Know Your Trees! Risk Assessments, Local Insights from the Bucks Data Exchange, CiLCA 2026, Knight, Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy (PPOSS), Procurement Workshop October 31st
Dear Colleagues,
You may have noticed it’s been a little breezy! With our trees still carrying a lot of leaves this can make them top heavy and more inclined to damage.
Given a recent case where a council was found liable for extensive damages following a H&S prosecution, you need to make sure that you know your trees! If you don’t, then this needs to become an area of attention for you, identify them, log them, get them inspected and put a future inspection regime in place, which you keep to. Attend to damage quickly and if your tree’s lose limbs don’t take it for granted because it’s fallen off, the tree is now safe, trees can become unbalanced and in high wind conditions it raises the risk of complete collapse much higher. You can take a look at Clear Councils for further advice on risks Risk Assessment Templates | Clear Councils.
It’s been another busy week! BC Clerks forums in Aylesbury and Chesham, thank you CTC. The forums are always well attended and whilst I only got to join the latter part of the Chesham one this week, It was to catch the tail end of the informative demo on Local Insights from the Bucks Data Exchange team. There was quite the ripple of excitement around the Chesham chamber as a world of statistics about our town, parish and communities such as local crime rates, population size, number of charities registered in your area etc, these reports for us in real time. We will re-run the demonstration as a lunch time knowledge bites session as part of the Free January itinerary. There were also updates from Highways and Iain Watters and whilst important and interesting I’m not sure they stirred quite the same excitement!
On Wednesday the CiLCA 2025 cohort met for their final formal day of training. I cannot emphasise enough the effort and workload it takes to successfully navigate the training and production of a successful portfolio. Along the way we build a trusted cohort of clerks who we will keep in touch with, possibly throughout our careers. We laugh, we pick each other up when we hit a wall and we all constantly learning. Next year we will be training to a new portfolio guide. Full details will be with me in February, and we will have registration for CiLCA 2026 opening shortly after that. I have an update meeting in November and if we receive notice of any increases in fees, we’ll let you know so that you can factor that into your budgets.
Also, you may recall from earlier in the year a survey you received relating to a Buckinghamshire Council Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy (PPOSS) which was from Knight, Kavanagh & Page Ltd. It was all handled rather clumsily, leading a number of us to suspect it was a scam. We confirmed at the time that it was not a scam, and Gail advised the Parks of the correct protocol. KKP have recently sent you a reminder, in the same manner. They haven’t learned and it’s still not a scam, the matter has been escalated, but it is safe to reply.
The Natural Environment Partnership newsletter has been circulated under separate cover for your information , and I’m pleased to let you know that Bucks Council voted through The Local Nature Recovery Scheme for the Bucks area. Many of you will know Becky Walsh, either through her work with NALC, SLCC or even our events. Becky has now start a new business and is focussing on local councils, the email from her has also been circulated under separate cover, offers some free webinar events, I think you’ll find them interesting!
Next week we’ll be delivering the Planning Application Responses and Procurement Workshop together with Mike Deegan, both already sold out and aiming to provide some practical hints and tips on effective planning responses and then procurement procedures for councils along with short case studies from 3 of our councils.
Until then don’t get blown away by Storm Benjamin and get the winter duvets out! We look forward to seeing you or speaking with you next week.
Kind regards
Mel, Lorraine and Jess