More funding for Community Rights work goes to Locality

Communities Minister, Stephen Williams MP announced on 18 February 2015 a new £6 million funding boost to the Community Rights programme.

This new funding will mean:

•  Likeminded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network
•  Communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches
•  100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities
•  100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans
•  50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise
•   50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership

Stephen Williams MP also announced the awarding of six new contracts to support communities in using Community Rights in 2015 to 2016. These contracts have been awarded to Locality, Co-operatives UK and The Community Development Foundation (CDF).

These six new contracts are:

• Advice service and network - Locality and the Community Development Foundation with the Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and Anthony Collins Solicitors
• Community economic development – Co-operatives UK with New Economics Foundation, Community Development Foundation, The Community Development Finance Association and Locality
• Community ownership and management of assets – Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, Community Matters, Plunkett Foundation, Civic Voice, Ubele and Voice 4 Change grant administration – Groundwork
•  Neighbourhood planning and community Right to Build – Locality with URS-AECOM, a leading planning consultancy, and a number of other specialist sub-contractors including Design Council/CABE, the Royal Town Planning Institute and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
•  First steps and Our Place - Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Community Development Foundation, The Local Government Association and The National Association of Local Councils

See the interactive community rights map

Neighbourhood Planning - phone in

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is to host a live phone-in on neighbourhood planning with Brandon Lewis MP, Minister for Housing and Planning on 10 March 2015.
DCLG would like lots of people involved or interested in neighbourhood planning to join conversation – including from parish and town councils.

You can join Mr Lewis on 10 March 2015 at 10.30am to 11.30am for this live public phone-in.

Mr Lewis will be taking your calls and it is an opportunity to speak to him about neighbourhood planning issues that local councils are facing, questions councils may have or successes they want to share. Questions can be asked at any time during the phone-in or people can simply listen into the conversation. It should be a lively discussion so anyone interested should start thinking about what they would like to ask Mr Lewis about neighbourhood planning.

You will need to register to join in

Business Rates refunds

NALC writes in its Direct Information Service:
 
"The government is changing the rules on refunds on business rates.

If you have not appealed against your business rates by 31st March 2015 you will lose 70% of any refund you are entitled to. If you appeal after 31st March and a reduction is agreed you will only be entitled to a refund from April 2015 not April 2010."

There are caveats but if your council pays business rates it might be worth investigating before 31st March. More information here:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/small-business-rate-relief

Revised Legal Topic Note 14 E on Byelaws

Legal Topic Note 14 has been revised by NALC to bring it up to date. 

Parish Councils have the to power to create byelaws in relation to a variety of matters including public walks and pleasure grounds, hiring pleasure boats, open space, managing mortuaries, regulating wash houses, public bathing, markets and parking spaces for bikes and motorbikes. An arcane list; but most parish councils use byelaws for restricting dogs on recreation grounds. The failure to observe a byelaw is a criminal offence but in practice the police are often reluctant to prosecute the breach. A sign to notify users of the presence of a byelaw may have a deterrent effect.

The revised LTN includes a useful flow chart illustrating the steps-

• preliminary research
• drafting the byelaw
• provisional approval DCLG
• advertising the byelaw
• confirmation by DCLG
• if contentious a public inquiry
• approval by Sec. of State.

The complete LTN is available on the NALC website. BALC member councils have a username and password to assess the Members Area of the NALC website.

February HR briefing - sickness absence

Further to last month’s review of Sick Pay arrangements for council employees this month we are taking a look at managing the absence itself – employee rights, employer obligations and how a council can manage absence.

• Why is Sickness Absence such a concern in local councils?
• What measures can a council adopt to manage sickness absence?
• How can we get a medical opinion?
• When might absence lead to a misconduct disciplinary action?
• When might absence lead to a capability process?
• Can an employee be dismissed under a Capability Procedure?
• What about equality legislation relating to disability rights?
• What other measures can be adopted to support attendance at work?

For more information take a look at:
GOV.uk guidance:  https://www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leaveHealth and Safety Executive guidance:  http://www.hse.gov.uk/sicknessabsence/
The new Government-backed Occupational Health service (more information to follow before April 2015 launch) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/362480/fit-for-work.pdf 

The full briefing is on the BALC website here

Prepared by Bethan Osborne, Employment and HR Consultant to Berkshire Association of Local Councils - February 2015

The Casual Vacancy - is it a true reflection of your council?

c Daily Mail JK Rowling

As you may be aware, the start of the BBC One series The Casual Vacancy prompted NALC to issue a media release, commenting on the portrayal of parish councils in the programme – and to give a broader perspective of the sector and its work.

NALC has also shared an account of parish life by Emma Kane, chairman of Hook Norton Parish Council, which was published in response to The Casual Vacancy, in last Friday’s Telegraph online.


With elections coming up this is an opportunity to use the programme to highlight the important work your council does for its community. Parish councils are changing despite the continued Vicar of Dibley image. This is a rare opportunity to write to your local paper or even better, blog, post on Facebook and Tweet, about the lively stuff that your council does in response to the needs of everyone in the community.

An app for parish councils is being developed

A company called Boud Digital has contacted BALC about an app for parish councils. It sounds like an interesting idea which your council may want to investigate. BALC has no association with this company and does not endorse its products whatsoever. 

This is their email:

Boud Digital is creating an affordable way for Local & Parish Councils to have their own App so as to better share information - and engage - throughout their community. We thought this would be of interest to share with your member Councils.

As the Local & Parish Council App will be self-contained on residents' phones, it will provide visual encouragement to regularly check in to see what is new.

We are creating a Content Management System and a range of tailored templates that will enable the App to be built quickly and easily. It can be updated whenever needed.

The cost is just £360 per year (plus vat). Payment will not be required  until content has been entered and the Council is ready to publish.


We also offering 10% off the first year's subscription to those who express their interest between now and the end of March.  There is no obligation to complete the subscription when the templates become available.

Local & Parish Council App visuals can be viewed on the Boud Digital website, and Prospectus can be downloaded from there as well.

Please contact us on 07957 576765 or email michael@boud.com if you have any questions.

Elections - Purdah starts 30th March - be aware

Guidance in the run up to the elections – the period of electoral purdah

The provisions of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity 2011 apply to all town and parish councils.

During the run up to an election the Code contains relevant provisions which you need to be aware of paragraphs 33 – 35 (see below).  This is often referred to as the "purdah" period and will start on 30 March 2015 and continue until the election.

“Elections, Referendums and Petitions. The period between the notice of an election and the election itself should preclude proactive publicity in all its forms of candidates and other politicians involved directly in the election. Publicity should not deal with controversial issues or report views, proposals, or recommendations in such a way that identifies them with individual councillors or groups of councillors. However, it is acceptable for the authority to respond in appropriate circumstances to events and legitimate service enquiries provided that their answers are factual and not party political. Councillors holding key political or civic positions should be able to comment in an emergency or where there is a genuine need for a member level response to an important event outside the authority’s control. Proactive events arranged in this period should not involve councillors likely to be standing for election”.

During this period no town or parish council should publish publicity relating to particular individuals involved directly in the election. Publicity refers to any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public, or a section of the public, and could include news releases, newsletters, items on websites, advertising etc. The Code of Recommended Practice seeks to ensure that council resources and facilities are not perceived by the public to have been used for election campaigning or political purposes during the purdah period and that the political impartiality of employees has also been maintained.

The following points summarise the guidance for Councillors and council employees (thanks to Lincolnshire): 

GREEN LIGHT: Acceptable Practice

Usual Business Matters:

• Publicity with Council quotes from Clerk only.
• Reactive publicity can include Councillors holding Civic positions if commenting in an emergency or a major news event outside the Council’s control.
• Councillors can create their own individual, non political publicity.
• Councillors can attend events arranged by other organisations, but the same restrictions apply about quoting such events in any Council publicity.
• Decision-making will continue as usual, and the decisions will be publicised, subject to the restrictions about quotes.

AMBER LIGHT: Acceptable Practice; Proceed with Caution/ Seek Prior Advice

Quotations (direct / indirect):

• Councillors not involved in the election may make quotes or may be quoted if there are no political tones or references contained within the quotes.
• Avoid proactively scheduling events attracting public and media interest. Events that are unavoidable should not publicise individual councillors or their respective political parties and policies.

RED LIGHT: Unacceptable Practice; Do not Proceed

• Councillors involved in the election will not be quoted in proactive news releases issued by the Council.
• Councillors involved in the election should not attend any events organised by the Council that may attract significant numbers of members of the public, or media interest.
• No election materials, political posters or leaflets must be displayed on any Council premises or property (including street furniture, notice boards, market stalls, web-site etc.).

NALC Council of the week - are you doing something innovative?

NALC has a feature on the front page of its website  called -  Council of the Week. So far it has featured 12 councils with a great mix of achievements and stories. Two of those featured councils came from Berkshire - Wokingham and Thatcham Town Councils, of which BALC is very proud.

BALC is looking for more innovative and dynamic councils from Berkshire to nominate as Council of the Week.

If you would like to nominate your council please could you send to BALC:

• 400-500 words with clear examples of good, innovative practice
• photographs that are representative of the town / village in some way or of the particular project that you want to highlight

This is your opportunity to be famous for a week.

Each council must surely have project they are proud of, perhaps you are doing something different or innovative, perhaps using the General Power of Competence in an imaginative way? 

Please send your words and photos to christinelalley@ccberks.org.uk

Congratulations to Thatcham Town Council, NALC Council of the Week

This week NALC celebrate the work of Thatcham Town Council , West Berkshire.

Thatcham Town Council is an extremely professional, efficient and well run council, reflected in its excellent communication and website.  The website is informative, simple to use, easy to navigate and regularly updated with news stories. There have been seven stories added just since Christmas!

In particular, the Berkshire Association of Local Councils and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) would like to highlight the positive work that Thatcham does in the community – from electing a young mayor and councillor and setting up a flood forum to redeveloping a listed building in the town and for the annual Thatcham Festival, which is so good it has grown into a two-week long event.

The festival is a celebration of the talents of local artists, crafts people, musicians and performers and is a key part of the council’s agenda. 

The complete article is here on the NALC website

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Update to NALC Legal Topic Note 5

NALC Legal Topic Note  5 Parish and Community Council Meetings  has been updated to take account of:

1.      a law change in England that permits email service of the summons and agenda (SI The Local Government (Electronic Communications) (England) Order 2015

2.      the government’s requirement that councils in England with turnover not exceeding £25,000 should publish the summons, agenda and draft minutes on a website. Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities

The updated LTN 5 can be accessed on the NALC website. BALC members have their log in details to the new NALC website. If you have forgotten them please contact  BALC

NALC Procurement toolkit

Procurement toolkit

In order to ensure the best use of public money we need to be smarter in how we procure the things we need.  Where another public body has a contract we can use, it meets our requirements and offers value for money we should use it.  Where there is none then we may need professional advice on how to let our own.

This toolkit provides signposts to other public buying organisations who have contracts we can use and bodies that can provide professional procurement services and tendering support.  A simple checklist highlights the common issues and pitfalls we need to address and there is also advice on preparing specifications and complying with legislation.

NALC is committed to supporting its members in achieving value for money contracts whilst minimising the resources needed to do so.

This piece of work was commissioned by NALC’s Larger Councils’ Committee and drawn together by Shar Roselman, Town Clerk Newport Pagnall.


The toolkit is here

FREE spaces for Oxfordshire co-operative pubs study visit – 26 and 27 February

Free places are available to anyone interested in saving their local pub as a community-owned business to visit two thriving examples in Oxfordshire later this month.

The Bull in Great Milton and the Seven Stars in Marsh Baldon will open their doors on the 26 February to give people the opportunity to learn from their experiences of saving their much-loved local from closure by purchasing and running it as a community enterprise. Networking and discussion sessions will then take place in Woodstock on Friday 27 February between 9:30am and 12pm

Organised by local charity the Plunkett Foundation, the study tour will escort attendees from its base in Woodstock to The Bull – opened in 2013 by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc – to learn how the community rallied to form a committee and save the 17th century pub from closure in just five months. The group will then proceed to the Seven Stars to learn about the co-operative ownership model in more depth, followed by dinner and the opportunity to network with others, including Julian Ross from the Old Crown, the first co-operative pub in England, and Plunkett Foundation advisers. Discussions and networking will continue the following day.

Included in the study visit is:

• One night’s accommodation at The Bear in Woodstock on 26 Feb;
• Travel between the two co-operative pubs and The Bear;
• Dinner at the Seven Stars co-operative pub in Marsh Baldon;
• Discussion sessions on Friday morning with refreshments.

Places are extremely limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would value the opportunity to learn first-hand from those involved in the setting up and running of co-operative pubs please email info@plunkett.co.uk or call 01993 810730.

Harriet English, Membership Manager

Plunkett Foundation     Tel: 01993 814374

Twitter: @HarrietPlunkett

NALC 'lobby day' June 2015

The National Association of Local Council (NALC) is to hold its first ever 'lobby day' aimed at promoting local (parish and town) councils to Members of Parliament.

NALC's Policy Committee this week approved outline plans to hold a 'lobby day' of Parliament after the General Election, which will include representatives of the first tier of local government from across the country meeting with MPs in Westminster to raise awareness, improve understanding and strengthen relationships.

One of the key issues the parish sector will be talking about and promoting is the NALC Manifesto, which sets out its positive offer to the next Government alongside a series of measures to put communities more in control of their areas through stronger local democracy, fairer funding and more powers.

Cllr Ken Browse, chairman of NALC said: "In the first 100 days of the new Parliament I want to see MPs up their game and improve their awareness of town and parish councils in their constituency and the vital work they do to improve their areas.

“Our 'lobby day' aims to do just this and I hope as many MPs as possible will take the time on 30 June 2015 to meet with representatives from our councils and county associations of local councils in Westminster.

“New town and parish councils are being created every year as a result of communities wanting more of a say over their area; so I’m particularly keen for MPs in unparished areas such as our larger towns and cities to engage with us and understand the benefits of grassroots democracy, representation and community action.”

Display Energy Certificates DCLG consultation

Consultation on the current regime and how it could be streamlined and improved.

Brimpton Village Hall

Part 1 of the consultation considers ways to improve compliance with and enforcement of the requirements for the issue and display of energy certificates in public buildings.

Part 2 of the consultation considers the extent to which the existing requirements for the issue and display of energy certificates in public buildings could be modified to reduce the burden of compliance, whilst providing an effective tool to encourage public sector energy efficiency.

Finally, the questions are followed by a call for evidence. The Department of Communities and Local Government invites anyone who wishes to contribute to provide information on public buildings in their care, and the costs associated with obtaining and maintaining appropriate energy certificates.

The consultation is here and closes on 11th March 2015