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