In the month before local elections and the Coronation, councils up and down the country will be very busy. We thank all colleagues supporting these two key events in the local government calendar. More information on the Coronation countdown and flags can be found below. 

Thank you to all councils for continuing to input data on leisure facility performance into the Moving Communities platform. This has played an instrumental role in demonstrating the challenging financial position facing the public leisure sector and helped to facilitate the £63 million swimming pools fund announced in the Spring Budget. This funding is being arranged via Sport England (as described below) and will run alongside the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which opened 1 April with additional support for museums, libraries and historic buildings on offer. 

Please also note that two consultations have been announced on tackling the challenges posed by the rise of short-term lets, such as those listed on Airbnb. One is on the introduction of a registration scheme for holiday lets, coordinated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and one on the introduction of a new change of use class, coordinated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). These respond directly to LGA lobbying on behalf of members, so please do let us know your views as we respond to the consultations.

Do get in touch with the team if you would like to discuss any of our work at cts@local.gov.uk. 

Coronation: countdown 

With less than a month to go, further plans to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort have been announced. The Government has also confirmed additional screening sites for the Their Majesties’ Coronation, with a total of 57 locations, meaning that more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the Coronation live in communities up and down the country. More than 32,000 Coronation Big Lunch packs have been ordered with around 50,000 neighbourhood events, attended by millions of people, being planned. Communities can find a list of local events in the Government’s interactive map. 

Coronation: flags 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has shared a WeTransfer link to the Coronation flag branding toolkit. 

UK sites battle for World Heritage status 

Seven sites in the UK and its overseas territories are vying for the sought after UNESCO World Heritage status. Birkenhead Park, York city centre and a Shetland iron age settlement are among the sites put forward by the Government to join the list. The globally-recognised designation is given to places of cultural, historical or scientific significance. 

Online library peer challenges 

The LGA and Arts Council England have five fully-funded library peer challenge opportunities. These online peer challenges support councils to gain insights from stakeholders and an expert panel, to help inform library strategic activity. To find out more, including how to apply, visit the LGA’s Arts, culture and libraries web page. 

Action plan to crack down on anti-social behaviour and restore pride in communities 

The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan was released at the end of March. As part of the plan, parks and green spaces will be restored with up to £5 million to make them safer with new CCTV and repairing equipment and playgrounds, and to plant more trees and flowers.

12 destinations to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status

VisitEngland have announced that there have been 12 successful bids to become Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), one of the key elements of the DeBois DMO review recommendations. 

Active Lives Survey data

Sport England has published new data on adults’ activity levels in England, showing the number of people playing sport and taking part in physical activity has returned to pre-pandemic levels. There are 1.5 million more active adults now compared to when the survey was first run in 2015/16. The number of people classed as inactive – averaging fewer than 30 minutes a week – has fallen over the last year by 1.4 per cent, to 25.8 per cent of the population.

Libraries Strategy Update 

Published on the DCMS Libraries blog, an update has been provided on work towards a public libraries strategy.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: additional support for museums, libraries and historic buildings 

The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will commence on 1 April and run until 31 March 2024. Under the scheme, the Government will provide a baseline discount to support energy bills for eligible non-domestic customers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As with the original Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), suppliers will automatically apply reductions to the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers. However, action is required by eligible Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII). They must apply for higher support via a digital portal that will open on the GOV.uk website on 26 April 2023, and organisations will have 90 days to apply. The complete list of eligible sectors includes libraries, archives, museums, heritage sites, botanical gardens and nature reserves. 

Swimming pool support fund 

The Government's Swimming Pool Support Fund will provide a total of £63.3 million to local authorities in England as a support package for public leisure facilities with swimming pools. Sport England are working with the DCMS to set the fund criteria and application process, and will carry out the fund’s administration and monitoring on behalf of DCMS. The LGA is providing support by testing application questions with councils, and this has been fed back to Sport England. More information will be available in due course on the page above.

Applications open for funding for open network solutions 

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is inviting applications for up to £80 million of funding to support the development of open network solutions. The Open Networks Ecosystem competition aims to support the growth of open and interoperable 5G mobile infrastructure in the UK. Local authorities are invited to partner with other eligible organisations and submit bids focused on deploying networks in crowded (or 'high-density') locations, such as city centres, festival sites and transport hubs. Applications must be submitted by 23 May 2023. For more information, contact DSITgraham.francis@dcms.gov.uk. 

Rural England Prosperity Fund 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced £110 million of funding to councils through the Rural England Prosperity Fund. Eligible local councils can invest this funding to improve community facilities, through initiatives and community infrastructure projects, or to help start local businesses to create employment opportunities in rural areas. The fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Beneficiaries of the Cultural Investment Fund announced 

More than 70 cultural organisations across the country are to be given a financial boost by the government so they can improve people’s access to arts, support local economic growth through culture and safeguard vital local collections for future generations. They will share a pot of £58.8 million which will see arts venues transformed, upgraded and created as part of the government’s plans to make sure everyone, no matter where they live, can access the UK’s world-renowned culture. 

Consultation: Introduction of a use class for short term lets and associated permitted development rights 

Government has launched a consultation on introducing a use class for short term lets and permitted development rights to provide flexibility where there are no local issues with such uses. This is part of the Government’s response to concerns raised by councils and the LGA about the increasing impact of unregulated short term holiday lets on local housing markets and economies. Please email ian.leete@local.gov.uk with any points you would like us to raise on behalf of your council and communities. 

Consultation: Registration scheme for short-term lets 

DCMS is consulting on the detail of the planned register of short term lets. Please email ian.leete@local.gov.uk with any points you would like us to raise on behalf of your council and communities.

Hospitality: Supporting Enterprise, Growth and Levelling up 

This report by the Hospitality Sector Council sets out how councils and hospitality businesses can work together to help drive local economies and support communities, including how proven community initiatives, such as “Pub Is The Hub” and “Only A Pavement Away” could be scaled up or replicated across the country. The Hospitality Sector Council is a collaboration between government and the hospitality sector, which aims to co-create solutions and to support the delivery of the Hospitality Strategy. 

Prostate Cancer UK Questionnaire 

Prostate Cancer UK is working with Bladder Health UK, British Toilet Association, International Longevity Centre, Men’s Health Forum, Tackle Prostate Cancer and Truckers Toilets to understand what facilities are currently provided for incontinent men in toilets. They want to hear from Council Senior Leaders in Facilities Management, Waste Management, Health and Safety, Operations, or Environmental roles about what facilities are available for incontinent men within your Borough. Help them compile a national picture by completing a short five-minute anonymous questionnaire. For further information contact campaigns@prostatecanceruk.org

Arts Council England: Managing Financial Difficulties guide and toolkit 

This guide and toolkit are designed to help you recognise and manage some of the financial challenges you might be facing. Although commissioned before the Covid-19 crisis, they’re relevant now more than ever as organisations across the cultural and creative sector face the most serious challenge to their existence since the Arts Council began. 

Moving Communities data acknowledged as crucial in proving the importance of swimming pools to local communities 

Sport England would like to thank councils and their service providers for their ongoing efforts to share data on leisure facilities on the Moving Communities platform. The data played an instrumental role in demonstrating the challenging financial position facing the public leisure sector and to position this alongside the potential loss in participation and social value, helping to facilitate the £63 million swimming pools fund announced in the Spring Budget. Moving Communities provides a real-time view of local authority facility performance, with benchmarking and data insights. To learn more or arrange a 1:1 demo of what the Moving Communities platform can do for you please contact: movingcommunities@4global.com

Sport England’s Active Design Guidance Launch Event, 18 May 2pm-3:30pm 

Sport England are releasing the latest revised version of the Active Design guidance, produced in partnership with Active Travel England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). This online event will bring together key partners to discuss how we can create well-designed places which support and encourage people to be physically active. 

North West Cultural Education Summit, 25 May 9:30am-3pm 

Hosted by the LGA, Curious Minds and Wigan Council, this summit will be an opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations of the Commission on Culture and Local Government and to consider how local government can collaborate with education providers and the cultural sector to support a national Cultural Education Plan, with involvement from DCMS and the Department for Education. See the agenda and book your place on eventbrite.

Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference, 1 June 2023 

Book your place at the Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Why Sports? are offering 30 free places to local authorities – just use the code LGA100 at the checkout.

Adult activity levels bouncing back: LGA statement on Sport England report