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Greetings!
This week was a busy one with a string of important meetings both at the LGA and in Parliament.
On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of attending an All Staff Meeting at the LGA, where I joined other political leaders in welcoming our new Chief Executive, Joanna Killian, to the organisation and shared some of my thoughts about being a Councillor and the challenges we face within local government. As a District and County Councillor, I stressed we want to get the best solutions for people living within our communities and therefore we want a ‘partnership relationship’ with central government. This means it must be genuine devolution in power and money to our councils and not going to a separate mayoral body with its own alternative political agenda. I also took the opportunity to thank all our staff at the LGA who do such fantastic work throughout the year for us as elected members.
At the same time, I met for a one-to-one meeting with Joanna Killian, and we discussed the significant contributions made by our growing group and the importance of consensus building within the LGA to get the right decisions for all our members. In addition, we also talked about our improvement programme and how Oflog will work alongside us. I look forward to my regular meetings with Joanna and as mentioned already, if you have any questions or queries you would like me to pass on to her, please contact the Group Office.
I had the pleasure of being invited also to the ‘The Launch of the Commission for the Integration of Refugees’ at Portcullis House on Wednesday. The Commission has raised some key challenges facing the current system and recognised that councils already play a key role in the support and accommodation of asylum seekers. An ongoing concern is that accommodation procurement by Home Office contractors remains uneven within and across regions and I stressed the point that councils need to be notified in advance of spring and summer to inform regional planning. More importantly, local government needs early engagement on the implementation of the Illegal Migration Act, particularly around the impacts on flow from accommodation, plans for removals and support for lone children.
This week also saw our constitutional working group get together to discuss and debate changes to our group constitution which will go to our Group AGM at this year’s LGA Conference in Harrogate. This diverse group chaired by our Deputy Leader, Councillor Caroline Jackson, agreed its terms of reference, its scope and will be looking at a number of areas within our constitution to make sure it remains relevant and reflects the best interests of the Group. Members will receive a briefing on the recommended changes to the constitution before our Group AGM, so everyone will have a chance to comment on the future of our Group.
I attended another briefing this week with the international renewable energy company RWE, perfectly timed just before the start of the Local Infrastructure Net Zero (LINZ) Board Meeting! They gave us the hard sell and showed us how much they were improving the landscape with a small 200-acre industrial solar development, not the 58,000 acres proposed so far on Lincolnshire farmland. I was glad to share with them how farmers are currently working hard to create more woodlands, wildflower meadows and ponds, all great carbon sinks, as well as growing food. Agriculture is no longer the desert it was in the 1970s.
In closing, I am delighted to be attending and speaking at the Plaid Spring Conference this Friday and Saturday, at Caernarfon. If you will be in attendance, please do let me know and come and say hello! I look forward to meeting many of you, including our Plaid Council Leaders, and hearing the fantastic work you do for our residents and communities!
And finally, please don’t forget to register to attend our LGA Annual Conference in Harrogate, taking place from the 2nd – 4th July, this year. Our Group AGM takes on Tuesday 2nd July and is free to attend!
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Spotlight on Councillor Frank Biederman, Chair of the Fire Services Management Committee
Our fantastic Chair of the Fire Services Management Committee, Councillor Frank Biederman reports back from the Annual Conference last week in Bristol:
“The LGA's Annual Fire Conference 2024 was held in Bristol last week on 12 & 13 March. The Conference brought together members from across fire sector, including Chief Fire Officers, Fire and Rescue Authority Chairs and representatives from Avon FRS, our hosts for this year's event. Sessions covered the big issues facing the sector, including funding, climate change, emerging technologies and mental health. A highlight for many was the 'political panel', with representation from Shadow Minister for Fire, Alex Norris MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Lord David Goddard of Stockport and Green Peer, Baroness Natalie Bennett of Manor Castle.”
If you are a member of a fire authority and wish to raise or discuss any issues related to fire services, please email Frank!
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Recruiting new Member Peers!
Have you ever considered becoming a member peer? We currently have 43 peers comprising Greens also, boasting a wealth of extensive knowledge and experience, ready to share with our member councils. Peers provide a ‘practitioner perspective’ and ‘critical friend’ challenge. They can help mentor those in leadership, whether in control or opposition, specific portfolio areas for cabinet members as well as bespoke requests specific to the local authority. We are particularly interested in applications from underrepresented backgrounds such as BAME and LGBTQ+. If you require more information, please contact the Group Office
Survey of adult social care Lead Members
If you are a Lead Member for adult social care, you should have received a unique link to complete an important new survey we are conducting to gather senior Members’ views on the current issues facing adult social care and what the related priorities should be for the future. This survey is part of wider work the LGA is doing to consider the extent to which the aims of the Care Act have been achieved, a decade on from the legislation receiving Royal Assent. We are extremely keen to hear from as many Lead Members as possible and would be grateful if you could find the time to answer the questions. Your views are crucial in ensuring that our lobbying and influencing work reflects the issues of most importance to you. If you are a Lead Member for adult services but haven’t received a link to the survey, please contact James Harman from the LGA’s Research Team who will be happy to assist.
Pathways to Planning Programme
To help councils recruit good planners, our LGA Planning Advisory Service (PAS) is recruiting for its next cohort of graduates for its ‘Pathways to Planning’ programme. The scheme is an exciting opportunity for councils and graduates alike, offering a talent pipeline and excellent value for money. The deadline to sign up is 31 March. For more information, please email the Pathways to Planning Team!
Energy Bills Discount Scheme
Domestic customers on heat networks between 1 April 2023-31 March 2024 receive support with their heating and hot water bills via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. All heat suppliers with domestic end consumers are required by law to apply for the scheme and pass on the benefit they receive to their end consumers. Councils and housing associations that operate heat networks will need to apply. The scheme closes on 31 March 2024 so please apply as soon as possible.
Dates for the Diary
LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2024 (in-person event)
Tuesday 2 – Thursday 4 July 2024 | Harrogate
Join us in Harrogate for the biggest event in the local government calendar, where we’ll be discussing the latest issues affecting local government.
LGA Transformation Conference (hybrid event)
Tuesday 26 March 2024, 10.30am - 3.30pm
The conference is an opportunity for those with an interest in change management, organisational development, digital and transforming council services to network with peers and hear the very latest thinking on this key improvement agendas.
Public affairs for the public sector: workshop with LGA Associate’s Darren Caveney & Georgia Turner (in-person event)
Thursday 11 April 2024, 10.00am - 4.00pm | London
Public affairs is an increasingly growing important skill set for local government communicators. Does your team and organisation need to improve, increase or formalise its public affairs approach during 2024.
Make a difference, work for your local council – A national recruitment campaign for local government (virtual event)
Tuesday 30 April 2024, 10:30am – 12:00pm
A national recruitment campaign for local government has been co-produced with local authorities and Solace: ‘Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council’. This event will present the campaign, the findings from a pilot delivered in the North East, and the ambitions for a national roll-out.
Best wishes,
And finally…
Got an issue? Need to ask a question? Does your council require help and bespoke support on areas such as governance, financial planning and changes in political leadership?
Meet our Regional Lead Peers!
Together, these groups of experts provide challenge, advice and support to help councils and councillors address their priorities.
Get in touch now!
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