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CULTURAL VISIT |Weymouth Town Council were exceptional hosts to Northampton Town Council and Corby Town Council this week, where experiences and ideas were exchanged and discussed. Both Corby and Northampton are newly formed town councils and they were keen to hear Weymouth's journey from 2019. Town Clerk, Jane Biscombe and her team put together an informative and engaging itinerary; which included a full council meeting and the setting of the precept. Great to see in person my counterpart, Danny Moddy from Northants Association of Local Councils, who was driving the bus!
WORKING TOGETHER WEBINARS | Dates and times are gradually falling into place for the first few months of 2023, specifically of interest is the 20 MPH Policy session.
7 February 4pm | Dorset Council 20 mph policy - REGISTER NOW
21 February 4pm | Electric Vehicle Charging Points - REGISTER NOW
23 February 4pm | Digital Inclusion - REGISTER NOW
Climate, Ecology and Environment (To be confirmed)
Armed Forces Covenant (To be confirmed)
20 April 4pm | Libraries Strategy Update (registration not open yet)
Just click on the 'register now' wording above to book your free spot.INTERNAL AUDITORS CHANGE FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR | We were missed out of the communications loop in late November about a change in external auditors from PKF Littlejohn to BDO LLP. I'm reassured, as we have checked with a few clerks and RFOs, that the email was issued to your inboxes on 28 November 2022. If you could check your spam folders and get in touch with us if you haven't received it. At this point it is just confirmation of the change and you will get further correspondence in due course.
REVISIONS TO THE NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK (NPPF) | Our retained planning adviser has provided an update on the proposed changes to the NPPF. READ More here: Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill - Planning Reforms
Have a great weekend and let's hope the rain disappears some time soon!
** NEW ** 1. Ensure the 2023 increase in Holiday Entitlement is correctly administered
Take a look at the advice on how to administer the Holiday Entitlement increase for employees starting in April 2023. HR consultants Personal Advice and Solutions Ltd have created an advice note to help you. You can find the note here.
** NEW ** 2. Police Precept Survey in Dorset
You may be already be aware that Dorset Police are currently asking people who reside in Dorset to “ Have your say on policing funding in Dorset”.
Please will you share the precept survey information to any one living in Dorset, be it colleagues, members of your organisation and the public. Also please will you complete it yourself - if resident in Dorset?
A link to the survey is www.dorsetpolicefunding.uk . There are also two posters with details and a QR code that can be shared. The general message to share would just be “ Have your say on policing funding in Dorset”.
** NEW ** 3. Fire Risk Assessments - recommendations wanted!
Roger Khanna, Clerk to Worth Matravers Parish Council would like to hear from you if you have any names or contacts with organisations working in Purbeck, that will carry out a Fire Risk Assessment on a recently constructed new village hall.
You can get in touch with Roger at worthmatraversparishclerk@gmail.comor call him on 01929 439044 He would be very grateful for any information.
** NEW ** 4. Year of the Coast 2023 Campaign
The ‘Year of the Coast 2023’ is a campaign aimed at showcasing the best of our incredible coast and marks the creation of England’s coast path. It aims to raise awareness and inspire new audiences to love, visit and protect our coastline. The campaign is being led by the National Tourism Coastal Academy, alongside a number of national and regional partners.
If you would like to get involved, please see below links for more details and contact information.
5. Example of Parish Council local resilience planning during paramedic strikes for winter 22/23
Cllr Andrew Davis, the Chair of Fontmell Magna Parish Council has sent over to us their resilience plan for the paramedic strikes this winter that has been created by Fontmell Magna residents and the Parish Council. Your own council may find it useful to look at and perhaps use as a good example to help create your own plan.
6. Fresh funds for village halls
The new Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Fund is now open to applications and can be accessed on the ACRE website here. The fund is open to groups responsible for their village hall within parishes of a population of less than 10,000. Groups can apply for a capital cost grant between £7500 - £75,000 (20% of overall project cost). Stage one of the fund is open from today for one month until 20th January 2023. It will then close for one month and re-open again on 20th February for further stage one applications. Further enquiries: villagehallsfund@acre.org.uk
NALC has recently updated its materials for local (parish and town) councils making proposals under the Sustanable Communities Act. You can find out more about what NALC are up to on their webpage here and also through their webpage hereand also through their Sustainable Communities Act Toolkit.
8. This Utility Aid blog may be able to help your council reduce energy consumption
In light of the energy and cost-of-living crisis, this NALC Utility Aid blogoutlines steps to reduce enerby consumption, become greener and save money.
**NEW ** NALC Publications
NALC have a large number of publications available to all its' members, and as a member of DAPTC your council is also a member of NALC.
Over the coming few weeks we will highlight some of these publications, all of which are available on the NALC website. If you as Clerk, or councillor, don't know the user id and password to the Members Area on the NALC website, please get in touch with the DAPTC office.
