BIG TREE PLANT – LAST ROUND OF FUNDING

Community groups are invited to apply to the Big Tree Plant’s final funding round by 30th August 2013.  For more info on how to apply, visit the Forestry Commission website

The Big Tree Plant is a national tree planting campaign being delivered by civil society partners and conservation organisations with Defra and the Forestry Commission.  The aim of the Big Tree Plant is to plant 1 million new trees by 2015 supported by £4million of grant funding from the Forestry Commission.  

The Big Tree Plant is on target to achieve this goal with 152 individual projects funded through the grant scheme and funding already allocated to plant almost 965,000 trees.  Of these trees, over 475,000 trees have been planted to date.  Local groups have identified over £7m of match funding to deliver their projects. 70% of trees in the Big Tree Plant programme will be planted in the country’s most deprived and least green areas.  The trees must be planted with landowner permission in open spaces, neighbourhoods or on streets that are open to all to visit or where local people will benefit from them.

Rural Proofing Guidelines unveiled

Guidelines to ensure government policies don't discriminate against rural communities have been published online. The rural proofing guidelines were published by DEFRA and are available here in a short amd simple two page leaflet.

Policy makers are encouraged to adopt a simple three stage process which is outlined in the document. They should allow for higher rural unit delivery costs in funding formulae or allocations. They could also look at alternative means of providing and accessing services in rural areas such as through the use of volunteers or social enterprise. Outreach, mobile services or localised delivery can reduce the need for people to travel to access or receive certain services. Alternatively, policy makers could consider better integration or improvement of transport links and avoid the thinking of one-size-fits-all.

A call for Berkshire voluntary groups to join the Safer Future Communities Network

The Safer Future Communities Network has been established to enable the voluntary sector to communicate and engage with Anthony Stansfield, Police and Crime Commissioner and other voluntary organisations in the Thames Valley as well share new ideas. 

Although town and parish councils are not part of the voluntary sector, they have been encourgaed to use this route when they wish to access the ear of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The network will be an extremely useful information sharing platform and will include two events during the year. The first event is coming up on 17 July in Reading. It is free and open to all who join the Network. 

For more information and to join the Safer Future Communities Network, please contact Kanika Lang at kanika.lang@ocva.org.uk or call 01865 258914.

Local Council Insurance AON

NALC has lobbied AON UK Ltd and this has resulted in 30% off their standard Local Councils insurance premium until 31st July 2013 plus an additional 5% if you are a Quality Council and 5% if you sign a 3 year Long Term Agreement. (30% discount does not apply to the Legal Expenses part of this cover.)

Find out more about local council insurance and fill in an online application form:

New 4th edition of The Good Councillor's Guide available soon

The latest edition of the essential guide for councillors is available via the NALC website, with a new section on Community Rights. 

It is available on line and will be available in hard copy, BALC are waiting to know what individual copies will cost and will let member councils know as soon as possible.

Unlocking the General Power of Competence - confidence to innovate

A joint LGA and NALC Conference on Tuesday 23rd July. 

Places are free to NALC and LGA member councils only

The General Power of Competence was introduced as part of the Localism Act 2011. It gives councils the power to do anything that an individual can do for the benefit of their communities and has the potential to open doors previously closed to councils anxious to meet the financial challenge head on by doing things differently.

This event is an opportunity to look at how the Power is currently being used innovatively by councils and the opportunities and challenges it presents. It is a must for any council wanting to innovate. The event will also launch a report exploring how the power is being used and features real case studies.

To book go here to the LGA website

NALC promotes its policy achievements

The National Association of Local Councils recently published and uploaded a document summarising its main policy achievements over recent months: http://www.nalc.gov.uk/About_NALC/Benefits_of_Membership/Benefits_of_Membership_document.aspx 
The document also highlights how these recent policy achievements benefit member councils of the County and National Associations, as well as the wider local councils’ sector nationally.

Some of the National Association’s main policy achievements of recent months can be summarised below:

• Securing the extension of the right to directly propose under the Sustainable Communities Act, 2007 to local councils;
•  NALC becoming parish Selector under the Sustainable Communities Act, 2007;
• Securing further exemption for 2013-14 for local councils from Excessive Council Tax referenda;
• Gaining the right for parishes who wish to be informed of Major Infrastructure Planning applications in their areas – to be notified of such cases – under the Growth and Infrastructure Act, 2013;
• Gaining the right for parishes who register relevant interests – to be notified of village green registration applications in their areas – again under the Growth and Infrastructure Act, 2013; and
• Securing a 25% share of the Community Infrastructure Levy for local councils with a Neighbourhood Plan, and a 15% share of the Levy for local councils without a Neighbourhood Plan.