29/ 01/ 2018 THE FORWARD PLAN FOR NALC HAMPSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF - PDF document

29/ 01/ 2018 THE FORWARD PLAN FOR NALC HAMPSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS Councillor Sue Baxter, chairman 4 NOVEMBER 2017 THANK YOU! • Thank you for the work that you do for your communities • Thank you for the work that you are doing to raise the profile of our sector SOME STATISTICS • Represented on Management Board and involved with Councillor Commission • 80% membership • 500+ orders of The Good Councillor’s guide • 2 new council campaigns in Winchester and West of Waterlooville • Allocated over £50k from the Transparency Fund • 4+ councils working towards Local Council Award Scheme • 3+ councils with Foundation, Quality and Gold Award • 12 councils part of Direct Access Scheme • Improvement and Development Board building on member development charter 1

29/ 01/ 2018 THE FORWARD PLAN FOR NALC - HOW DOES NALC WORK? • Working with others: government, partners and other interested bodies to raise the profile of local councils and influence decision makers • Working together: in partnership with county associations and increasing the capacity and capability of our sector both in quality and quantity • Working effectively and efficiently: ensuring NALC offers value for money, quality services to member councils and county associations THE FORWARD PLAN FOR NALC AND OUR SECTOR • Our offer: Why are parishes important and what our sector can offer government to help deliver social cohesion and the services that our communities need, want and deserve • Our asks: How government can support us, and help us to deliver the above and help communities to help themselves • What do we need to do to step up and ensure that we can deliver on our promises? OUR OFFER • Provide democratic local leadership that is accountable, open and transparent and builds community cohesion and resilience • Being fiscally responsible by engaging and communicating with residents and businesses about investing the precept or small share of council tax in local priorities, services and projects • Work in partnership with principal councils, businesses, local groups and others to improve quality of life and well being and enhance the cultural, economic and social prosperity of the area • Plan for the future by protecting and enhancing local assets and services, place shaping to meet housing and other development needs • Ensure we are well run, becoming more efficient and effective, driving up standards of practice and behaviour and learning from others 2

29/ 01/ 2018 HELPING COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEMSELVES: EMPOWER COMMUNITIES • Support the creation of local councils by reforming the community governance review process with a ‘community right of appeal’ and use of referendums, investment in a national support programme and introduce mandatory governance reviews as part of devolution deals • Give communities more control of decisions by ‘community proofing’ powers repatriated from EU which could be devolved beyond national government and principal councils, and more of say over planning, licensing and highways issues through new consultation and appeal powers and greater protection for neighbourhood plans • Review the Localism Act to remove barriers in the general power of competence, and strengthen the ‘right to bid’ HELPING COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEMSELVES: BUILD CAPACITY AND SUPPORT COUNCILLORS • Enhance local decision making by encouraging more people to become councillors, making it easier to stand and serve including changes to allowances system, gathering elections data and promoting contested elections • Reform the standards regime to allow local councils to impose sanctions for breaches of the code of conduct and the allowances system to better support the changing needs of all councillors • Promote and support good governance by working with the sector to deliver the National improvement strategy for local councils including through investment and other assistance HELPING COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEMSELVES: MORE DEVOLUTION AND ENGAGEMENT • Encourage joint working between principal councils and local councils including supporting onward devolution of services, introducing a new ‘right to engage’ to help local councils work more equitably and effectively with principal councils and other public services. • Improve links between local councils and directly elected mayors of combined authorities, Police and Crime Commissioners and Clinical Commissioning Groups including sharing good practice 3

29/ 01/ 2018 HELPING COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEMSELVES: FLEXIBLE AND DIVERSE FUNDING • Council tax referendum principles not extended to local councils • Localisation of business rates expanded to provide a share for local councils • Provide mandatory exemption for public conveniences from national non-domestic rates. • Enhance developer contributions for community infrastructure and projects through Community Infrastructure Levy increase • Increase the diversity of investment in community level services, facilities and projects through greater use of community shares, crowdfunding, loans, charging, trading and grant funding WHAT MORE CAN WE DO? • Demonstrate that we are fit for purpose • Demonstrate that we do engage with our residents and are fiscally responsible • Get involved in the Local Council Award Scheme • Share good practice and learn from others • Keep talking to principal councils • Look for creative sources of funding • Evidence our decisions • Apply for Council Spotlight • Nominate yourselves for future Star Councils awards IN SUMMARY • Engage, engage and engage with our communities • Train, train and train our councillors and clerks • Share, share and share good practice • Learn, learn and learn from others • Keep talking to our principal councils • Look for different sources of funding • Don’t be afraid, be confident! 4

29/ 01/ 2018 THANK YOU w: www.nalc.gov.uk | e: nalc@nalc.gov.uk | t: 020 7637 1865 5