If any Clerks want to join the Clerks’ eGroup, or any councillors want to join the Councillor eGroup, contact enquiries@lalc.co.uk.
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This fortnightly newsletter is provided to member councils through the clerk and should be circulated to all councillors. This eNews can also be found on the LALC website under News.
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Training courses are available to book via the portal (login required)
The Training Bulletin is issued monthly, and courses are available to book via the portal. If there is any specific training which you feel would be valuable, and we don’t currently offer it, please let us know and we will investigate. The Training Bulletin can be found on the LALC website www.lalc.co.uk/training-2-1.
Clerks – when booking training for your councillors, please ensure that their email address is correct. If not, they will not receive the booking confirmation or any joining instructions. If you have set up your councillors on the LALC portal, you will be able to select their correct email address from a drop-down list when booking the training.
If you update your council email and are already booked on training, please let us know so that we can update your booking to ensure you receive the automatic reminders.
If one of your councillors resigns, and they were booked on LALC training, please cancel their place, so that others can book on. Failure to do so may not only deprive other councils from attending but could result in a non-attendance charge (see below).
Please note our training cancellation policy:
• For part day courses – please ensure we receive cancellations at least 48 hours in advance
• For full day events – please ensure we receive cancellations at least 5 working days in advance, as we need to pre-order and pay for lunches
Due to persistent non-attendance at booked events, it is unfortunate that LALC have had to amend the way we impose our cancellation fees. All members are charged 50% of the training cost when insufficient notice is received (as above) for non-attendance at training events. No shows will be charged at 100% of the course fee. All charges are regardless of whether the council is a member of the ATS or not.
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|
Position |
Closing date |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th July 2024 |
|
|
Assistant Parish Clerk |
6th September 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
|
|
Clerk |
10th September 2024 |
|
|
Assistant to the Clerk |
30th September 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th November 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
18th October 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
|
|
Sheringham Town Council (Norfolk) |
Town Clerk |
11th November 2024 |
|
Clerk/RFO |
4th November 2024 |
|
|
Deputy Clerk |
15th November 2024 |
|
|
Finance Administrator |
15th November 2024 |
|
|
Maintenance Technician |
15th November 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
8th November 2024 |
|
|
Hampton Parish Council (Peterborough) |
Clerk/RFO |
14th November 2024 |
|
Estates Maintenance Operative |
25th November 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
23rd December 2024 |
Vacancy advertising
LALC can advertise your vacancy on our website and in the fortnightly eNews. This is a free service. If you do not have a pre-prepared advert to send us, please complete our Vacancy Template, which can be found in the Members Portal under Document Templates.
We also offer a paid advertising service, which ensures that your advert also appears on Lincolnshire County Council’s website, Facebook, and LinkedIn (in addition to the LALC website and eNews). The current fee for this is £75. Please complete the Vacancy Template (as above), ensuring that all requested information is completed, and then contact us at enquiries@lalc.co.uk. You will be invoiced for this service.
Please note that Lincolnshire County Council require a closing date on their advert, as well as salary information (these are mandatory fields). LCC will remove your advert once the closing date has passed, so please consider the date carefully as you will have to pay again to re-advertise if your vacancy hasn’t been filled by then.
We recommend all councils advertise their vacancy, job details, method of application and up to date contact details on their own website too.
Please let us know when the vacancy has been filled, so that we can remove it from our website/eNews. If your vacancy has not yet been filled and you are continuing to advertise, please let us know of any revised closing date. If you no longer specify a closing date, please let us know so that we can update the vacancy adverts.
The NALC Recruitment Manual (developed as part of the Civility & Respect project) is now available via the portal. Go into Knowledgebase and click on 'Recruitment Manual' in the 'Employment' menu area.
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Sign up to the LCC Town and Parishes newsletter – email:
lcctownandparishnews@lincolnshire.gov.uk
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Latest News
To see the latest NALC news: https://www.nalc.gov.uk/news
To see the latest SLCC news: https://www.slcc.co.uk/news-publications/
(No login is required).
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LALC training booking – email addresses
If you book a place on a LALC training event and the delegate does not receive a confirmation email and/or does not subsequently receive a link (if the training is remote) PLEASE CHECK – is their email address correct on the booking?
We regularly get ‘undeliverable’ emails from the automatic emails our CRM sends out. Occasionally this is because there is a problem with the recipient’s mailbox, however mostly it is because the email address is incorrect/does not exist.
If you have set up your councillors in the LALC portal, then when booking a place on training, you can select the councillor you want, and the system will automatically pick up their email address.
However, if your councillors are not set up then you will need to manually add their details to the training booking. Doing it this way increases the risk of human error – we all know how long and complex some council’s gov.uk email addresses are.
So, please check the email addresses you enter and if you want to save time when booking future events, set all your councillors up via the portal and then it should be easy (and less error-prone) to select them when booking.
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Clerks Networking and SLCC Lincs branch AGM – PLACES AVAILABLE
Come and network with fellow Clerks at our full day event on 26th November at Welbourn Village Hall!
Schedule for the day
9:30 Registration for SLCC members
10:00 SLCC Lincolnshire Branch AGM
10:00 Registration for non SLCC members
10:30 Joe Russell from Complete Communities, presenting on “Beyond Ideas: Tips for writing engaging plans and strategies “.
This session is primarily aimed at officers and clerks. It focusses on finding ways to make public sector documents engaging and readable for residents and businesses.
We will cover:
• The importance of a strategic approach
• Phraseology and perceptions
• Improving your story telling and narrative
• Tips for improving readability and engaging people with your plans
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Grant White (WLDC Communities Manager) and Paul Drury will be running a joint workshop on Effective engagement/consultation and tips to write successful bid applications.
Places can be booked now via the portal (login required).
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NALC Legal Bulletin
Can a parish or town council organise a demonstration?
We were asked if a parish or town council is eligible to exercise the general power of competence (GPC) could organise a demonstration to protest against a proposed highway closure, in this case, an A road closure.
We believe there is no specific ban on a parish or town council promoting a protest or demonstration, and a council eligible to exercise the GPC could do so. However, we questioned whether it was the best approach. National Highways could ignore a demonstration. A threat to judicially review their decision might make them reconsider. Media campaigns could also have more of a desired effect than a demonstration.
Can a parish or town council carry out works on land it does not own?
This question has come up a few times recently. Residents may feel they need more maintenance on land with no known owner and approach the council to see if they can help.
In the first instance, we advise parish and town councils to contact and check with their insurers. Ultimately, their view is relevant, and a council would not wish to do anything that invalidates its insurance policy. If council insurers do not object to such works, there are other considerations for councils. Suppose a council carries out works once (e.g. grass cutting, tree pruning, fence repairs). In that case, that may set an expectation that the council will continue to carry out such works and that it is responsible for maintaining the land and incurring the associated costs. Parish and town councils may contact us for further advice.
Risk assessments and insurance policies
We were asked if parish and town councils should ask their service providers for a sight of their risk assessments or include a provision in their contracts rather than asking to see a copy (e.g. "the award of this contract to the supplier is conditional upon the supplier having in place appropriate risk assessments and insurance").
We asked our partner, Clear Councils Insurance. Their reply was: "I recommend that [councils] obtain the risk assessment from the contractors before any work or contract is started. Even if the clerk hasn't got the technical skills to determine whether the risk assessment is satisfactory, it at least gets the contractor to carry out a risk assessment although I hope that contractors working on behalf of councils would already have, at least, a generic one to start off with. I also advise councils to check their contractor's insurance cover annually to ensure that cover is in place. All contractors are used to being asked for their certificates by their customers".
The Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Act 2023 has been introduced to reform the public procurement regime in the UK. The Act came into force on 28 October. Most provisions largely come into force on 24 February 2025 through The Procurement Act 2023 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2024. We are considering the guidance to issue to members. In the meantime, the government has issued guidance: https://tinyurl.com/mr2jyea3
Recent legal team activity
The legal team has been busy attending conferences and preparing for the new website. The team has also been working on the update to Local Councils Explained. As communicated in a previous chief executive's bulletin, we have reissued the advice note on the protection of common land (NALC login required).
Legal manager Jane Moore attended the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference in Harrogate between 22 and 24 October 2024, the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool last month, and delivered a legal update for the Surrey Association of Local Councils on 17 October 2024.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner MP announced at the LGA Conference that the government would legislate to prevent the publication of the requirement for councillors' home addresses. From conversations with sector colleagues, we understand that many monitoring officers already take a pragmatic approach, and the announcement should comfort those concerned with adhering to the letter of the law. Angela Rayner MP also announced that the government will consult on changes to the councillor standards system and allow councils to use virtual attendance at council meetings. You can read more about this in LGA's press release: https://tinyurl.com/yf6en2pa
Disclaimer: Information and commentary on the law contained in this bulletin are provided free of charge for information purposes only. Whilst every reasonable effort is made to make the information and commentary accurate and up to date, no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by any member of NALC's legal team.
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COUNCIL NEWS
NOVEMBER 2024
Is the Zero Hours Contract Finished?
Many Councils use, and need, zero hours contracts for positions such as seasonal ground staff, Community Centre Bar Staff, and also Caretakers whose services are required on an “as and when needed” basis. However, in recent years such contracts have been vilified and become the bete noir of the employment world. The reason is that such contracts provide no guarantee of work, and lead to insecurity in the workplace.
The Government’s election manifesto included a commitment to make such contracts illegal. However, the recently published Employment Rights Bill amends this commitment to banning “exploitative” zero hours contract. The question therefore is what counts as exploitative?
In part, the answer to this question depends on the circumstances in which the contract is used. If, for example, a worker works regular weekly hours, expects to work those hours, and the Council has required them to come in on this basis, a zero hours contract may be inappropriate. A guaranteed minimum hours contract may be more appropriate.
For example, if there is a custom and practice for a member of a Community Centre Bar Staff to work regular Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Sunday lunchtimes, they are clearly not working on an “as and when needed” basis. Accordingly, they may need to be issued with a contract that guarantees them those regular hours, with a requirement to do more, at basic rates of pay, when needed.
The second requirement is how much notice would the worker get that they are required to work. The proposal is for Councils to provide a minimum period of notice, but the amount of time that will involve has not yet been proposed.
Compensation for cancellation of shifts is another proposal. Cancellation at short notice will be a requirement of zero hours contracts, but currently there is no indication of the level of compensation or what qualifies as short notice.
The Increasing Importance of Probation Periods
The Probation Period has been one of those clauses in an Employment Contract that generally gets little attention unless there’s a problem with performance or conduct.
Under these circumstances it can be either used to terminate an Employee’s contract, or extended with the threat of dismissal if improvements are not forthcoming.
For most Councils, the idea of terminating someone with short service was something they had two years to do, not just a three- or six-month Probation Period.
This was because Employees couldn’t claim Unfair Dismissal if they were dismissed for poor performance or misconduct, without two years continuous service. That option is now due to go, once the recently published Employment Rights Bill becomes law. This means that Employees will be able to claim Unfair Dismissal from day one of their employment. However, dismissal or failing a Probation Period will still be possible.
Consequently, this period will become much more significant as a Council’s only option to remove a poorly performing recruit. The Probation Period can be for up to nine months, more than most Councils currently use, but with no extensions.
To be able to dismiss someone for failing their Probation Period, Councils will need to have hard evidence that his is a genuine reason, and that either the performance and/or conduct of that Employee are unacceptable.
Evidence will be everything in defending such decisions. It would be necessary for Councils to have a clear and detailed training and development plan for new recruits, to detail what skills and abilities they need to develop during their initial nine months. This would need to be accompanied by a documented review process, conducted at regular intervals throughout the Period.
Ideally review meetings would be conducted with the Employee to provide detailed feedback on how they are performing and for Performance Improvement Plans to be issued if necessary.
Consequently, if, at the end of nine months, the Council wishes to terminate the Employee’s contract for failing their Probation Period, there would be no surprises, or cries of foul play and using the Probation Period to cover up some other reason for dismissal.
Statutory Pay Rates from April 2025
Minimum Wage from April 2025
| Workers aged 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.21 |
| Workers aged 18 – 20 | £10.00 |
| Workers under 18, Apprentices under 19, or over 19 in first year | £7.55 |
PROFILE
Chris Moses LLM Chartered FCIPD is Managing Director of Personnel Advice & Solutions Ltd. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and has a Master’s Degree in Employment Law. If you have any questions regarding these issues please feel free to contact him on (01529) 305056 or email p.d.solutions@zen.co.uk
www.personneladviceandsolutions.co.uk
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Roadmap Proposal to Speed Up Delivery of National Infrastructure
According to an independent report by leading planning barrister Lord Charles Banner KC, the Review of Legal Challenges to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, new roads, railway lines and offshore windfarms could be delivered quicker and easier to help power economic growth. The review, which ‘aims to reduce delays to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and get Britain building’, sets out ten recommendations for the government on reducing barriers to development and resolve challenges more effectively.
The government has issued a call for evidence before publishing its response to the report, where they are ‘seeking views on the recommendations put forward by the review and additional proposals that could help to reduce delays to nationally significant infrastructure projects.’
You can find details on how to respond to the call for evidence here: https://tinyurl.com/2w28fzuj
Please note that the call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 30 December 2024.
Read the government’s full press release here: https://tinyurl.com/3yzt325p
Read the Review of Legal Challenges to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects here: https://tinyurl.com/twwvyna3
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SLCC: Issues in the Government’s Autumn Budget
SLCC is seeking clarification from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the impact of announcements made as part of this week’s budget announcement.
The budget report includes:
Confirming funding for MHCLG’s core Levelling Up Fund projects – providing £1.0 billion in 2025‑26 to revitalise high streets, town centres and communities. (Para 4.61)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will continue at a reduced level for a further year with £900 million of funding; this transitional arrangement will provide as much stability as possible in advance of wider local growth funding reforms. The Long‑Term Plan for Towns will be retained and reformed into a new regeneration programme. (Para 3.3)
We are also asking whether the impact on local councils of Employer’s NI contributions is under consideration by the MHCLG and when can we expect to receive some clarification on how it should be treated by councils in their budget preparation. In the report, a global allowance of £4.7 billion for the impact on public sector organisations is included in the tables – but this is not hypothecated into the funding for MHCLG.
The report also sets out that:
The upcoming English Devolution White Paper will set out more detail on the government’s devolution plans, including on working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas, with efficiency savings from council reorganisation helping to meet the needs of local people. (Para 2.98)
The government is expected to publish its English Devolution White Paper in mid-late November. The Municipal Journal reports that this could include nationwide unitarization and the scrapping of the small unitary authorities created in the 90s. Once published, SLCC will, of course, respond to the White Paper emphasising the increasingly important role that parish and town councils play in unitary areas where they provide grassroots local democratic representation which can bridge the gap to the more distant unitary authority.
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Worknest webinar: Performance Management - addressing underperformance ahead of 2025
Most employers understand the significant impact of poor performance, yet many are reluctant to address ongoing issues due to concerns about potential conflict and claims. However, letting issues fester can be a recipe for disaster, and over time, can drag your organisation and other employees down.
Join WorkNest on the 28th November at 2pm to learn how to handle poor performance in a fair and compliant manner so that you can get your team back on track while avoiding possible legal pitfalls that could put your organisation at risk.
Register here:
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LCC School Admissions consultations
The following schools are consulting on their 2026/27 Admission Policy:
Grimoldby Primary School - https://www.grimoldbyprimaryschool.co.uk/
The consultation period runs from 05 November 2024 to 17 December 2024.
Grantham Walton Academy – https://www.diverseacademies.org.uk/admissions-consultation-2024/
The consultation period runs from 11 November 2024 to 23 December 2024.
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Employer National Insurance increase in Autumn Budget
The chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, delivered her first Autumn Budget to Parliament on 30 October 2024. The most significant announcement which will affect parish and town councils is that the government is increasing the rate of employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15% and reducing the per-employee threshold at which employers become liable to pay National Insurance (the Secondary Threshold) from 6 April 2025 to £5,000. Since the Budget, we have been pressing the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to clarify whether parish and town councils will be included in compensation to public sector employers for employer NICs bills. NALC Chief Executive is bitterly disappointed in the response we have now received from MHCLG officials that parish and town councils will not be compensated for this increase. This is highly concerning as we have estimated it may cost the sector around £10 million per year. We will be pressing the government to rethink its position. Still, in the meantime, we recommend that parish and town councils and county associations assess the financial implications for them in the current budget setting. We are meeting MCHLG officials this week and will provide a briefing shortly, including what further representations we will be making and how councils and county associations can help.
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NALC chair meets MHCLG minister
Last week, our chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, met with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Local Growth and Building Safety) at MHCLG, Alex Norris MP, as part of our ongoing engagement programme with the new government. As well as congratulating the new minister on his appointment, Keith set out our offer on the part parish and town councils can play in supporting the government to deliver its missions and on the minister’s responsibilities, which include community resilience, high streets and towns, and local growth such as community ownership and future of legacy funding streams. Keith welcomed the reset in relations between central and local government. He proposed several ways to strengthen partnership working, including regular dialogue at a ministerial and senior official level, more involvement in policy development, and attendance at our meetings and events. He also welcomed the government’s recent announcements on remote meetings and standards, urging the government to go further with other reforms. Keith also pressed for the Community Ownership Fund to be continued and for further direct funding for our councils to be considered as part of the current review of funding simplification. Other issues covered included sector support funding and relationships with principal authorities.
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Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance
The Joint Panel of Accountability and Governance (JPAG), responsible for setting proper practices for smaller authorities, met in London last week to discuss various proposals. These included adopting new Terms of Reference to improve governance, making the Annual Governance and Accountability Return forms more user-friendly, and replacing the current Practitioners' Guide with a new Proper Practices document and an accompanying Guide to Smaller Authority Proper Practices. A final decision on the proposals will be made at the next panel meeting on 14 November 2024, with any changes agreed, consulted upon and rolled out over the next few years.
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NALC Blog: Facilitating the Future
This week’s blog from Facilitating the Future lists that parish and town councils are leading efforts to address climate challenges by creating realistic, locally adapted climate response plans. Our Star Council Awards 2024 Climate Response of the Year category recognises parish and town councils that effectively tackle climate issues, inspiring others through actionable insights and proven approaches. This award celebrates proactive parish and town councils that understand climate impacts and strive to build resilient, prepared communities.
Read the blog (NALC login required):
https://www.nalc.gov.uk/resource/local-councils-working-on-their-climate-response.html
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2024 Police and Crime survey
Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones is calling for residents of Lincolnshire to share their views on how Lincolnshire is policed.
The annual Crime and Policing Survey gives residents the opportunity to voice their opinion on how police services in Lincolnshire are prioritised and delivered. In previous years the views expressed have been the driving force behind significant positive changes in Lincolnshire’s Police services, including investment in dedicated roads and rural crime units, increased officer numbers and improved technology.
Lincolnshire Police has always been one of the lowest funded in the country, and now that unfair level of funding, coupled with rising costs and dwindling reserves means the force potentially faces having to find up to £17.5million worth of cost savings next year. That is a monumental challenge and, without additional funding, would result in the Chief Constable facing some extremely difficult operational decisions. This means that your views on funding, council tax and safety in your communities are now more important than ever before.
Take the survey: https://tinyurl.com/yv73re6x
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New SLCC Podcast with the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC)
In this episode, Michael King, SLCC’s Head of Policy and External Communications, speaks to Lisa Garcia, Town Clerk of Florence, Arizona USA and IIMC President, Chris Shalby, IIMC Executive Director, Linda Larter, Clerk to Sevenoaks Town Council and IIMC Region XI Director, and Arnout van Kooij, Griffier (Clerk) to the municipality of IJsselstein in the Netherlands and IIMC Region XI Director, who share insights into the world of clerking from an international perspective, describing the evolving roles, challenges, and gratification of the profession, and more!
Listen to the podcast here (no login required): https://tinyurl.com/mv8m32vz
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Recording of Chris Moses Employment Briefing
The recent employment briefing is available to view via the LALC portal (login required):
Go to Open Legal Topic Notes & Briefings
Go to Employment briefings
Chris Moses – Employment Update – October 2024
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Review of support for Towns and Parishes across East Lindsey
East Lindsey District Council have a Scrutiny Panel looking to undertake a “Review of support for Towns and Parishes across East Lindsey”. The panel, consists of 7 district councillors and would like relevant councils to answer a few questions. This will not only help the District Councillors in their work, but it will also help them understand what the needs and concerns of the towns and parishes across the district are.
The questions are for everyone involved in running the town and parish council meetings, councillors, and clerks. You may wish to either add the questions to your next meeting agenda to answer collectively, or alternatively forward on to all town and parish councillors so they can answer individually.
There are 6 short questions:
1. Do you feel your Town or Parish Council has all the tools it needs to run properly and be successful?
2. Do you undertake any training for the role? If so, what was the best training you undertook and what other training would help support you in carrying out your role?
3. How supported do you feel generally as a parish / town council to fulfil your role?
4. Do you believe you get sufficient support from East Lindsey District Council to support you in being successful? What else can ELDC do to help you succeed in your roles?
5. What is your Town/Parish most affected by (most complaints or concerns)? Do you feel you have sufficient knowledge in the matter to help resolve these concerns?
6. Do you have any further comments / issues you would like to raise?
Please respond by Monday 6th January 2025 to Rebecca James, Scrutiny & Policy Officer: rebecca.james@e-lindsey.gov.uk
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Community Emergency Planning Induction Evening – 28th November
We would like to invite you to our Community Emergency Planning Induction Evening on Thursday 28th November at the County Emergency Centre, Lincoln, LN5 8EL.
Doors open at 5:45pm with a 6pm start and the event will run through to 8pm.
During the evening, we will cover the following:
• What is community emergency planning?
• Why it's beneficial to get involved
• The three stages of community emergency planning
• Support provided before, during, and after emergencies
• Q&A session with representatives from the Lead Local Flood Authority, Environment Agency, and Fire and Rescue Service
You will also have the opportunity to meet the team, see the County Emergency Centre, and understand how your community emergency plan integrates with the wider emergency response process.
To book your place(s) (up to 4 per community), please use the following link:
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Breakthrough Communications - 12 Days of Christmas Presents for Your Council
Our partners, Breakthrough Communications, are celebrating the Christmas season with "12 Days of Christmas Presents for Your Council." This free, festive series offers daily gifts to inspire and support your council’s communications and compliance efforts. Sign up now to unwrap your exclusive Christmas gifts and bring seasonal cheer to your council!
Sign up for free festive communications and compliance content at https://www.councilhive.co.uk/12DaysSignUp
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NALC affiliation fees agreed for 2025/26
The NALC AGM this week agreed to 8.34 pence per elector affiliation fees for 2025/26, capped at £2,137 for larger councils, and to initiate a review of how our affiliation fees are set and calculated.
LALC’s fee per elector for 2025/26 has increased by 5%, with the base rate staying the same. See:
https://www.lalc.co.uk/membership-of-lalc
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Effect of Employer’s NI increase on councils
It is looking unlikely that any government compensation/relief will be extended to town and parishes. Councils will currently be looking at their budgets. The following link will help to calculate what the impact is likely to be:
https://www.experlu.co.uk/calculator/employer-nic
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Improvement and Development Board
The Improvement and Development Board (IDB) met on 12 November 24 to discuss several topics, including the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), the Local Government Association (LGA) Sector Support Programme, updates from the Civility and Respect, Workforce and Data Task Forces, and recommendations from the Intervention Task Force. The IDB made several decisions, such as approving the changes proposed for CILCA certification. The change was to NALC’s role regarding CiLCA trainers, which the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) will now take on, with assurances that it would not impact the role of county associations. The final report from the Intervention Task Force was approved. Key lessons learned from addressing chronic failures in the sector were highlighted, and agreement was made to compile these insights into a good practice guide. The guide will support parish and town councils experiencing similar issues by drawing on the significant expertise and evidence from the two Intervention Boards held to date. The Task Force included, among others, two chief executives (one active, one retired) and a head of legal services, all of whom had participated in one or both Intervention Boards. The IDB expressed their gratitude for the outstanding work of the Intervention Task Force.
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NALC blog: Transport Planning Society
Tom van Vuren, Transport Planning Society's policy director, explores whether investing in cycling infrastructure leads to more cycling trips. By applying the concept of induced demand, he argues that better cycling facilities, like dedicated lanes and secure parking, can attract new cyclists, leading to health benefits, reduced emissions, and less traffic. Tom uses studies to show that well-planned cycling programs can significantly boost cycling rates. However, the impact varies by location, with urban areas seeing the most substantial gains. While many new cyclists shift from public transport or walking rather than driving, evidence from the Netherlands suggests that improved cycle access to train stations can increase cycling and rail use. Tom stresses the need for solid, localised evidence to justify investments, advising against relying too heavily on data from other areas. His insights and resources offer a solid foundation for making the case for cycling infrastructure.
Read the blog (NALC login required): https://tinyurl.com/mryn472n
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Railway 200
2025 will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of modern railway, and we would like to invite all councils to join in the national celebration of this significant milestone. Railway 200 will be a year-long, national and international commemoration celebrating the profound impact of the railways on our nation’s heritage, economy and future.
We are taking a partnership led approach, encouraging local activity and events to create a year-long campaign all under the umbrella of Railway 200. These will be supported by several nationally led initiatives including marketing and communications, website and social media, tool kits, commemorative partnerships, products and a national charity partnership with associated fundraising activities.
Our centre piece will be an exhibition train that will criss-cross England, Scotland and Wales, visiting mainline stations, heritage railways and freight depots during much of 2025-2026. The itinerary is being finalised and is expected to be confirmed early next year.
Find out more about the planned activities: https://railway200.co.uk/search-for-activities-and-events/
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