning system that meets the needs of local councils and empowers communities to shape their future.

Speakers: Richard Blyth (Royal Town Planning Institute), Cllr Sue Camp (Sevenoaks Town Council Planning Committee), Cllr Sanchia Davidson (Wing Parish Council) and Cllr Helen Sunday (Wing Parish Council)

Winning strategies for the funding game 15 December 2023 — 12.00 – 13.15 Local (parish and town) councils play a vital role in their communities, providing essential services and facilities and promoting economic and social development. However, unlike other local authorities, local councils generally cannot directly apply to central government funding. This event aims to showcase these exceptions and provide information on why it makes sense from a funder’s perspective for local councils to be able to apply for such funds. You will hear from experts and local councils that have successfully secured grant funding. They will share their experiences and tips on navigating the current funding environment and increasing your chances of success. Join us at this event to discover strategies for winning the funding game. You will learn about the types of funding available to local councils, the eligibility criteria, and the application process. You will also hear about successful case studies that have secured financing and how they have used the funds to benefit their communities. Whether you are a local councillor, clerk, or community leader, this event is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable insights on accessing funding sources and making the most of funding opportunities for your community. Join us and learn how to play the funding game and win! The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of social media in the local council sector 28 February 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15 Social media can be a powerful tool for local (parish and town) councils to engage with their communities, but it can also be a source of conflict and negativity. This event will explore the benefits and drawbacks of social media use in the sector and provide guidance on how to use it effectively and responsibly. Join us for a candid discussion on the dos and don’ts of social media in the local council sector. We’ll explore case studies and best practices and provide actionable advice on creating a social media policy that promotes civility and respect. Whether you’re a seasoned social media user or just getting started, this event is a must-attend for anyone who wants to use social media to build stronger communities. Reconnecting communities through community transport 27 March 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15 The provision of community transport has become an increasingly important issue for local (parish and town) councils in recent years. With limited public transport options available in many areas, local councils must step up and support low-cost and sustainable community transport schemes to ensure their communities are connected and can access essential services. Join us at this event, where we will showcase successful community transport programmes that local councils have implemented. We will also provide details into the national stakeholder scene and how local councils can collaborate with other organisations to improve transport options in their area. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the benefits of community transport, how to establish partnerships and funding opportunities, and how your local council can make a difference in reconnecting your community through transport.

Modality Mid Sussex CQC Report Publication

MODSUS CQC Report Press Release 26.09.23 PDF

NALC Chief executive’s bulletin

28 September 2023

NALC and LGA chairs meeting

NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, met with the new Local Government Association (LGA) chair, Cllr Shaun Davies, on 26 September 2023. Keith took the opportunity to congratulate Shaun in person on his election at the LGA Conference in July this year and to highlight the importance of the two organisations, which collectively represent all councils in England, continuing to work closely together. They spoke about their priorities for each organisation (you can read about Shaun’s in his LGA conference speech and Keith’s in his first open letter), many of which are complimentary, and shared ambitions to promote the work of local government and support improvement. Keith was struck by Shaun’s recognition and support for the critical part that local (parish and town) councils play in local government – given he is also a town councillor – and his understanding of the issues and challenges facing our tier of local government. Other topics covered included our respective work on civility and respect and improvement and development. Keith also raised new work by the LGA to develop proposals for a Local Government White Paper to be published before the next general election, proposing that NALC write a section on local councils, which was welcomed and agreed. They also agreed to meet every few months and keep in regular touch.

New chair of the Improvement and Development Board

I am pleased to announce that NALC and SLCC have appointed James Alexander as the new independent chair of the Improvement and Development Board. The board oversees a range of national initiatives that support councils to be ever more effective and ambitious, including the CiLCA qualification and Local Council Award Scheme. James will help us continue driving our improvement strategy for the sector.

NALC urges the government to keep planning local

Responding to the latest Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities consultation on permitted development rights on 25 September 2023, we urged the government to keep planning local and democratic. In our submission, we argued that while we agree that more housing and affordable housing should be built, especially in rural areas, permitted development rights being the sole means to this end was not the answer. We stated these aims should be realised through democratic local planning authorities after consultation with local councils.

NALC and SLCC Design Code Pathfinder Showcase

We co-delivered an online event with the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) on the Design Code Pathfinder Programme on 20 September 2023. The event provided updates on how the 25 areas funded since 2022 with the government’s £3 million Design Code Pathfinder Programme – including £30,000 recently awarded to Weymouth Town Council – have used the funding to develop pilot design codes to help improve the look and feel of the built environment in their areas. Cllr Peter Allison, vice chair of NALC’s Policy Committee, chaired the event, which included a presentation on how Herefordshire Council had worked with local councils to create pilot design codes.

Liberal Democrat Party Autumn Conference

The party-political conference season has officially kicked off! I joined a panel event organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Local Trust at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference on 25 September 2023. The panel discussed whether we need to improve representation and participation in local councils or if a new model is required. Liberal Democrat Peer Baroness Pinnock and chief executive of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors, Cllr Tim Pickstone, stressed the importance of widening participation in our sector and engaging with younger people. The packed fringe event also heard from a committee member at Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Forum, George Atzev, about the challenges of building community governance in one the country’s most deprived areas with limited community assets and an often-transient population. I made the case that local councils (sometimes called community councils) should be at the centre of neighbourhood renewal nationwide. Local Trust also shared its manifesto for community and neighbourhood governance reform. Whilst there are some aspects of their conclusions we might not support, particularly around developing alternative models to local councils, we agree with their emphasis on improving neighbourhood governance, reducing bureaucracy and making it easier to set up local councils. The report illustrates quite bluntly the importance of our sector reaching out to different communities, encouraging participation, delivering for residents and upholding the highest standards so that it is the preferred solution for local governance. NALC’s vice-chair (member services), Cllr Mike Drew, and Management Board member, Cllr Bob Blezzard, were also at the conference with Anders Hansen, member services manager, making a case for why local councils matter and supporting several training sessions for councillors.

New neighbourhood planning and 20-minute neighbourhoods toolkit

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have published a new toolkit as part of their collection on the 20-minute neighbourhood. Neighbourhood planning gives communities the right to plan and influence development in their area. This practical toolkit, developed with the University of Manchester, aims to empower communities to create and shape their places to face the present and future challenges. It is for anyone interested in starting or working on a neighbourhood plan. By offering a framework for neighbourhood plans based on the 20-minute neighbourhood concept and diverse policy examples, TCPA hopes the toolkit can inspire communities to design healthier, more active and thriving environments for all.

Bexhill Town Council and women’s representation

Bexhill Town Council (which I’m pleased to say NALC helped create in 2021) recently passed a motion for its committees to comprise at least one-third of women. They may be the first council to take this step, and it’s a bold statement of commitment to ensure women’s voices are present across all the council’s work. Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services at NALC, met with several council members on 25 September 2023 to hear more about how that motion came to be raised and to think about the broader issues of women’s representation, barriers to women standing to be councillors and sharing some of NALC’s work on this. If this topic interests you, you can learn more about our Make a Change campaign and women councillors network, let us know if the town council aren’t alone in taking this step.

On the blog: Forestry Commission

This week’s blog is from the chief executive of the Forestry Commission, Richard Stanford MBE. He writes on the significance of supporting your communities through tree planting, as with growing environmental pressures to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, never has it been a more important time to grow trees. Both the government and local authorities share a common goal to halt the decline in biodiversity and achieve net zero by 2050. The blog shares case studies on helping local authorities respond to biodiversity and climate emergencies. Check out the blog to find out more!

National Network: Coastal communities

Our national network on coastal communities for local councils in coastal areas held its latest online meeting on 26 September 2023. Senior researcher at the think tank Onward, Jenevieve Treadwell, gave a presentation on their research report Troubled Waters: Tackling the crisis on England’s coast, which was published last week. Issues covered during questions and discussion included the challenges in delivering housing, especially affordable housing and ensuring community support. The network also discussed how coastal communities deal with anti-social behaviour where members shared experiences from their areas, including how they work with other agencies. Rebecca Macdonald-Loftus from the LGA’s Coastal Special Interest Group (SIG) provided an update on their work. The SIG is pushing for better metrics from the government on coastal communities to ensure what is happening gets picked up and not absorbed in wider data. The Motion for the Ocean has now been supported by 18 councils, including some local councils, and Rebecca strongly urged the network to consider supporting and promoting the motion. The SIG is also calling for a coastal minister, as this responsibility doesn’t rest with any government minister, and is engaging with a new coastal policy group set up within DLUHC. Pledge For The Coast will be the SIG’s next campaign, launching on 17 October 2023, calling on everyone (whether you live in a coastal area or not) to do something to support the coast – more details will be available shortly. The network’s next meeting is on 23 November. If you’re a local council in a coastal area and want to connect with your colleagues, please do sign up for the network.

National Network: Super councils

This year’s third online meeting of the super councils network took place on 21 September 2023. The network responded to their views on an emerging policy on a higher trigger for local council by-elections. Our current positions on parish polls were also discussed, and updates were provided on the responses to the latest government consultations on hedgerows, permitted development rights and local plans. Super councils interested in participating in the NALC/LGA Corporate Peer Challenge programme are asked to send expressions of interest to anders.hanson@nalc.gov.uk.

County association conference and events

Our head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, was at the Essex Association of Local Councils (EALC) Annual General Meeting and Conference on 21 September 2023 at the JobServe Community Stadium, home of Colchester United Football Club. It was great to see the critical work of the county association in building relationships with other public services in the county directly reflected in the event as it was held in conjunction with the Essex County Council. Speakers included the council’s deputy leader, the chief constable, the chief fire officer, and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. In his opening remarks, the commissioner thanked local councils for everything they do, adding, “Community safety is the bedrock to building prosperity and pride in our communities… where we have them, local councils provide more social cohesion and civic pride… you are people we can talk to, which makes a huge difference”. On having reduced anti-social behaviour by two-thirds over the last year, he added, “That is a result of partnership working with you and the local intelligence you provide”. In a panel session, Justin spoke about the role of local councils in building strong communities, the support provided by NALC and EALC to help local councils unleash their potential, and what more communities can do to help vulnerable people. It was also great to see and catch up with several of NALC’s partner organisations supporting the conference, including Blachere Illumination, CCLA, The Parkinson Partnership and Utility Aid. Well done, EALC colleagues, on a great event!

And finally…

I’m pleased there has been so much interest in the free events as part of our consultation on the Model Financial Regulations. There’s still time to book your place at an event and complete the survey. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help us ensure this document continues to be a valuable resource to local councils.