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This week’s Council of the Week is the only council in South-East England to be accepted so far on the Locality/Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Community Ownership and Management of Assets (COMA) programme in 2015/16. The scheme is largely aimed at principal authorities, making this achievement all the more significant.   

Scotland's local government and community empowerment minister Marco Biagi is to visit the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) during a 'fact finding' visit on 28 July 2015.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

Devolution to Sutton Coldfield is on the cards as residents deal resounding ‘Yes’ to new town council.

The Government has backed a proposal from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to lead the national procurement of audit for parish and town (local) councils and other smaller bodies from 2017.

Hawthorn is a very small rural village with a population of 400 situated 10 miles east of Durham City near the coast and between the larger cities of Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The Council has 7 Councillors and a precept of £7,000 whilst the village itself has a community centre, one pub, village green and a children’s play area.

The National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) What Next for Local Councils event, 15 July 2015, looked at the implications of the general election results for communities, neighbourhoods, local (parish and town) councils in the context of austerity and devolution.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) sent its larger councils committee to come on board at Falmouth, Cornwall, and visit this historic town in a fact-finding mission on Tuesday 7 July 2015. Falmouth is situated on the south coast of Cornwall and is one of the county’s most diverse, vibrant and largest towns.

National Association of Local Councils (NALC) chief executive, Jonathan Owen, said: “England's 9,000 local (parish and town) councils are the backbone of local democracy, giving people a voice and structure for taking action. They are increasingly delivering more services to improve their area as austerity bites. They can provide very local services extremely cost effectively and should be part of the solution to the financial challenges the country faces.

Shrewsbury Town Council is widely recognised as one of the leading local (parish and town) councils in England and so is very deserving of the Council of the Week.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) warmly welcomes that its ongoing campaign to protect local (parish and town) councils’ investments and savings has finally succeeded.

England's parish councils are the unsung heroes of neighbourhood planning and key to putting communities in control of shaping future development and housing, according to their umbrella body the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Starting on 9 July 2015, the Display Energy Certificates (DECs) will be required for all buildings over 250 square metres occupied by a public authority and frequently visited by the public. The threshold for requiring these certificates was prior to this change 500 square metres.

Scores of MPs lined up to signal their support for England’s ‘localist powerhouse’ yesterday during a ‘lobby day’ organized by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector

NALC welcomes the availability of DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) Big Energy Saving Network (BESN) grant funding programme for parish and town councils

Having been awarded the Quality Standard twice under the old scheme and been awarded both the Foundation and Quality Awards under the new Local Council Award Scheme, it is clear to see that Folkestone is a town council is a high achiever, and an obvious candidate for Council of the Week. 

England’s 9,000 parish councils are marching on the Houses of Parliament on 30 June 2015 in a ‘lobby day’ to meet with Members of Parliament.

Scores of local (parish and town) council representatives from across the country will be descending on Westminster as part of the first ever ‘lobby day’ by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) aimed at raising the profile of our most local level of government.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories on the local (parish and town) council sector

Southbourne Parish Council is the well deserving Council of the Week for amongst other things being the first parish council in England to be accepted onto the Locality/Department of Communities and Local Government Community Ownership and Management of Assets (COMA) programme in 2015/16.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) supports calls from parish and town councils for the government to reconsider proposals for exempting these councils for paying business rates on the important neighbourhood matter of public toilets.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) would like to congratulate individuals from the parish and town councils sector on being recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

This week, we would like to celebrate the work of a relatively new council that has adopted a pro-active and holistic approach to developing and improving the local area since 2007. 

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has selected Aon UK Limited as its ‘Gold plus’ status partner for insurance services in a deal running until 2017.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

On 8 June 2015, the chairman of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) sent an open letter to all English Members of Parliament, calling on them to support the nation's 9,000 local (parish and town) councils and meet with parish councillors during their Lobby Day on 30 June 2015.

This week, we would like to draw attention to an active parish in Staffordshire with commendable fundraising achievements and an impressive commitment to its community.

The National Rural Crime Network (NRCN) has received Home Office funding to undertake a rural crime and policing survey. The online survey will run for about five weeks and it is hoped that the findings will help shape and inform more on:

We need stronger and more robust local community media to scrutinise local councils. If this does not happen then local democracy will be weaker for it.

From the very beginning stages of the Our Place programme, also known as the Neighbourhood Community Budget pilot, the parish sector has been involved in this new approach to bringing the community together to join up public service delivery.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

This week’s Council of the Week is a fantastic ‘all-rounder’, adopting a proactive approach to its wide-ranging work all year round.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

The National Association of Local Councils' (NALC) Digital Councils event on 21 May 2015 held at CCLA offices in London, was the first of the new look free seminars for members.

This week, we are celebrating the achievements of a small parish in the Chew Valley in Somerset.

As we look back over five years of a coalition Government and ask ourselves what it has done for planning, NALC, CPRE and Civic Voice demonstrate why a community right of appeal should be on the new Government's agenda – and soon.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

This week, we are celebrating the ongoing hard work of a semi-rural parish in North East Hampshire, crowned as the place with the best quality of life in the UK for four years in a row.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on 15 May 2015 thinks it time to celebrate and support the new wave of local (parish and town) councils that came into being around a year ago.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on 15 May 2015 boosted its commitment to stronger local democracy after the recent national and local elections this month.

Kidderminster residents voted 80% in favour of the creation of a new town council on 7 May 2015 in a referendum held at the same time as national and local elections.

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.

A group of influential town councils has urged their national body, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), to campaign for fairer funding to ensure tens of millions of pounds of government funding is passed on to them.

This week, we would like to commend a rural parish in Hampshire, for being a front runner in the county, working in a forward thinking and resourceful way. 

To all parish and town councillors in England

Could the door be open for the creation of a new town council in Spalding, the only unparished part of South Holland in Lincolnshire?

Media Watch is a weekly round-up of the latest major stories about the local (parish and town) council sector.