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Dear Colleague,
As we head into what promises to be a very busy autumn, please find a copy of the LGA Chief Executive’s bulletin with a summary of issues affecting councils. Also included is additional information about COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, the LGcomms future leaders programme and information about a vacancy within the LGA comms directorate.
Autumn COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine programme
The COVID-19 and flu seasonal communications toolkit has been designed to support conversations about, and promotion of the staff facing winter vaccines campaign, encouraging staff to get both essential vaccinations. This will be made available next week. Campaign resources will also be available on the Campaign Resource Centre shortly.
LGcomms Future Leaders programme open for applications
If you’re looking to take the next step in your career and are passionate about public service communications, then LGcomms' Future Leaders programme is a great opportunity. Applications for the 2023 edition, which involves a mix of academic learning, meaningful mentoring and hands on training, are now open. The development programme is worth more than £10,000, and is available for free to LGcomms members. The closing date for applications is Sunday 18 September.
Come and work at the LGA
Finally, I want to bring to your attention that we are recruiting for a Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement (deadline Monday 19 September) to join the Communications directorate here at the LGA. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss this role or would like more information.
Have a great weekend.
Claire Hogan
Interim Director of Communications
Local Government Association
@ClaireHoganLGA |
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From the LGA's Chief Executive
Dear Colleague,
This week, the Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark signed the first county devolution deal with Derbyshire and Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham. Huge congratulations to colleagues across the two counties and two cities who have negotiated and agreed the East Midlands devolution deal. The deal will unite the area under an elected mayor and deliver £1.4 billion over 30 years to improve transport, affordable housing and skills. Good luck to those other areas nearing the end of negotiations in getting deals over the line.
The images coming out of Pakistan this week highlighting the devastating impact of the flooding has been heart-breaking. Since the start of the rainy season in June, Pakistan has been hit with extreme monsoon rainfall – more than twice the monthly average. Officials in Pakistan estimate that more than a third of the country is submerged by the heaviest recorded rainfall in a decade and the United Nations estimates about 33 million people have been affected, with one million homes destroyed. I would like to extend my thanks to councils across the country who are offering support to communities here whose families have been affected by this tragedy.
I would also like to extend my deepest sympathies to colleagues at Knowsley Council who have lost their colleague, Ashley Dale in such tragic circumstances. Our thoughts are with you all at this extremely difficult time. The Government has announced a £150,000 package to support the communities of Liverpool and Knowsley in the wake of the tragic shootings in the city. The funding will be used to provide specialist trauma-informed support in schools, as well as mental health provisions for those closely affected. The Home Secretary also announced £350,000 to expand the ‘Clear, Hold, Build' pilot to other areas in Merseyside affected by serious and organised crime. The pilot sees both a proactive policing response and multi-agency working to support communities worst affected by organised crime groups to make them more resilient and less susceptible to their activities.
Next week is an important one for the country, with Parliament returning from its summer recess and taking forward a number of important priorities that impact on councils, such as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill; and of course, the announcement of the new Prime Minister, following the conclusion of the Conservative leadership election. The LGA will continue to work hard on your behalf, ensuring that councils’ priorities are front and centre of any discussions with the new Prime Minister, Government and in Parliament. I’ll update you next Friday on our initial work with the new ministerial team.
Finally, some of you may have received a request to complete a survey from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) about the support you have received from the LGA during 2021-22 which was grant-funded by DLUHC. Although we appreciate you may already have filled in our usual LGA feedback survey, we would be very grateful if you could also complete the survey from DLUHC. The department is keen to hear direct from you about the value of the support they’re grant-funding. Thanks, of course, to those of you who have already responded.
As always, do continue to liaise with your principal adviser if there is anything the LGA can do to support your council.
Costs of street lighting and pothole repairs
This week, we warned about the soaring cost of street lighting, filling potholes and building new roads which is causing pressure on stretched council budgets and delaying works. Our analysis which was carried out alongside the Association for Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) found that councils have seen a 37.5 per cent increase in the cost of running and repairing streetlights over the last six months, with some authorities reporting that their running costs have doubled. The cost of road maintenance has also increased, with councils seeing a 22 per cent increase in the cost of repairing a pothole, relaying a road surface and other maintenance costs. Councils’ capital budgets, which support the building of new roads and other local infrastructure, have had an estimated rise of 21 per cent, pushing up the cost of delivering investment in local areas. We have called on the incoming Prime Minister to urgently help meet these additional cost pressures in full as part of any new budget measures introduced.
Rent cap consultation launched
A consultation inviting views from social housing tenants and landlords on a proposed rent cap in response to the rising cost of living has been announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. In our joint response, alongside the National Housing Federation, we said that if the Government does take forward a lower cap, then it should provide additional funding for 2023/24 and for future years so that housing providers can continue to safeguard services and meet the country’s future housing needs.
Fast-track planning route to speed up major infrastructure projects
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Greg Clark, announced that major infrastructure projects such as road improvements and offshore wind farms will be delivered more quickly through a new fast-track planning route. The new powers will mean shorter deadlines can be set for examinations of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects – speeding up decisions and getting projects built more quickly. More than £750,000 has also been awarded to 10 council-led projects to support innovation in ensuring the needs of local communities are reflected in the process. The Department has emphasised that councils and local communities will continue to play a key role in the planning process, including by producing local impact reports that represent the views of residents and must be taken into account. Only suitable projects will go through the new fast track process. The Government intends to publish a full Action Plan, as well as consultation on the national policy statements and on further regulatory and guidance changes to improve the operation of the system, over the coming months. This will include more details about possible timeframes and how the process would work.
COVID-19: Autumn booster and flu vaccination programme
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to local authority chief executives, Directors of Adult Social Services, and adult care home managers and providers this week, laying out plans for the COVID-19 Autumn Booster programme. In the letter, they note that the campaign will officially launch on Monday 12 September and notes that roving vaccination teams will begin visiting care homes on Monday 5 September. It also details how care home staff can book their booster. The letter also links to a range of campaign materials which can be used to promote both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for staff. Finally, the letter urges colleagues to provide monthly accurate vaccination data so the Capacity Tracker is kept up to date.
Meanwhile you will have seen that DHSC announced that based on UK Health Security Agency’s advice, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director have recommended to Ministers the COVID-19 alert level moves from level three to level two.
Avian influenza
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government has set out practical guidance to support land managers, the public and ornithological and environmental organisations in its response to the growing threat of avian influenza to wild birds. The strategy sets out how together with the Government and its delivery partners, groups can mitigate the impact of avian influenza on wild bird populations whilst protecting public health, the wider environment and the rural economy. The Government has also announced that following a number of detections of avian influenza in poultry and wild and captive birds across Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset, the UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer has declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone across the region to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring.
Cold weather plan for England
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will launch the Cold Weather Plan for England and Winter 2022/23 Preparedness Programme on Thursday 22 September. An interactive stakeholder webinar which is aimed at public health professionals, local Government and the community and voluntary sector will highlight changes to the plan and associated guidance, as well as UKHSA/Met Office Cold Weather Alerting Service and the role of the local and national authorities in the implementation of the Cold Weather plan. Sign up for the webinar which will take place from 10.00am–12.30pm on Thursday 22 September.
Changing Places Fund – second round
DLUHC has launched the second round of the Changing Places Fund (CPF). Changing Places toilets (CPts) are larger accessible toilets for severely disabled people with equipment such as hoists, privacy screens, adult- sized changing beds and space for carers. This round will see up to £6.5 million made available to eligible councils with no current CPt provision and those that are identified as being in the top 50 per cent of councils according to the updated index of need. Eligible councils are listed at Annex C of the CPF round two prospectus. Expressions of interest must be submitted by Friday 30 September.
To assist councils in their applications, DLUHC are hosting four livestream events in September. For those who are new to the scheme, and did not make an application in the first round, the events will take place from 12.00pm– 1.00pm on Tuesday 6 and Thursday 15 September. For those who participated in the first round and are eligible to make an application in the second, events will take place 12.00pm–1.00pm on Wednesday 7 and Tuesday 13 September. Please contact the Changing Place Fund team at changingplaces@levellingup.gov.uk for further information.
Mental health in secondary schools
A survey commissioned by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) has found that 82 per cent of secondary school teachers have seen increasing levels of anxiety/depressive symptoms among pupils over the past year. The survey also found that 66 per cent of teachers have seen a worsening of existing mental health problems. In our response, we said that councils have increasingly had to divert early intervention spending towards more acute services due to overstretched budgets and demand. We called on the Government to use its 10-year mental health strategy to ensure that local mental health services have sufficient funding to meet current, unmet and new demand for mental health support.
Schools’ mental health training
The Department for Education (DfE) is providing quality assured training to equip senior leads with the knowledge and practical skills to embed an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. Research shows that a school culture promoting positive mental health supports improved learning, attendance and behaviour. Schools and colleges can claim a £1,200 grant, and then choose a course to best meet their needs. There are over 100 courses available.
Combatting Drugs Fund
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has launched the Combating Drugs Innovation Fund. The call is part of the Government’s 10-year drug strategy, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in partnership with the Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU), working across the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, DLUHC, Ministry of Justice, DHSC and the DfE.
You can now access the call specification and other relevant documents, such as applicant guidance and the application form through NIHR’s funding opportunities page. At present, organisations can view the documentation and begin planning their prospective bids, but will not be able to submit applications until the fund formally opens on Wednesday 14 September.
There will be an opportunity to attend an online launch event launch event from 1.00pm–2.00pm on Tuesday 6 September. At the event, the Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU) and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will be outlining the fund specification and NIHR will explain the technicalities of the call and the assessment process.
Support for female offenders
The Government has announced funding to support services that tackle the causes of female offending. The funding will be used to help support women who have been affected by addiction, mental health issues and domestic violence and to help stop reoffending. Part of the £21 million fund will be allocated to help local services, such as mental health support and drug experts, work more closely together to support female offenders. This will include funding local coordinator roles, who would help to bring Government and third sector organisations together to provide a better service.
Ukraine – modern slavery cases
The Human Trafficking Foundation, in partnership with other anti-trafficking organisations, has developed a short briefing note providing guidance for councils following cases of modern slavery being identified within the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The guidance is based on discussions with councils where the cases were identified and provides links to useful resources councils can draw on to ensure Ukrainian refugees are aware of their rights and where to turn for support.
Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
Many thanks to council colleagues who have continued to work with Government over the summer on Ukraine issues as part of their evolving engagement structures despite reduced capacity, including chief executive representatives at the new DLUHC Strategic Engagement Group. We have been flagging the need to set out more detail on the Government’s plans for those reaching the end of their six-month sponsorship under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, particularly given concerns around housing and homelessness pressures. Updated Government guidance and a planned programme of webinars on key issues aimed at both local leaders and operational leads is anticipated once new ministers are confirmed next week.
DLUHC and the Home Office are aware of the need to confirm details as soon as possible and to build on the learning from previous events. We will share more information as it becomes available and in the interim, they have advised that colleagues wanting to be added to the circulation list for upcoming webinars should contact UkraineEngagement@levellingup.gov.uk
Please do also continue to flag your issues and practice with your principal adviser and your Strategic Migration Partnership.
Government issued data this week on the number of applications and arrivals under the sponsorship scheme by local authority, and data on their age and sex. This shows just under 66,000 people in England are being supported in your local communities, thanks to the efforts of councils and their partners. Data on homelessness has also been issued and we continue to work with Government and councils on potential solutions to this.
National Transfer Scheme and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC)
A reminder that the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration, Kevin Foster MP, wrote to all councils with children’s services last week about the changes to the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). In response to high numbers of arrivals and high numbers of children being placed in hotels while they wait to be transferred to their placements, the ten-day transfer deadline has been reduced to five working days for all transfers of UASC not currently in the care of a council. The transfer target will remain 10 working days for NTS transfers between councils. The operating threshold above which a council is no longer expected to receive UASC under the NTS will be increased from 0.07 per cent to 0.1 per cent of a council’s general child population. Referrals for transfer will now be allocated to councils between the 0.07 per cent and 0.1 per cent level and councils will no longer be able to refer new arrivals for transfer.
As part of the changes, councils will receive an additional £2,000 per month for three months for each child who is transferred from a hotel within five working days to local authority care. This is in addition to the higher rate funding contribution of £143 per child per night for each UASC supported by councils that are supporting UASC at or above 0.07 per cent of their general child population at 31 March 2022.
We are keeping in touch with officials at the Home Office and the DfE and are encouraging them to think widely about all possible solutions given the huge strains on the current system and on children's services more widely. As I noted last week, please contact UASCNationalTransferTeam@homeoffice.gov.uk as soon as you can with details of any placements you can offer. As ever, please do also feed in any specific concerns regarding supporting refugees and new arrivals to your principal adviser or Strategic Migration Partnership.
Decent Homes Standard
DLUHC has launched a consultation on introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the rented sector, which would mean landlords are legally bound to make sure their property meets a reasonable standard. The consultation asks whether privately rented homes should be required to be kept in a good state of repair with efficient heating, suitable facilities, and free from serious hazards like major damp or fire risks. The consultation seeks views on whether such new standards should be introduced and on how they should be enforced. Whilst we are pleased that the Government is making progress on its commitment to extending a legally binding Decent Homes Standard to improve conditions in the private rented sector, we have said that it will be vital that councils are sufficiently resourced, through new burdens funding, to support the implementation of the standard, and that it is introduced in a way which minimises disruption to the overall supply of stock in the private rented sector market. We said councils would also like to see inappropriate Local Housing Allowance rates addressed, and for councils to have stronger selective licensing powers by removing the requirement for Secretary of State approval for larger schemes.
DLUHC vacant property survey
To support DLUHC research on town and city centre vacancies, the Department is inviting councils to take part in a survey on identifying vacant property. The research will aim to help the Department understand the causes of vacant property, whether identifying vacant property and/or commercial landlords is an issue, and what practices can be used to address vacancies successfully. Following this survey, DLUHC will be carrying out interviews to understand the issues raised in more detail. The survey will be open until 1 October 2022.
Government Property Strategy
The new Government Property Strategy has been published which aims to deliver a better, more effective public estate. This will be achieved through three missions; transforming places and services, smaller, better and greener public estate and improve professional excellence and insight. £300 million in grant funding is being pledged to help deliver this, including through the LGAs One Public Estate (OPE) programme, delivered in partnership with the Cabinet Office and DLUHC. The Brownfield Land Release Fund is helping to unlock smaller, derelict and surplus brownfield sites across England, enabling regeneration of communities and new homes for its residents.
HM Land Registry Strategy launched
HM Land Registry has launched its Strategy 2022+ and three-year Business Plan to guide the next stage of its digital transformation. HM Land Registry's goal is to work with the property market to co-create a homebuying process of the future that is quicker, more efficient and more user friendly.
Parking enforcement
The Department for Transport (DfT) has updated statutory guidance on how local authorities should enforce parking restrictions. This now includes updated footnotes and legal cross-references to reflect the regulations which came into force on 31 May 2022, which now cover Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE, England-wide) as well as bus lane and moving traffic enforcement (outside London). It also meets a DfT commitment to remove the specific higher-level parking contravention codes (on-street and off-street) and instead publish them in guidance. The 2022 regime now prescribes more generic descriptors of higher-level parking contraventions England-wide to provide separation from less serious parking contraventions, enabling codes to be reviewed and updated as necessary without the need to amend legislation.
Pavement licensing
Licensing authorities should be starting to receive new burdens funding for year two of the temporary pavement licensing regime introduced by the Business and Planning Act 2020. The LGA welcomes this funding, which has followed our lobbying to ensure councils are reimbursed for the costs of administering the regime. The provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which outline proposals for a permanent pavement licensing regime will be put before the Bill Committee shortly after Parliament returns from recess. The LGA has worked closely with officials at DLUHC to ensure the Bill includes provisions which increase the licence fee cap, have a longer consultation and determination period, and improved enforcement powers for licensing authorities. As a reminder, the temporary pavement licensing provisions, as outlined in the Business and Planning Act 2020, have been extended to end of September 2023 to allow the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill time to complete its parliamentary stages.
Walking and cycling statistics for England
DfT published walking and cycling statistics in England for 2021, including the proportion of adults walking or cycling at a local authority level. Results from the National Travel Survey show that in 2021:
- people made an average of 235 walking trips and walked an average of 210 miles
- walking trips and stages were similar to 2020, but remain below pre-pandemic levels
- people did not walk as far compared to the previous year but compared to all years prior to 2020, people made more walking trips of over a mile
- people made an average of 15 cycling trips and cycled an average of 55 miles, falling back to pre-pandemic trends
- while people have cycled less on average than during the pandemic, leisure remains the main trip purpose continuing the trend seen during the pandemic.
LGA policy inquiry roundtable discussions on water and nutrient neutrality
The cross-party group of councillors leading the LGA’s policy inquiry into nutrient and water neutrality is hosting roundtable discussions with councils and stakeholders to review the findings from the LGA’s survey and consider next steps. The first roundtable on 28 September from 1.30pm to 3.00pm will focus on water neutrality and the impact of water extraction on the natural environment, and the second roundtable on 6 October from 10.30pm to 12.00pm will cover the issue of nutrient neutrality. Survey responses can be submitted up to mid-September. Please contact waterinquiry@local.gov.uk for more information on how to feed into the inquiry and to express an interest in the roundtable discussions.
Energy rebate through councils
In last week’s bulletin it was suggested that Wednesday 31 August was the deadline for the energy rebate payment scheme through councils. This is incorrect and I would like to apologise for this error and any confusion it has caused. The guidance states that all payments within the ‘core scheme’ should be made by Friday 30 September and for the discretionary scheme, by Wednesday 30 November.
Meanwhile, the Government has updated its figures on the distribution of the energy rebate through councils. The figures show that 86 per cent of eligible households have now received the rebate. We know you have made great efforts to get the rebate to households and will continue to make every effort to make sure the remainder of households entitled receive the rebate.
Planning for the 2022 elections
The Electoral Commission has published a Planning for the Elections Act changes: early preparations document. The document is live and will continue to be updated as the Government provides more information. The document suggests administrators consider key questions around staff, training, venues and printing requirements as early as possible and sets out areas where administrators can prepare now.
The LGA has established an officer Elections Act implementation Sounding Group for councils with elections in 2022. The Group functions primarily via email, but on occasion may meet to discuss issues as they arise. If you would like to join the Group please email jessica.norman@local.gov.uk
Regulatory innovation fund for councils and other regulators
The Government has launched a third round of the Regulators’ Pioneers Fund, which provides funding for regulator and council led projects intended to create a regulatory environment that encourages business innovation and investment. Projects linked to the transition to net-zero, place-based innovation impacts and reducing the cost of living are particularly encouraged. The deadline for bids is Thursday 29 September.
LGA National Procurement Strategy 2022 and downloadable toolkit
We are pleased to announce the launch of our refreshed National Procurement Strategy for Local Government in England – and accompanying toolkit – to support local authorities of all types and sizes to maximise opportunities in their supply chains. The role of procurement in local government remains pivotal in maximising opportunities and managing the challenges faced by our sector and our communities. The strategy introduces new approaches, emphasises better use of data, greater collaboration to deliver value, and how to unlock even more benefits through social value, it also provides councils with an opportunity to continue measuring improvement.
PSAA procurement of local audit services
Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA) has announced that its current procurement of local audit services is making progress and is about to enter its final stage. The initial process has secured 96.5 per cent of the capacity required to deliver auditor appointments to all the bodies that have opted into PSAA’s national scheme. Yesterday, PSAA launched a rapid supplementary procurement to secure the remaining capacity that is needed, with suppliers being invited to submit their responses by Tuesday 13 September. PSAA will make a full statement about the outcomes of the overall procurement in September as soon as the process has reached its conclusion.
COVID-19 sales fees and charges compensation scheme
DLUHC has written to all chief finance officers about the COVID-19 income compensation scheme for lost sales, fees and charges for 2021/22. Councils submitted final reconciliation data for this scheme back in December 2021 and DLUHC is now undertaking final assurance checks which may involve asking some councils for clarifications. DLUHC has said that it will be able to make payments under the scheme when the assurance checks are all completed. Further information can be obtained by emailing the DLUHC team at SalesFeesChargesScheme@levellingup.gov.uk
Events
Senior officer leadership training: Responding to the climate emergency
This virtual programme will help senior council officers across all services explore their crucial local leadership role in responding to the climate emergency. During the course, you’ll commit to two carbon reducing actions. See our frequently asked questions for more information. Course dates are available September to December. Sign up by completing our application form.
Sustainable procurement (webinar)
Tuesday 13 September 2022, 10.00am–11.30am
The declaration of ambitious net zero goals by councils to address the climate emergency means that there is increasing focus on commissioning and procurement. This webinar will support councils through showcasing examples of green and sustainable procurement projects from across the local government sector and partners that aim to meet our climate change commitments and targets.
Economic growth roundtable: ‘How can councils attract alternative sources of investment into their area?’ (virtual roundtable)
Tuesday 27 September 2022, 10.00am–12.00pm
This roundtable will explore how councils can attract investment to their local area. It is aimed at council officers working on economic growth and development, and there are up to 30 spaces available. There will be a facilitated discussion inviting attendees to share their thoughts in order to share learning and insights across the sector. Further information about the roundtable is available on our webpage. Due to limited spaces, we ask that one officer per council attend.
Carbon literacy – taster session (webinar)
Tuesday 4 October 2022, 10.00am–11.00am
This webinar will introduce the carbon literacy training to be provided by the LGA. It will explain what it includes, how it is delivered and how it can contribute to your council’s journey to net zero.
The Economic Growth Advisers Programme Showcase (webinar)
Thursday 13 October 2022, 10.30am–12.00pm
This webinar will showcase the economic growth case studies undertaken by local authorities through the Economic Growth Advisers (EGA) programme. The webinar, which is funded by Government will focus on examples shared by Tamworth, North Somerset, and Hartlepool Councils around transforming their town centres, support for SMEs to reduce their carbon emissions and harnessing opportunities to grow the creative industries sector.
I hope this end of the week update has been helpful. As the summer period draws to an end, and the new term starts, please do continue to liaise with your principal adviser if there is anything further we can do to support your council.
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Best wishes,
Mark Lloyd CBE
Chief Executive
Local Government Association
@MarkLloydLGA
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