Greetings friends and colleagues!
Wow! What a conference week! I have just come back from Harrogate where our group members were large in number, buzzing with energy, excitement and enthusiasm! I would like to thank everyone who attended and showed their support from far and wide; we know many of you travelled long distances and some had to juggle personal commitments (work, family, council meetings etc.) alongside attending conference at the same time.
Special Group Meeting
We had a fantastic turnout for our special general meeting and on the agenda were three motions for discussion. On behalf of our Group, a big thank you to Head of Corporate Services and Company Secretary, Claire Holloway, for kindly agreeing to chair the AGM, taking time out at conference to steer us through group business. Not her easiest task, but nevertheless changes to the Group Constitution, proposed following an extensive working group, went through unanimously. The motion to change the name of the Group ran out of the allotted time and as such did not pass. Similarly, the third motion discussing attendance at Plaid Cymru Conference was withdrawn, due to time.
Our LGA Group Executive is politically representative of all parts of our group and will consider the best actions to take next. This is about more than a name; it’s about making sure we work successfully together. We are a fast-growing group, larger in number than the Liberal Democrats. We are Independent of the three old parties and determined to carry no party whip. Instead, we succeed because we listen, think, collaborate to create the best solutions.
We have many new members, some not yet fully engaged with the LGA. It is vital that we all correctly understand and respect each other’s viewpoints. It is only when we work together that we gain the national respect we deserve and can have the most influence to achieve what we need for our residents, our country and our planet. Our board members have been incredibly successful in moving the policy of the LGA, and through that, Government - and there is, right now, a lot more for all of us to do!
We have had many incredibly inspiring and successful events hearing about the good work of our members and working together to craft great solutions to the problems we all face in our communities and our Councils. That is where we are most inspiring and most impressive, bringing much-needed well-grounded voices to the LGA and to Government. Thanks to each and every one!
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner MP and Secretary of State, Jim McMahon MP
At the LGA, in our White Paper, we called for a “reset” of the relationship between Central and Local Government, one of partnership, mutual respect, open and honest communication. It has arrived! At conference, we had 1:1 meetings with ministers and we hosted our first cross-party ‘Leaders’ Council’ chaired by the Deputy PM. I was pleased to contribute on Devolution and to lead on Civility, the Debate not Hate Campaign, as I chair the cross-party steering group for the LGA.
The Deputy Prime Minister responded positively with plans on remote attendance at council meetings, privacy for home addresses and councillor standards. My thanks to the cross-party Civility Steering Group and our senior policy advisor, Jess Norman for their determined work on these issues.
The Deputy Prime Minister closed the conference with a well-attended speech, with great timing, after our work with ministers at the conference, and just before the budget on Wednesday. There has been considerable speculation, she may remove the council tax referendum cap from its current threshold of 5% to help councils desperately in need of more funding to save services.
Independent Group Plenary Session
Thank you to Councillor Craig Browne (Cheshire East) who delivered our plenary session on all the fantastic work he has been doing as Chief Executive of Citizens Advice in North Staffordshire. Citizens Advice is a lifeline to many people and being in the front line, see the issues hitting our residents. They provide support on a range of issues, often in partnership with our councils; benefits, work, debt and money as well as housing, family, immigration and consumer advice. Started in 1939, Citizens Advice has helped many people rebuild their lives and given hope to those in seemingly impossible situations. As councillors we deal with these issues daily, whether in-person at our surgeries or through casework. If you know of anyone that might benefit, here is how they can contact their nearest office.
Political Group Sessions: Homelessness, Devolution and Climate Change
The Independent Group also hosted three popular political group sessions on affordable housing, devolution and whether we need to create a statutory duty for local authorities on climate change. On affordable housing, it was clear that a ‘whole system approach’ is needed which includes reform of the planning system, unused land and empty housing as well as creating the necessary skills and apprenticeships to meet increasing demand. On devolution, members were united in their opposition to a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Finally, Councillor Wisdom da Costa drew much support in his calls for councils to take climate change as a statutory duty and clearly as part of local authority decision making. This follows an Environmental Targets (Public Authorities) Bill sponsored by Lord Krebs who writes in the Local Government Chronicle about placing a statutory duty on public bodies to deliver climate targets.
Thank you to our lead members
As another annual conference closes, I would like to particularly thank my Deputy Councillor Caroline Jackson and Group Treasurer, Andrew Cooper for their intelligent and practical help and support, working tirelessly for the group. Thanks also to our Group Executive for their wise Counsel throughout the year and to our board members taking our shared voices into LGA policy, especially from our important Think tanks. Thanks to our National Lead Peer, Councillor Adam Paynter and our regional lead peers for attending another busy and important conference and for all the work you do in your individual regions to help councils improve and deliver for their residents.
Thank you to our staff
Finally, I would like to thank Head of the Independent Group Political Office, Abigail Gallop, for doing such an amazing job from start to finish and ensuring all members got as much out of conference as I did. The political sessions on Housing, Devolution and Climate change were brilliant with great speakers and keen engagement by our members. The formal group dinner was much enjoyed and well over-subscribed again with our growing force.
Thank you to Rodrigo Sanchez, our Political Officer for doing a fantastic job in providing support, information, and guidance to our members at our ever-popular conference stand and not giving up on us when times were tough! Thanks as well go to Emily from Member Services for administrative support. Thanks to our political administrator, Noleen Rosen, who was not able to join us in-person but provided online support and bookings. A big thank you to all four members of staff who do so much for all our members throughout the year!
LGA Annual Conference Feedback
You will shortly be receiving a feedback form from the Local Government Association asking for your thoughts about the recent conference plus any recommendations for next year in Liverpool. At the same time, please do contact the Group Office with your own feedback regarding the sessions we ran and anything else we could do better for next year.
And finally…Reminder: Independent Group Conference, 10 - 11 January
Now that the LGA Annual Conference is over, we look ahead with excitement to our own Independent Group Annual Conference in Maidenhead. A reminder it runs from the evening of Friday 10 through to Saturday 11 January and you can now directly book via our webpage for early bird rates including overnight accommodation.
For those ‘trick or treating’ this week, Happy Halloween!
Warmest regards,
 Councillor Marianne Overton MBE
Leader of the Independent Group
Vice Chair of the Local Government Association
www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent
Remote attendance at council meetings
MHCLG has published a consultation on introducing powers to allow councillors to attend council meetings remotely and to use proxy voting. The consultation seeks to test views on the practical implications of introducing these powers. The consultation ends on 19 December.
Complete the Annual Sector Support Survey!
As we begin discussions with Government regarding future programmes of support, we have launched our annual sector support survey to get views directly from the sector on their priorities and challenges. Please don’t forget to complete survey because this will allow us to find out what aspects of our existing support are of most value to councils, and will let us know if there are wider or new types of support they could benefit from. Let’s have the biggest response from the Independent Group!
National recruitment campaign for local government
The National Recruitment Campaign for local government, ‘Make a Difference, Work for your Local Council’ is due to launch on 4 November 2024. The campaign aims to inspire individuals to explore career opportunities and to make a difference in their community through a career with their local council. The first version of the campaign toolkit has been shared with all councils. The toolkit contains editable versions of the campaign materials for local use. Councils and partners can utilise the free digital resources to promote the campaign in their local area. For more information, please contact the team
Local government pay 2024
Agreement has this week been reached on the 2024 pay awards for local government services (‘Green Book’) employees and local authority Chief Executives [log in required]. Both agreements cover the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. For a fourth consecutive year, Unite has refused to have its details included in the NJC pay agreement circular. This is disappointing but does not prevent a formal collective agreement from being reached as the necessary Constitutional requirement for a majority on each Side of the NJC to be in favour has been met, which means the pay award can now be implemented.
Supporting people back to work
DWP will grant fund local government (devolution areas and cluster of councils in areas without a deal) to deliver a new supported employment service to be phased in across England from April 2025. It aims to support people back to work. On 21 October, DWP wrote to all local authority chief executives to issue grant guidance. This is a soft launch to enable councils to take forward discussions with local partners.
10 year health plan
The Government has launched a major consultation to gather public input on the future of the NHS, aiming to shape its 10 Year Health Plan. This national conversation invites individuals to share their views and experiences, influencing the direction of the healthcare system. The finalised plan is expected to be published in spring 2025. To participate in the consultation and share your feedback, visit the NHS website
Fire and Rescue Authority support
As well as supporting councils’ improvement journey, the LGA offers a range of support to Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) members:
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Fire Leadership Essentials: A programme for leading members of FRAs to come together to learn about the challenges facing the sector. The next programme is running between 29-30 October, and then again in February 2025.
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Inclusive Fire Service Group: The NJC created the Inclusive Fire Service Group (IFSG), with membership including the Fire Brigades Union, the National Employers, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the Fire Officers Association (FOA) and the Fire and Rescue Services Association (FRSA). They have produced Improvement Strategies to help services and authorities to work on inclusion.
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Fit for the Future: The LGA, NFCC and the National Employers (England) have recently reviewed and updated Fit for the Future, which sets out our shared ambitions for the sector, to ensure it reflects the latest developments.
Cohesion and counter-extremism councillor masterclasses
The LGA is offering a series of regional one-day masterclasses for councillors across the political spectrum to explore how councils can best respond to cohesion issues in their localities. Hearing from expert academics and leading organisations, the sessions will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss sensitive issues in a safe space, share experiences and consider the role of elected members in tackling extremism and building community cohesion.
The courses are open to all elected members and are free of charge. Sessions are now confirmed for 10am – 5pm in:
- Warwick, 13 November
- Leeds, 11 December
- Manchester, 22 January
- Newcastle, 5 February
For more details and to book a place, please contact the cohesion team
LGA Delivering self and custom-build homes: the council perspective
You may be interested in this virtual event being held at 10.30-12 noon, Wednesday 30 October. It’ll give you an overview of self and custom-build housing and the work of the Right to Build Task Force. It’ll provide in-depth insights and experiences from officers at South Gloucestershire and Fareham Borough Councils, as well as giving a councillor perspective.
What does a modern and effective planning committee look like?
PAS is launching a project to discover what a modern & effective Planning Committee looks like and ultimately create some tools & resources for councils to use. To kick off the project we want to gather information and generate a national picture of how Planning Committees are currently operating. To do this we would like as many councils as possible to complete our survey
Solar farms and planning – further information
Over September and October 2024, PAS co-hosted a series of six online workshops with Solar Energy UK, the trade association representing the solar and energy storage industry. A recording of the presentations, along with copies of slides, from each of session is now available to watch and download on the PAS website
Dates for the Diary
Thursday 31 October 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
As part of the LGA’s support for councillor safety, we are offering this session for councillors to build confidence around handling online abuse and intimidation, a growing problem faced by many councillors.
Tuesday 12 November 2024, 10.00am - 11.30am – Virtual
As the world prepares for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan, this virtual event will focus on how local authorities have and continue to play a critical role in the delivery of net zero, adaptation and climate action. The speakers will present case studies aligned with COP29’s key objectives and emphasise the integral role councils have in the net zero agenda. By acting locally, our impact can be global.
Tuesday 19 November 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm (virtual)
This virtual event will provide useful insight into the role and function of the audit committee in local government. Looking at the role of an elected member in terms of the purpose of the audit committee itself and your wider governance role in this area.
27 - 29 November 2024 | Liverpool
Tickets are now available for the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) at the ACC Liverpool.
Thursday 9 January 2025, London
The LGA’s in-person annual Local Government Finance Conference is on Thursday 9 January 2025 at Smith Square. It will address the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement and look forward to the multi-year spending review.
Tuesday 11 - Wednesday 12 March 2025 | Gateshead
The Annual Fire Conference and Exhibition is a key event in the conference calendar for senior fire officers and members of fire and rescue authorities. The conference provides an opportunity to meet in-person and discuss key strategic and practical developments impacting the fire and rescue sector over the next twelve months.
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