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 should be circulated to all councillors. This eNews can also be found on the LALC website under News.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
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 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.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
|
Position |
Closing date |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th November 2023 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
18th November 2023 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
12th April 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th April 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th April 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
30th April 2024 |
|
|
Clerk/RFO |
7th June 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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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).
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Summer Conference
2024
The LALC Summer Conference this year will take place on Wednesday 24th July at Belton Woods Hotel, Belton, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 2LN.
Come and network with like-minded councils!
Featuring a choice of workshops, Q&A session, trade stands and the LALC AGM.
Workshops confirmed:
• Health & Safety myths
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and local councils
Trade stands: Unity Trust Bank, Kompan, Blachere, Worknest (H&S), Clear Insurance, Vaughtons (civic regalia), Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Service, CCLA, Cloudy IT.
The full programme will be announced nearer to the date.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Places still available - First Aid at Work training 14th May
We have a number of places available for the First Aid at Work training being held at the Old School, Dunholme on 14th May, 9:30 – 16:30. Upon completion participants will receive a certificate in recognition of demonstrating competence in Emergency First Aid at Work. The certificate is valid for 3 years.
We need a minimum number of attendees for this course to be viable to run.
If you are interested in attending, please book via the portal (login required). This is non-core training which is not covered by the Annual Training Scheme. The price is £72.50 per attendee, including lunch.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Sign up to the LCC Town and Parishes newsletter - email lcctownandparishnews@lincolnshire.gov.uk
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Changes to the LALC website maintenance service for 2024-25
The basic level of service under the website maintenance offering has now been removed.
The service will now be offered as a rolling programme. Councils will now have the option to purchase a minimum of 3 hours (£54) and a maximum of 5 hours (£90) at a time. It is expected that these purchased hours will be used with a 12-18 month period. Once the purchased hours have all been used, the council can then purchase further hours at this point.
This should alleviate the scenario of councils losing unused hours at the end of the financial year.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
New NALC Model Financial Regulations released
The new NALC Model Financial Regulations have now been released and these are available via the LALC portal under templates (login required): https://www.lalc.co.uk/doctemplates
The first two pages of the document clearly state how it should be used and highlight areas which will need to be tailored to your council. The instruction pages should be removed from the final document adopted by your council.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
NALC Sector snapshot survey - Committee on Standards in Public Life public bodies accountability consultation
The Committee on Standards in Public Life (COSIPL) have recently issued a consultation on accountability in public bodies and NALC will be responding.
The consultation document can be read here: https://tinyurl.com/4ejr7zzh
The terms of reference for the consultation can be read here: https://tinyurl.com/2h855v2n
In order to inform its own response NALC has generated a short snapshot sector survey: https://forms.office.com/e/4LmVzQPVyi
The survey will close at 23:45 on Friday 17 May 2024.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
LCC Survey: Have your say on Lincolnshire Moves: your voice, your roads
LCC are currently running a survey about Lincolnshire’s roads, as part of an in-depth review into their Traffic Management Policy for the county.
The review will cover a range of topics that affect our roads including:
• Speed limits
• Speed cameras
• Traffic calming measures.
• School safety zones
• Blue badge parking
The survey is open to anyone who lives in, works in or visits Lincolnshire.
Through this in-depth review, we hope to make our roads safer, improve traffic flows, and increase accessibility across the network.
Your valuable feedback will form part of a broader review into the current Traffic Management Policy for Lincolnshire and will help shape future highways policy within Lincolnshire. A summary report will be published on the LCC website.
Please see further details here: https://www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lincolnshiremoves
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Community Risk Management Plan
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has published its community plan which sets out Lincolnshire’s unique risks and how the service will take decisions to minimise them over the next four years. The plan’s service priorities are based on local data and community feedback. So, a big thank you to everyone who took part in the various engagement exercises over the last year or so.
You can view the plan here:
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Important update from National Allotment Society
Extension of HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS) – important changes you need to know that apply to Allotment Associations
New rules were introduced on 6 October 2020, as part of the UK’s implementation of the Fifth Money Laundering Directive. There has been a delay in the rollout of HMRC’s upgrade of the TRS register. Now the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2022 have extended the scope of the TRS to cover (almost) all UK express trusts and some non-UK express trusts, in existence on or after 6 October 2020.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/mrznzu2h
If you require further advice regarding your Association’s Constitution or advice regarding your lease, please email natsoc@nsalg.org.uk for further assistance.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
No Mow May™ is back
Plantlife’s #NoMowMay is back this year. Join our No Mow May™ movement. Don’t mow this May and let it grow!
We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
But your lawn can help! A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.
This is why Plantlife calls for people to get involved with #NoMowMay every year, and let wild plants get a head start on the summer.
Best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May and beyond!
Councils can sign up here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7d2df327edc5462c8669b051a87847de
Find out more: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/
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Latest Neighbourhood Policing Team newsletters published
The latest of our Neighbourhood Policing Team newsletters have been published, featuring the work we've accomplished and areas each team will be focusing on in the next three months.
Each of the newsletters has been designed on Microsoft Sway. This means that there is just one link that residents need to use, with the newsletters regularly updated. Anyone who runs a community website, for example, can embed the link which provides instant access to the latest information.
Links to all of the newsletters can be found here:
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LCVS Volunteer Managers Conference
Calling all volunteer managers, coordinators, and anyone interested in volunteer management in Lincolnshire.
Whether you are new to the field running a small social group, or have years of experience, our Volunteer Management Conference offers valuable insights and resources to enhance your skills and includes keynote presentations from renowned speakers from the voluntary sector, interactive workshops, networking opportunities and a performance from The Curious Theatre on the theme of ‘giving back to the local community’.
Come and join us on Wednesday 12th June from 10:00 to 15:00 at The Showroom, Tritton Road, Lincoln. LN6 7QY.
For more information and to sign up:
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Let's talk Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire County Council)
Share ideas, discuss important topics, provide feedback on policy, planning and contribute to the future of Lincolnshire. Register and you will be among the first to hear about opportunities and to have your say on the areas that interest you.
Find out more: https://www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Deadline extended - Lincolnshire Moves: Your voice, your roads
The ‘Lincolnshire Moves: Your voice, your roads’ survey is part of an in-depth review into LCC’s Traffic Management Policy for the county.
The review will cover a range of topics that affect our roads including:
• Speed limits
• Speed cameras
• Traffic calming measures
• School safety zones
• Blue badge parking
Through this in-depth review, we hope to make our roads safer, improve traffic flows, and increase accessibility across the network.
This survey has now been extended till the 17th May and will remain open till then for submissions.
Further information: https://www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lincolnshiremoves
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Rural Coalition meets DEFRA minister
NALC chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, met with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) minister Robbie Moore MP at the Rural Coalition meeting this week. With a background in farming and as a former councillor including on Alnwick Town Council, the minister was keen to stress his support for rural areas and raising their profile across government. He explained that his priorities were loss of facilities, transport and broadband. During the meeting Keith emphasised the important role local (parish and town) councils play, especially in supporting community hubs, which the minister acknowledged. We also took the opportunity to thank the minister for recognising the extension of the Community Ownership Fund to our councils in the Government’s recent rural proofing report and urged him to support making other similar national funding streams available to the sector.
Read the rural proofing report: https://tinyurl.com/2223escm
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
SLCC Environmental Update
There are several current issues about the environment that we feel we should bring to your attention:
• BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN – a developer’s response to the requirements of biodiversity net gain (at least a 10% increase on the site’s current biodiversity levels) is now part of most of the planning applications we are being asked to consider as local councils. Good practice in this matter will take time to appear, but please see the introductory note based on current government guidance.
• NO MOW MAY – as part of our duty as local councils to consider biodiversity in all that we do, there is a strong suggestion that we avoid mowing our green spaces in May when the wildflowers that support pollinating insects are beginning to appear. This is particularly relevant this year as, due to spring arriving earlier than usual, some wildflowers are already in bloom in April.
• COMMUNITY ENERGY – some of us are working with our local community on a variety of renewable energy projects, from solar panels and wind farms to electric vehicle charging points. The government has opened a consultation around any identified barriers to these projects: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/barriers-to-community-energy-projects If you would like to share your views on any such barriers, please would you copy them to Andrew Maliphant, SLCC Environmental & Sustainability Advisor at andrew.maliphant@slcc.gov.uk so we can also make a collective response.
• NET ZERO SUMMIT – Andrew is one of the speakers at the forthcoming SLCC summit on 22 May, which will look at the practicalities of achieving net zero in our carbon emissions: https://www.slcc.co.uk/event/are-you-prepared-for-net-zero-themed-summit-22-may/
• THE GREAT COLLABORATION – at the summit you will hear more about the Great Collaboration, a network approach to gathering and sharing good practice across the wide range of climate action. You can get in touch with the project via office@greatcollaboration.uk if you would like to be part of the networking and sharing, but meanwhile there are free weekly online sessions on climate topics that you can book into.
SLCC will be continuing to work on environmental matters, and our regular course on climate action for smaller councils will be running again on 1 August 2024.
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New Community Green Spaces Fund
The new Community Green Spaces Fund will provide up to £7 million of funding to support communities across the country to create, restore and enhance their green spaces.
The Community Green Spaces Fund will run until the end of March 2025 and eligible applicants will include parish councils serving rural areas, community groups, registered charities, and charitable trusts. Only one application will be accepted per greenspace, however, funding could cover multiple elements such as landscaping projects to create new paths, planting of green spaces, creation of water features, shelters, and seating for people to enjoy their community green spaces. The fund will not cover land purchase.
DEFRA press release: https://tinyurl.com/36a8dubr
Further details including what can be supported, who can apply and how to apply, will be published by summer 2024.
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LCC survey: Share your views on local childcare
The council is working to ensure there are sufficient childcare places for working parents, parents studying/training, for children with special educational needs, and for children to access their funded entitlement.
Although the authority does not provide childcare directly, it works closely with private, voluntary, and independent providers and schools to ensure local provision is flexible, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of the community.
The council is asking parents to complete a short survey to help the authority assess the need for childcare places across the county.
The survey runs until 14 May and can be found at: www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/childcaresurvey2024
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Clear Councils advice on lighting a Beacon of Peace for the D-Day 80th anniversary
Lighting a beacon: what should I know?
Councils and communities have been invited to participate in the D-Day anniversary by lighting a Beacon. It is a fantastic opportunity to bring people together, but also comes with its own set of risks. In light of this we’re here to offer a few tips to stay safe during the event.
Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/mr2r865x
For further guidance on preparing for the D-Day anniversary, contact our Clear Councils risk management and insurance specialists via 0330 013 0036 or councils@thecleargroup.com
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New resources added to NALC’s banking webpage
Following a recent meeting held by Chris Borg, policy manager and LINK, which is the coordinating body that assesses all bank branch closures and recommends banking hubs in areas that meet set criteria, two useful LINK resources have been added to the dedicated banking page on the NALC website: https://tinyurl.com/4vzwzc74
The LINK community request scheme can be used by local councils and others to put in a request for either an ATM or a banking hub: https://tinyurl.com/yc74n67m
The LINK Cash Locator shows all current places to access cash for free and which will be of use to local councils who want to identify the nearest ATM provision and free cash access for residents in their area:
https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/locator/
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NALC blog: Maternal mental health
Author: Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services at NALC and Trustee at PANDAS (https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/)
In the UK, 1 in 5 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or in the first year after birth, and the leading cause of maternal death in the first year of their babies life is suicide. Unfortunately, those statistics are not improving over time. And of course, the mental health of both parents is important and interlinked, in fact between 25-50% of men will develop perinatal mental illness if their partner experiences poor mental health themselves. So much of what influences maternal mental health is driven by factors outside of the local council, but there is still much that can be done to support those struggling. I imagine most of us have heard the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ but how much time has your town or parish (local) council spent considering the role it can play in the lives of its youngest residents and in supporting their parents or caregivers?
Read the blog: https://tinyurl.com/ybhrbv93
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NALC meeting with trade union Association of Local Council Clerks
NALC Chair and Chief Executive were joined by our new Management Board workforce lead, Cllr Bob Blezzard from the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils, to meet with Linda Hedley, general secretary the Association of Local Council Clerks (ALCC) trade union, on 25 April 2024. We heard about the development of the trade union since 2016 with its membership now standing at around 1000 local council clerks and other officers. We discussed matters of mutual interest including promoting civility and respect in the workplace and involving the union in our workforce work, agreeing to meet regularly, at least twice a year.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
Meeting between NALC and Society of Local Council Clerks leadership teams
NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, and vice-chairs Cllr Peter Davey and Cllr David Francis met their Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) counterparts last week on 25 April 2024 to discuss areas of mutual interest.
The focus of the meeting was the state of local government finance generally and what might be the implications for local (parish and town) councils. We agreed to work closely to monitor the situation, provide advice and support and engage with the Local Government Association (LGA) and other national bodies. We noted progress on our respective attendance at the LGA’s Annual Conference from 2 - 4 July 2024 in Harrogate aimed at raising the profile of the sector with over 1,200 delegates from principal authorities, which this year will include our first joint stand in the exhibition. Our focus will be on how our part of local government can help address the challenges facing the country by “working together to build stronger communities”. The meeting also discussed other joint initiatives, including a joint event on youth engagement, the Civility and Respect Project and workforce development.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
NALC event looks at safeguarding local councils from prevalent financial threats
The event on 24 April 2024 featured Annie Child, chief executive at the Smaller Authorities' Audit Appointments (SAAA), Derek Kemp, a seasoned audit and accounts advisor for NALC, Cllr Graham Oakes, a respected leader of Yeovil Town Council, and Steve Parkinson, a renowned partner at The Parkinson Partnership LLP.
Highlights from the event:
• The SAAA, what they do, and their purpose. Top tips for a successful audit, were shared: "Read the instructions provided by your audit firm, read The Practitioners' Guide, submit your forms in plenty, and keep your contact details up to date".
• The importance of reserves and their implications. "The Practitioners' Guide is the bible in determining how your reserves should be set, what reserves policy you should have, and what level your reserve would be at". Reserves are crucial in financing council services, especially when income generation is anticipated but not immediate.
• Achievements of Yeovil Town Council in preserving various services. Their efforts have been instrumental in maintaining the Yeovil Recreation Centre, Yeovil Country Park, and Octagon Theatre, ensuring these vital community assets continue to thrive.
• Pressing issues affecting local councils. One particularly alarming trend is the rapid depletion of financial reserves, leading to inevitable council tax increases. "We've witnessed numerous councils exhaust their reserves in a bid to delay the inevitable council tax hike that will follow once these reserves are depleted". Also noted a significant influx of funds into the council sector from substantial government funding, a development that has not been seen recently.
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New Planning Enforcement Powers Issued for Local Councils
As part of the government’s Levelling-up and Regeneration Act, on 25 April new wide-ranging planning powers came into effect giving local councils greater tools to hold rogue developers to account. The new powers mean “council planners can use stronger enforcement measures to take on landowners who repeatedly break planning rules” which “will make it harder for rulebreakers to seek future planning permission and will give councils the ability to issue unlimited fines against those failing to build in the right places.”
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/y5styd8z
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