SALC
working in collaboration with other advanced level County
Associations to provide exemplary service to members
IMPORTANT
CONSULTATION
Council Tax Referendums
Parish and town councils (local councils) will wish to be aware
of the latest consultation on council tax which concerns
Government’s plans to make local government more responsive to the
people for the amount payable though providing
local referendums to
veto excessive council
tax, instead of using the previous capping
mechanisms.
Local Referendums to Veto Excessive Council
Tax Increases was published on
30 July 2010 and
is one of the most important
consultations for local
councils
since their creation as it potentially
directly impacts on the historic freedom for local
councils to set their own spending
framework. One focus of this
consultation is on claimed
‘very high precept increases set by some town and parish councils
in particular’ and a need to protect
taxpayers from ‘excessive increases’ through
holding them to account through local referendums.
Parish meeting chairmen (in areas where there
is no local council) are precepting authorities and covered
by the proposals. For further information please
visit the members
area:
LAIS1305 and to view the letter sent to the CLG click
here
A letter has been sent to Suffolk
MPs to seek their support in ensuring that Government’s
proposals in the consultation paper Local Referendums to Veto
Excessive Council Tax Increases, insofar as they relate to
local councils, are withdrawn.
Click
here to view the letter.
24 August 2010 - Press coverage relating to SALC's letter to
MP's
click here
SUFFOLK VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
2010
SALC organise Suffolk Village of the Year and are pleased to
announce this years results click
here - click
here to view the press release.
For press coverage of the results
click here
New Services for Members
Legal Topic Notes are now available
for download from the members
area.
click here
LAIS Up2Date service
We are delighted to launch the
new SALC LAIS Up2Date service which provides a regular brief on key
issues impacting on local councils and communities. You can
view the information in the members area. Please contact
the
SALC office should
you wish to receive this information via email
LAIS Consultation Service
Choose how you
access the SALC consultation information sheets by submiting our
online form. To find out more
click
here
Internal Audit
SALC is now offering an Internal Audit service
exclusively to member Town and Parish Councils in Suffolk
For further
information click
here
The SALC 2010 AGM
The SALC AGM took place on 9 November 2009. There was an excellent
atmosphere in a super venue designed entirely around Suffolk
councils. Elmswell and Levington took the centre stage for a very
enjoyable afternoon session covering Village and England
Village of the Year which SALC organises, leaving delegates
impressed and inspired by the impact of the Award on both
communities.
The proposed date for SALC AGM 2010 Monday 8 November - details
following nearer the date
QUALITY PARISH
STATUS
The SALC Quality
Council Accreditation Panel announced the awarding of Quality
Council Status to four councils following its last meeting.
Martlesham Parish Council (reaccreditation), Sproughton
Parish Council, Bury St Edmunds Town Council
(reaccreditation) and Mildenhall Parish Council are to be
congratulated on their achievements. Please click
here to view the QPS guide.
Useful Documents
and Guides for Local Councils
Being a Good Employer: A Guide for Parish
and Town Councillors
This guide contains around 50 pages of tailored
information and guidance on essential employment matters in a handy
A5 booklet. To order your copy please contact the SALC office
or visit the
members
area
Governance and Accountability for Local Councils
The Practitioners' Guide 2010 that provides
the finacial framework for local councils has been released
and an electronic copy can be located in the
members
area:
SALC offers a printing service for this guide presented in a
spiral bind £12 or £15 (incl. P&P). To place an order
please contact SALC
office
Model Standing Orders
A publication on Standing Orders and Law and
Procedure for Local Councils has now been published, this
replaces Standing Orders and Chairmanship, last published in
2003. Please click
here for further
information. Part 2 of the publication details the model
standing orders can be viewed by visiting the members area,
click
here
Level of Burial Fees (England)
There is a legal briefing which gives advice on
the level of burial fees that town and parish councils may
consider charging. To view this information
please
click here
Allotments
There is a new practice guide for
the management of allotments entitled a “Place to Grow’. The guide
has been written by Dr Richard Wiltshire, from the School of Social
Science and Public Policy, Kings College London and has been
produced jointly by LGA and CLG. To download a copy
click
here
Elections
Guidance has been issued by the Electoral
Commission, “Managing a local government election in England
and Wales’’ This information can be downloaded
click
here
New Bursary Scheme Launched
A new bursary scheme has been launched for clerks to
smaller councils which will be in operation as from
Monday 1st June to assist with training costs. Please
click here
Local and National
News
West Suffolk Local Strategic
Partnership
Bigger pots of funding for West Suffolk
Projects
Community Chest scheme for grass roots projects has tripled, now
£60,000.
For further information and obtain application forms please
click here
Great Blakenham, Waste proposal
Suffolk County Council has named Sita UK Limited as its
preferred bidder to design, build, finance and operate an Energy
from Waste facility. However, the bid from Veolia ES Aurora Limited
will remain open for acceptance should it be required.
For further information please click
here
Charity Commission Toolkit & Guidance
for Local Authorities
The Toolkit is a free online reference manual developed by the
Charity Commission in liaison with the Local Government
Association, the National Association for Voluntary & Community
Action and the Commission for the Compact
Click here to download a copy
GREEN BUILDINGS IN
SUFFOLK - OPEN DAYS
9 - 12
September 2010
The Suffolk Green Buildings Network
is providing Green Buildings Open Days as part of English
Heritage's Open Days. The open days offer guided, informative tours
of energy-efficient properties and projects between 9 - 12
September 2010.
Booking is essential for most of the tours.
Bookings can be made online through the Suffolk Green Buildings
Network website:
http://www.greensuffolk.org/green_buildings/events
Does your community have a village shop?
As part of Making Local Food Work, a 5 year Big
Lottery funded programme, they are offering village shops in
England a free support package to help improve and stock more local
food. To find out more about the Making Local Food Work
programme please visit the website –
www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk
.
Advice on setting up a community cafe
Coming together over a cup of tea and a piece of
cake is a great way to help neighbours stay in touch and foster a
sense of community. There are grants available for villages
which would like to set up a community cafe. Please click
here for more information
Community Wildlife
Community Wildlife is
Big Lottery Fund’s funding programme for projects that bring local
people together to discover, enjoy and protect the wildlife in
their local area.
For further details about the programme and to get
an application form please visit the website
click
here
NATS
Flightpath Joy for Protesters
Campaigners fighting to stop flightpath holding
stacks circling above their rural homes are celebrating after air
traffic bosses put the controversial plans on hold. Residents
from Hadleigh to Newmarket held numerous protest meetings and
demonstrations over the last year after proposals to re-route
Stansted-bound planes were annouced. Air traffic management
company NATS said the drop in air passengers due to the recession
and the number of views put forward during the consultation were
behind the decision to delay proposals until September 2010 at the
earliest. For further information please visit
www.consultation.nats.co.uk
The Plunkett Foundation
The Plunkett Foundation is undertaking a survey of Parish Councils
across England and Wales to find out what the level of awareness is
within rural communities of community-ownership approaches to rural
challenges. Community-owned village shops are one example of this
approach but there are many more. To find out more click
here
Online HGV Incident Report Tool
click here
To report incidents of HVGs using inappropriate minor roads or
other related issues, please use the link above. Your report will
be submitted to the Traffic Management Team at Suffolk County
Council.
© Suffolk Association of Local
Councils