If any Clerks want to join the Clerks’ eGroup, or any councillors want to join the Councillor eGroup, contact enquiries@lalc.co.uk.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ 

This fortnightly newsletter is provided to member councils through the clerk and chair and should be circulated to all councillors. This eNews can also be found on the LALC website under News (LALC News). Other important information which comes up in between eNews publication dates is also shared on the website under News (Our Blog).

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

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.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

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. 

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Sign up to the LCC Town and Parishes newsletter – email: 

lcctownandparishnews@lincolnshire.gov.uk

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Latest News

To see the latest NALC news (NALC login required): https://www.nalc.gov.uk/news

To see the latest SLCC news (No SLCC login required): https://www.slcc.co.uk/news-publications/

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

NALC welcomes the government's brownfield passport proposals

This week, we responded to the government's latest paper on brownfield passports, which we broadly welcome. In our response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's latest paper, we argued that it supports the principle of encouraging the development of brownfield land, particularly within urban settlements, while recognising that factors other than the planning status influence whether development occurs. We recognise that while national policy may influence the overall expectations regarding the minimum scale of development for urban locations, the optimum level of development is likely to be established at the local level, combined with robust design codes. The paper forms part of a series of working papers on different aspects of planning reform designed to inform further policy development in collaboration with the wider sector.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Employer National Insurance contributions

NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, about the recent Budget, where he calls for compensation for the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) and more engagement with the sector to ensure government policies align with local needs. In summary, Keith’s letter congratulates the Chancellor on her first budget, highlights the vital role of parish and town councils in supporting communities, and raises concerns over the planned rise in employer NICs. The letter sets out how this would unfairly burden parish and town councils and increase their share of council tax. As we support devolution, our letter emphasises the need for parish and town councils to be empowered and involved in decision-making. Further priorities addressed include the rural economy, housing, and planning, reflecting the motion approved by our recent Annual General Meeting. We’ve also been briefing MPs and Peers on the Budget and NICs. Ahead of a debate on the Budget in the House of Lords, we sent a briefing to Peers, and it was good to see the impact of NICs get raised several times. You can read the full transcript of the debate on Hansard. I am pleased to see the new MP for Truro and Falmouth, Jayne Kirkham MP (who is also a Falmouth town councillor), use her speech on the Budget to highlight that many parish and town councils “have taken on so many of the services of which the unitary authorities have divested themselves, and as a consequence are often large employers with big budgets”. We will continue to brief MPs on the Budget ahead of the second reading of the Finance Bill in the House of Commons on 27 November 2024.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

SLCC: No Central Compensation for the Additional Costs of Employer’s NIC

SLCC has received an email from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirming the position for local councils in England in relation to the additional costs of employer’s National Insurance contributions from April 2025, which were announced in the Autumn Budget:

I wanted to reach out following the Budget increase in Employer National Insurance contributions and what it means for parish and town councils. We are conscious that this will impact the finances of town and parish councils, and have been discussing the implications of these changes with colleagues at the Treasury. I’m writing to confirm that town and parish councils will not be included in a package to compensate public sector bodies for this rise.

The policy set by the Chancellor is to compensate those who are direct public sector employees funded out of public money. Parish councils are not directly funded by central government and so do not fall into this category.

We recognise that this will require town and parish councils to make some difficult financial decisions, and in particular that many may need to raise their precept, and that some may need to make staffing cuts in order to meet these new costs. We understand neither of these decisions will be taken lightly by your members.

SLCC will continue to discuss with MHCLG the implications of this decision for town and parish councils. If you have any points or comments you would like to make on the practical consequences of managing these decisions, please forward these to Michael King, Head of Policy & External Communications michael.king@slcc.co.uk so that we can prepare case studies to share with the ministry.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Clarification: Employment Allowance

We have received a number of queries from councils following publication of the increased Employer NI contributions in the recent budget. To clarify, parish and town councils are not allowed to claim the Employment Allowance which may apply to eligible businesses.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Joint Panel of Accountability and Governance

The Joint Panel of Accountability and Governance (JPAG), responsible for setting proper practices for smaller authorities, met last week. It approved several significant changes, including new terms of reference and a name change to Smaller Authorities Proper Practices Panel (SAPPP). The panel agreed to commission a consultation on what the proper practices should include and to split the Practitioners’ Guide into two documents. Proper practices, the legal requirements for governance and accounts in smaller authorities, and a new guide to the proper practices to support practitioners. It was also agreed to commission a full review of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) forms to support a complete redesign, which is the first step towards digitisation.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

SLCC members: Exciting Updates to the SLCC Website

We’re pleased to announce recent enhancements to the SLCC website, designed to improve your experience and make accessing resources more convenient.

You can now log in to your portal on the SLCC website to access training materials, including certificates, recordings, and presentations. CPD certificates will be issued automatically upon completion of SLCC training. (Please note that this applies exclusively to SLCC training products.)

All your resources are now consolidated under the ‘Training & Events’ section for easy access after logging in.

These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to providing a streamlined, user-friendly experience and we invite you to login and explore!

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Explore the Parish Council Domain Service

SLCC have announced the launch of their new webpage dedicated to the Parish Council Domain Service. This comprehensive resource provides valuable information about the service, including guidance for councils looking to adopt official .gov.uk domains.

The webpage also features an interactive map, offering a visual indicator of councils across the country using .gov.uk and other domain types. This tool makes it easy to explore domain adoption trends nationwide and highlights the benefits of aligning with official government domain standards.

Visit the webpage today to learn more and see how your council can get involved! https://www.slcc.co.uk/domain-name-map/

If your council is thinking of moving over to a .gov.uk domain, now is the time to contact the Parish Council Domains Helper Service and get started on your journey. 

Register your interest here and you will be invited to one of their introductory sessions: https://tinyurl.com/3tj3rezc

The introductory sessions are all virtual and last about 45 minutes. You will be able to pick a date and time that is most convenient to you.

Any council moving ahead with a .gov.uk domain will receive help and guidance at every stage: from getting the greenlight to proceed, to picking the best Approved Registrar for your circumstances, to getting set up on your new domain, all the way through to maintaining good practices after you ‘go live’. They’ll also tell you how you can access the £100 + VAT funding to help with initial costs.

The funding available is already over 70% committed and is only available in this financial year, so if choosing a .gov.uk domain is on your to-do list now would be a great time to make the first step.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

NALC to host a free event on having a .gov.uk domain

NALC have announced an upcoming online event on the importance of parish and town councils having a .gov.uk domain, which will take place on 9 December 2023 between 12 pm and 1 pm. The event will discuss a .gov.uk domain, why your council should use one for its online activity, how to get a .gov.uk domain, the help available to do so, and good practices for making the most of your council's domain. To attend the event: https://tinyurl.com/5auxrava

NALC have partnered with the Parish Council Domain Helper Service, a part of the government's Central Digital and Data Office, to deliver this event.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

LCC School Admissions consultations

The following schools are consulting on their 2026/27 Admission Policy: 

Alford Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar - https://www.queenelizabeths.co.uk/html/admissions/index.php

The consultation period runs from 22 November 2024 to 03 January 2025.

Boston Carlton Road Academy - https://www.carltonroadacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=15

Fishtoft Academy - https://www.fishtoftacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=13

Gosberton Academy -  https://www.gosbertonacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=23          

Gedney Church End Primary Academy - https://www.gedneychurchendprimary.org/page/?title=Admissions&pid=20

Helpringham Primary Academy - https://www.helpringhamschool.co.uk/page/?title=School+Admissions&pid=45

Old Leake Primary Academy - https://www.oldleakeprimaryacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=46

Boston Park Academy - https://www.parkacademyboston.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=37 

Boston Pioneers Free School Academy -   https://www.bostonpioneersacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=12

Boston Staniland Academy - https://www.stanilandacademy.net/page/?title=Admissions&pid=9

Spalding Wygate Park Academy -  https://www.wygateparkacademy.net/parents/admissions

The consultation period runs from 25 November 2024 to 17 January 2025

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Latest edition of Gallagher ‘Community Matters’

As we enter the winter months, we address some of the pressing challenges that matter most to our communities during this season. In this edition, you’ll find specialist guidance on managing snow and ice to ensure community safety, advice on preparing buildings to withstand winter weather conditions and tips for hosting inclusive and sustainable festive events.

Our aim is to empower local organisations with practical strategies that promote safety, resilience and community engagement.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/28fxyrk6

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Free Funding Skills Webinar

YMCA Lincolnshire are holding a free Funding Skills Webinar - How to Write Compelling Funding Applications for Community Groups and Charity Committees in East Lindsey, Boston Borough and South Holland.  This 2-hour Masterclass will explain what you need to know to enable you to write and develop a compelling grant funding application.  Whether you are a novice or more experienced, there are takeaways for everyone from this session. See attached for further information and sign up details:

Tuesday 3rd December 10am-12pm 

Register: https://tinyurl.com/56jrufpt

Thursday 5th December 6.30pm-8.30pm 

Register: https://tinyurl.com/4nka5tkt

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

NALC blog: British Heart Foundation

Clive Rowlandson of the British Heart Foundation highlights the organisation's efforts to improve survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in the UK, where the current survival rate is only 1 in 10. Clive explains that early CPR and defibrillation are critical and outlines BHF's goal to triple survival rates by 2030 through two key initiatives: increasing the availability of defibrillators and expanding CPR training. To support this, BHF offers an exclusive deal for local councils and non-profits on defibrillator packages, emphasising accessibility, registration on The Circuit (a national defibrillator network), and promoting the RevivR CPR training tool. Clive stresses the importance of defibrillator registration to enhance emergency response and encourages wider adoption of free, accessible CPR training via the 15-minute online tool RevivR. This initiative combines community engagement and resources to create safer communities and fund lifesaving research, advancing the mission to save more lives.

Read the blog (NALC login required): https://tinyurl.com/yc7xj2dw

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Good Councillors Guide to Finance and Transparency

NALC have commissioned Howard Midworth to update the Good Councillors Guide to Finance and Transparency. The new guide will be published in January.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)

Bookings are now live for the Christmas holiday clubs.  

Winter 2024 Delivery Dates

Winter HAF will take place during the Christmas holidays running from Friday 20th December 2024 – Friday 3rd January 2025 (excluding weekends and bank holidays).

Locations

There are over 90 clubs being delivered across the county during the Winter holidays. A mapping tool is available here: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/school-pupil-support/holiday-activities-food-programme

This highlights the HAF provision being delivered across the county with more detailed information on available clubs shared on the booking system, including activity information, dates and times. 

How to Book

To book on to a club, families will require a HAF Evoucher code which are provided by schools. The HAF Evoucher, received by email and/or text message, includes a link to the booking site listing available activities.  

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

The Great Collaboration Newsletter Launch!

The Great Collaboration has recently launched their first quarterly newsletter. This valuable resource is designed to support councils in leading climate and nature-focused action in their communities.

Read the first newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/32fka6cv

Subscribe and be part of The Great Collaboration: 

https://mailchi.mp/bd37636e16cd/newsletter-sign-up-form

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Council Tax banding

Did you know that know the banding of your property for council tax is assigned by the Valuation Office Agency and not by your district council?  If you have a query about your property banding, please contact the Valuation Office Agency directly on 0300 050 1501 who will help with your enquiry.  

For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-the-voa

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

One You Lincolnshire

One You Lincolnshire a Free Health and Wellbeing Integrated Service within Lincolnshire County Council and offers a number of free health and wellbeing programmes.

Get back to a healthier you with our free weight loss, exercise, stop smoking and drink less programmes. We support you to make small, sustainable changes to improve your health and wellbeing and live a longer, happier life. Start improving your health today with our tools, motivational support and encouragement to guide you every step of the way.

Find out more: https://www.oneyoulincolnshire.org.uk/

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

LCC Survey - Your thoughts on pylons and solar farms

In this winter survey, we're asking about your views on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), such as pylons and solar farms, in the county. We want to know: 

• If you’re aware of any NSIPs in your district, and how concerned (if at all) you are

• What locations you think would be suitable for solar panels, and your thoughts on the proposal of 420 pylons along the east of Lincolnshire and Norfolk 

• How you’d expect to receive information about large-scale developments in your area

To take part, visit: https://tinyurl.com/3pp9ue43

The survey is open until 20 January 2025.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

LCC campaign for fairer funding

The county council has launched a new campaign calling on government to give Lincolnshire its fair share of national funding.

To show the scale of the challenge facing the council, this year the authority expects to spend around £350m on adult care – the equivalent of almost £1m a day – plus £130m on children’s social care and £50m on school transport.

Cllr Martin Hill explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ys3RN2MrPg

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Government announces further Household Support Fund support

Lincolnshire has been awarded £5.5m by the government for the sixth round of the Household Support Fund, covering the period from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025. The county council has worked with district councils to agree how this funding can be used most effectively to support those most in need with the cost of essentials.

Approximately 64% will go to schools and early years providers, to support children eligible for benefits-related free school meals, early years pupil premium and families with a two-year-old eligible for early years entitlement. This will be distributed during November and December.

1% will be used to provide financial support to eligible care leavers in supported living accommodation. Those eligible will be contacted directly and will not have to apply for support.

Approximately 34% of the funding will go to district councils to support vulnerable households via local schemes using an application-based process.

Find out more: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

NKDC consultation – Active Travel Strategy

NKDC have broadened their North Kesteven Cycling Strategy into a draft Active Travel Strategy, which is now out for consultation to parish and town councils and key stakeholders in the district.

The strategy sets out an aim for active travel; ‘To increase participation in walking, wheeling and cycling by all in North Kesteven’ around priority outcomes for safety, more awareness, opportunities and infrastructure delivery.  As well as setting out an action plan the strategy also acknowledges close collaborative working with partners and stakeholders is essential. It also recognises that in many cases external funding will be necessary to deliver projects, but clearly setting out our position on active travel is extremely important to inform bidding for resources as and when opportunities arise.

Relevant councils are encouraged to take part in the consultation, which closes on 20th December.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

NALC event on devolution

On 20 November 2024, we hosted our latest online event on devolution, exploring the concept of onward devolution for parish and town councils. The event questioned the government's commitment to decentralising power while offering strategies and practical advice from national stakeholders and devolution advocates to advance local governance and empower councils. 

The specialist panel featured Zoe Adams, assistant research and communications officer, Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities, Cllr Desna Allen, leader of Chippenham Town Council, and Cllr Phillipa Williamson, devolution spokesperson, County Councils Network (CCN). 

Cllr Allen shared how Chippenham Town Council took control of service delivery by setting and funding their own standards with an in-house team, stressing the importance of having clear goals, defined red lines, and a readiness to walk away during negotiations with principal councils. 

Cllr Williamson highlighted the critical role of devolution in driving economic growth, advocating CCN’s position that powers and funding should be devolved to county and unitary authorities while promoting collaboration with parish, town, and district councils to ensure effective and inclusive governance. Zoe emphasised that devolution extends beyond large-scale deals to all levels of local government, showcasing how transferring services and assets to local councils fosters community ownership, sustains essential services amid financial pressures, and strengthens partnerships despite challenges.

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Nolan Principles (accountability, honesty, objectivity, selflessness, openness and leadership), it was good to hear from the chair, Doug Chalmers, that they are still fit for purpose and to be reminded that they are inspirational. At the event hosted by the Institute for Government, Doug also confirmed that the committee kept its earlier report on local government ethical standards under review and that there was still work to do.

Read Doug’s speech (What next for standards in public life?): https://tinyurl.com/2w5xpfjm

Watch the event: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/what-next-standards-public-life

꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰