News

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has lent its backing to The Village Survival Guide, a new publication from rural charity The Prince’s Countryside Fund, published on 1 August 2019.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) welcomes the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Bill, which sees moves to address exempting public conveniences from business rates potentially saving 6,500 toilets from closing. However, NALC would like to see the bill go further and extend business rates reliefs to all public toilets.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is researching the local elections in May this year to examine the elections process for local (parish and town) councils.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has congratulated Robert Jenrick MP on his appointment as the new secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed the government's announcement for plans to strengthen the purpose and role of local (parish and town) councils across the country, including a commitment to make it easier to set up new local councils.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has opened up the nominations to its Larger Councils Committee for candidates for 2020.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today announced its Star Council Awards finalists. The awards recognise the achievements of...

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) will be responding to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) new consultation on the data-sharing code of practice.

The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Food, Farming and Countryside Commission made strong calls for a government rural strategy when it published its report Our Future In The Land this week.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is proud to announce successful accreditation to the Cyber Essentials Scheme, demonstrating our commitment to data and cybersecurity.

Loughton Town Council in Essex has an estimated population of over 30,000 with a precept of £665,000 and 22 elected councillors. The council is also accredited with the Quality Gold Award under the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Local Council Award Scheme.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today urged all local (parish and town) councils to sign up to the Tree Charter and become Charter Branches.

AUTHOR: PROFESSOR JANE WILLS, CENTRE FOR GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

There has been little to celebrate in the world of local government in recent years. Severe budget cuts have hit local authorities very hard and the associated headlines have been all about service cuts, job losses and even bankruptcy.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has welcomed recognition by the Plunkett Foundation that local (parish and town) councils can play an important role in supporting the creation of community businesses.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has urged the London Borough of Tower Hamlets principal authority to hold a referendum on proposals to create a new local (parish and town) council in Spitalfields.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has agreed on a range of measures to help strengthen the neighbourhood planning process.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has called this week for all local (parish and town) council financial complaints (particularly those regarding banks) to be heard by the financial ombudsman.

The Smaller Councils Committee of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is urging smaller sized local (parish and town) councils to support the training and development of their councillors and staff.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has today sent a best practice delegation to discover how Bishop’s Stortford Town Council Hertfordshire is improving community transport for adult social care services.

Nailsea Town Council has an estimated population of 16,500 residents and a precept of £471,334. The council is also accredited with the Foundation Award under the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Local Council Award Scheme.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling on local (parish and town) councils to submit their nominations for the People’s Award to mark today's official launch of Transport Planning Day 2019.

The chairman of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) met the housing minister, Kit Malthouse MP, to press for neighbourhood planning to be strengthened including giving greater protection for neighbourhood plans.

Organisers of VE Day 75 next year have announced more details of planned activities taking place over the weekend of 8-10 May 2020, and are encouraging all local (parish and town) councils to get involved.

Danbury Parish Council has 13 elected councillors with an estimated population of 6,000 residents and a precept of £205,252. The council is also accredited with The Quality Gold under the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Local Council Award Scheme.

Local government minister Rishi Sunak MP has written to leaders of principal authorities in England informing them of changes to the rules around publication of candidate addresses.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has officially launched its prestigious Star Council Awards for 2019 to recognise the achievements of the parish and town (local) council sector and celebrate the positive impact local councils, county associations, local councillors and clerks make to their communities.

A new report published this week has highlighted the state of rural services in England, showing basic mobile calls are not possible across main networks in a third of homes and residents are losing out as bus services are scrapped.

Former minister for loneliness, Tracey Crouch MP, called on local (parish and town) councils to help residents suffering from loneliness at the National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Spring Conference on 11 February 2019.

The National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Councillor Census Survey found that of the 100,000 councillors serving local (parish and town) councils, there are only 700 councillors (0.7%) aged 25 or below.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) joint work with the Local Government Association (LGA) and The Campaign Company (TCC) is to continue with an initiative to tackle loneliness.

Today, Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) launched the Great British Spring Clean for 2019 and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is calling on local (parish and town) councils to get involved once again.

Today, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) chairman, Cllr Sue Baxter sent an open letter to its 100,000 local (parish and town) councillors.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) today has published its new publication highlighting the good work England’s 10,000 local (parish and town) councils are doing more for their communities.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) today took part in the judging for the Aviva Community Fund.

This year's Star Council Awards, Council of the Year winners Northwich Town Council, Cheshire and previous winners Halewood Town Council, Merseyside, met to discuss issues facing their communities and share good practice.

As part of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) elections campaign, it has published an array of materials to help local (parish and town) councils promote the local elections in 2019.

New guidance has been issued by the government on supporting local authorities in administering the Retail Discount.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has partnered with the Woodland Trust to support local (parish and town) councils embed the principles of the Tree Charter.

The National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Diversity Commission new report finds local (parish and town) councils lack gender balance, ethnicity and youth.

In a dazzling event on the first day of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Annual Conference, the Star Council Awards winners were announced.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that public toilets will receive new mandatory business rates relief, following an extensive and prolonged campaign to end the toilet tax by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and Members of Parliament.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has secured a 20% discount for member councils and county associations off the purchase price.

NALC has taken the opportunity to use the challenges of Brexit and local government funding reductions to undertake a stocktake of where the sector is now, how it sees itself and its future, and how others perceive it and view its potential. NALC want this big conversation to help develop a new vision for the role of local (parish and town) councils and the support and change needed to achieve this.

Kent’s Sevenoaks Town Council is in the frame to pick up an award in the inaugural People’s Award – an initiative by the Transport Planning Society.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is heading to Bishop’s Stortford Town Council in Hertfordshire on 10 and 11 June 2019 for its annual study tour.

The campaign for a new local (parish and town) council in London has been given a boost following a decision by Tower Hamlets Borough Council to validate a petition by campaigners.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Star Council Awards are the only awards in England to recognise the achievements of local council sector.

NALC is calling for fewer neighbourhood plans to be overturned at appeal. It firmly believes that if communities are to welcome new development, they must first feel in control.  There must be a clear signal from government that local communities are really able to make plans that will have effect.  This means significantly reducing the incidence of neighbourhood plans being overturned at appeal due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has undertaken an exercise to bring model byelaws up-to-date including accompanying guidance.

New analysis by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on women’s representation in local government shows more women are getting involved in their community through their local (parish and town) council than in larger principal authorities.