Parish Liaison, Free January, New GPN, BMKALC Place Shaping Conference June 16th, NALC Updates and Revised National Planning Policy Framework
Welcome to 2025 and what a bracing start it has been so far! It promises to be an exciting year.
Two thirds of our members face elections alongside Bucks Council, a white paper on devolution for which we await with baited breath, the detail – the devil is after all, always in the detail! Possible conclusions on Martins Law and multiple financial challenges. Our sector is both resilient and inventive and somehow we’ll get through producing good outcomes for the communities we live in.
The BC Parish Focus Group me this week and we look forward to Parish Liaison on the 30th of January. We’ve enjoyed a great start to Free January with excellent participation in our first week, The Summons, Agenda and Minutes on Tuesday and Compliant Employment Contracts on Wednesday and closing the week with AI for Councils. It’s been a cracker!
This week added to our Good Practice Note library with “The Summons, Agenda and Minutes”, we now have a good catalogue of quick reference notes to supplement our courses, NALCs advice notes and the SLCC advice library.
Sadly, owing to a clash with the NALC Annual Conference more on that below, and hence a competition for sponsorship, we have moved our a, PLACE SHAPING, to a week earlier now the 16th June 2025. This leaves us with a week less to organise everything but at least our key speakers and venue hosts BC, have been able to accommodate the change. Phew!
Summary Update from NALC
NALC called for stronger neighbourhood governance in response to theEnglish Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024, and their immediate response emphasised the importance of nurturing neighbourhood governance to ensure its success. Also receipt of the government’s consultation on strengthening the standards regime as set out in the white paper with a further briefing expected in the new year.
NALC Annual Conference – Power Shift 2025 – Are you ready to seize the moment and redefine the role of parish and town councils in England’s democracy? Power Shift 2025 is here to put you at the centre of the conversation. Please mark your calendars for 23 June 2025 and join us at the America Square Conference Centre near the iconic Tower of London.
2025 study tour to discover Braunstone Town Council’s award-winning innovations – Join an exclusive study tour to Braunstone Town Council, crowned Star Council Awards Council of the Year 2023, between 20 and 21 May 2025.
A new suite of online events for 2025/26 – NALC’s online events programme for 2025/26 has been published. The diverse lineup will feature expert-led events covering a range of topics such as community engagement, managing parks and open spaces, alternative income sources, the new planning and housing landscape, the art of communication, clean energy initiatives and driving community growth, asset management, and attracting young talent to parish and town councils. Please note our online events starting in April 2025 will use the new booking system via the NALC website and not Eventbrite.
NALC backs the government’s remote meeting proposals – NALC supported the government’s recent proposals to reintroduce remote meetings for parish and town councils,
Echoing concerns raised by other stakeholders, we warned proxy voting could undermine democratic accountability, weaken deliberative decision making and create procedural and ethical challenges, particularly for larger councils with party-political dynamics.
Revised National Planning Policy Framework
On 12 December 2024, following its significant consultation earlier in the summer, the government announced major changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
I shall be away for the next two weeks and Lorraine will be holding the fort. There will be an out of office on my mail box to remind you and Lorraine has full access to all our member support services and from my national colleagues so you won’t even notice I’m absent! I hope you will continue to enjoy our Free January events and remember to keep watching our Training and Events page as it is constantly being updated.
Until I’m back I wish you a safe and slightly warmer January and Lorraine will be looking forward to speaking to you soon. ????
Kind regards
Mel Woof PSLCC