LCC Local Councils Conference Leicestershire Councils - The Local Picture

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LCC Local Councils ConferenceLeicestershire
Councils - The Local Picture

• Jake Atkinson
• LRALC Chief Officer

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Perceptions are not always accurate..!
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Some Leicestershire facts figures

• 165 Parish and Town Councils in Leicestershire.
• 147 of them are members of LRALC.
• 17 are Quality Councils (all are members of
  LRALC!).
• 114 Cllrs and Clerks trained by LRALC to date
  (12-13)
• 45 Qualified Clerks (CiLCA) since scheme began.
• 27 Clerks currently CiLCA qualified.
• 40 Clerks trained in use of GPoC since power
  commenced.
• 2 Clerks have passed the new GPoC CiLCA module.
• 1 Council has adopted GPoC (a week ago!).

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Membership of LRALC
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LRALC 2012 and beyond

• Member survey results (April 2012 100
  responses)
• Training, newsletter, and telephone and email
  query service most highly valued aspects of
  membership.
• Over 94 of respondents say LRALC membership
  represents good or excellent value for money.
• Nearly 50 of respondents said their councils
  didnt feel prepared for the powers and duties
  contained within the Localism Act 2011 (37
  didnt know).
• Demand for training in areas not previously
  provided.
• LRALC keen to grow its services and membership
  Business Plan for 2013 onwards being developed.

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Localism and the Localism Act

• The time has come to disperse power more widely
  in Britain today. Coalition Agreement
• Localism has broad political consensus
• Localism Act (Nov 2011) gives new rights and
  powers for communities and individuals, and new
  freedoms and flexibilities for local government.
• LRALC and NALC are supporting local councils who
  wish to embrace Localism.

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• Greg Clark, minister for decentralisation
  "parish councils up and down the country would
  like to have greater influence and the new
  legislation will allow them to do this".
• While there is no formal target he hopes a number
  of new councils will be formed and is looking
  forward to "a great revival" of parish politics.
• LRALC is supportive of new local councils being
  formed in Leicestershire.

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Big Society

• We need to create Communities with oomph
  neighbourhoods who are in charge of their own
  destiny, who feel if they club together and get
  involved they can shape the world around them.
• Prime Minister David Cameron, 19 July 2010

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Big Society and Local Councils

• Vicar of Dibley image of Parish Councils
• Issues of knowledge and capacity
• Lack of consistency in quality and compliance
• But, Parish and town councils are localism and
  Big Society incarnate.
• Success stories of active, inclusive, and
  empowered Parish Councils

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Leicestershire CC LRALC

• Some shared priorities
• Training of clerks and councillors.
• Quality Council Scheme.
• Communication between LCC and local councils
  (both ways).
• Resolution of contact issues between local
  councils and LCC.
• Representation of local council views at a
  strategic level.
• Liaison between local councils and
  Districts/Boroughs.

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Firm foundations for improvement