First Magazine - December 2015

No.594 December 2015 www.local.gov.uk

the magazine for local government Interview:

“George Osborne is passing power to councils to try and avoid responsibility for some of the cuts�

Jon Trickett, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary

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13

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The Spending Review Key points and analysis

Children and young people Improving mental health

Local heritage buildings Finding new uses for old sites

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENT OF THE YEAR Annual Conference and Exhibition 2016 5-7 July 2016 | Bournemouth International Centre www.local.gov.uk/events

Call for session suggestions Do you have any interesting ideas for session content at conference?

If so, we’d like to hear from you – all ideas considered. Please submit suggestions no later than Friday 11 December to events@local.gov.uk

The national voice of local government

The Spending Review edition

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his edition of first highlights the key points and issues for local government arising from the Spending Review.

In addition to news stories about its impact on schools, housing, and adult social care, there are four pages of analysis covering everything from planning to policing (with more coverage online at www.local.gov.uk), and you can also read the reactions to the review from our four political group leaders.

The Spending Review and Autumn Statement set the financial stage for the next five years, ahead of this month’s local government settlement. That will set out individual councils’ financial positions, and we’ll be covering it in next month’s first.

Elsewhere in this edition, you can find out how Liverpool has been reviving its heritage buildings; what the key issues are around children and young people’s mental health; and how rethinking management structures can produce savings and improve performance.

Finally, I’d like to give a big thank you to the thousands of you who tweeted about the everyday and extraordinary things councils do for and with their residents, as part of our annual #OurDay tweetathon. You sent more than 36,000 tweets, compared to around 25,300 last year – a magnificent effort.

Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

contents 4 Schools funding and academies Housing Christmas markets

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Circulation 18,100 (December 2015) first is published online at www.local.gov.uk/first at least two days before the magazine. To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk The inclusion of an advert or insert in first does not imply endorsement by the LGA of any product or service. Contributors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the LGA.

December 2015

5 Spending Review

Terrorism response Tree transformed

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16 Jon Trickett, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary

“The Government said it wanted to cut waste and inefficiency, but it said front line services wouldn’t be cut.”

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Editor Karen Thornton

Photography Photofusion and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Cover and interview Chris Sharp, CBI and Paul Thomas Photographic Ltd

interview

news

comment features 8 The Spending

Review 12 Children’s mental health 13 Future look: health 14 LGA Independent Group conference 15 Libraries and Wi-Fi

21 Saving Liverpool’s

heritage buildings

22 Political reactions to

the Spending Review

24 Housing, office space and regeneration 25 Support for care leavers 26 Grow your own social workers 26 Planning for people 27 Rethinking management structures

30

regulars

6 Letters and

sound bites

29 Councillor 30 Parliament 31 Local elections first contents | 3

‘Free councils to build more homes’

news Councils’ schools role ‘under threat’ The Government is to reduce the local authority role in running schools and cut £600 million from support grants that fund music services, criminal checks, school places planning and therapies for special needs pupils.

Chancellor George Osborne, in last month’s Spending Review, also set out the Government’s aim to “help every secondary school become an academy”.

Cllr Roy Perry, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “The Education Services Grant (ESG) helps ensure that children are getting the education they deserve, from helping to provide speech, physiotherapy and occupational therapies to making sure that children are in school when they should be. Last year, £815 million was spent on the ESG, so we need urgent clarification on how the £600 million cuts will be achieved, and how quickly, without impacting on welfare and standards.”

He added: “The announcement that all schools will be helped towards academy status seems to dismiss the fact that over

80 per cent of council maintained schools are currently rated as good or outstanding

by Ofsted.

“Local authorities should be regarded as education improvement partners rather than as a barrier to change.

“Hundreds of schools, often in disadvantaged areas, are being turned around thanks to the intervention of local councils.

It is clear that strong leadership, outstanding classroom teaching and effective support staff and governors are the crucial factors in transforming standards in struggling schools, rather than their administrative status.

“Schools spend billions of pounds of public money yet there is no rigorous accountability for academies that are ‘coasting’.

Local democratically elected councils should have a role in this.”

• The LGA has welcomed plans for a national funding formula for schools, but warned it will “inevitably” create winners and losers. “It is essential that it is introduced in a phased way to protect those schools facing a relative reduction in budgets,” said a spokesperson.

A doubling of the housing budget to fund the most ambitious house-building plan since the 1970s was one of the key announcements in the Government’s Spending Review.

Chancellor George Osborne set out proposals to build tens of thousands of starter and help-to-buy shared ownership homes, as well as specialist houses for older people and those with disabilities.

But the LGA warned other housing reforms – such as extending Right to Buy to housing association tenants, reducing social housing rents and exempting starter home developers from paying Section 106 contributions – risk “severely hampering” councils’ ability to help build new homes.

Cllr Peter Box, LGA Housing Spokesman, said: “It is clear that tackling our housing crisis will require an increase of all types of housing, including those for affordable and social rent alongside those to support home ownership. Not everybody is ready to buy, and with 60,000 people currently living in temporary accommodation and over a million more on council waiting lists, it is crucial that councils are still able to ensure there is a mix of affordable homes right for everybody.

“Councils support measures to increase new housebuilding but, while private developers have a key role in solving our chronic housing shortage, they cannot build the 230,000 needed each year on their own.

“National housing reforms actually risk severely hampering the ability of councils to build new homes by taking £12 billion out of local investment in affordable rented housing by 2020.”

‘Tis the season to be jolly

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anchester’s world-famous Christmas markets are open for business, with nearly 350 stalls across 10 sites expected to attract millions of visitors. Cllr Pat Karney (pictured), Manchester’s Christmas Spokesperson, said: “The city centre takes on a completely new character at this time of year. You can walk between the market sites and feel like you’re being transported between beautiful Alpine towns – and the traders fill the air with the most delicious smells. The Christmas Market is one of the biggest events in the city’s calendar, attracting millions of people each year. This gives a huge boost to the city centre economy. But we think it also complements the high street and supports smaller business as well, by giving shoppers a real choice about how to fulfil those Christmas wishes.”

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www.local.gov.uk

Spending Review offers some relief on social care Core central government funding to councils will fall by 24 per cent in real terms by 2020, according to LGA analysis of the Government’s Spending Review.

This is a 6.7 per cent real terms reduction, if you take into account Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts of other income raised locally by councils.

However, the Government has responded to LGA concerns about funding for adult social care, with Chancellor George Osborne unveiling a new flexibility to increase council tax by up to 2 per cent above the existing threshold.

The LGA estimates this social care precept could raise up to £1.6 billion by 2019/20 if all eligible councils use the flexibility in full – but warned not all will want to.

Mr Osborne also announced a £1.5 billion increase in the ring-fenced Better Care Fund (BCF), which helps fund health and care integration, although this is back-loaded.

And he confirmed plans to allow local government to retain 100 per cent of business rates income.

LGA Chairman Lord Porter said: “The LGA has long called for further flexibility in the setting of council tax and it is right that ministers have listened to local government’s concerns.

“The announcement on council tax will go some way to allowing a number of councils to raise the money needed to offset some of the cost of social care. The £1.5 billion increase in the Better Care Fund is also good news.”

Diseased tree transformed

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giant wooden sculpture has been created out of the remains of a diseased beech tree in a park in Droitwich. Artist Tom Harvey spent six weeks carving the sculpture of a salt worker holding a bucket of brine – chosen in tribute to Droitwich’s salt producing heritage.

Lynn Stevens, Parks Officer for Wychavon District Council, said: “We’re pleased we have been able to preserve the tree in some form. There’s been lots of interest in the sculpture since work started on it and the finished article looks fantastic and will be yet another interesting feature for residents and visitors to enjoy.” Pictured are Wychavon Chairman Cllr Val Wood with Tim Oldham, Wychavon’s Greenspace Officer, and artist Tom Harvey.

December 2015

But he added: “The Spending Review has handed down a difficult funding cut for our residents and comes on top of almost £10 billion in further demand-led cost pressures facing councils by the end of the decade (see first 591). The consequences for our local communities should not be underestimated.

“Even if councils stopped filling in potholes, maintaining parks, closed all children’s centres, libraries, museums and leisure centres, and turned off every street light they will not have saved enough money to plug the financial black hole they face by 2020.

“These local services which people cherish will have to be drastically scaled back or lost altogether as councils are increasingly forced to do more with less and protect life and death services, such as caring for the elderly and protecting children.”

He added: “This Spending Review was never about just spending less, it was about spending smarter. Local government has led the way at finding innovative ways to save money but after five years the majority of savings have already been made. “

See p8-11 and p22-23 for more on the Spending Review, and www.local. gov.uk/briefings-and-responses for the LGA’s on-the-day briefing

news in brief Paris attacks

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ouncils across the country joined the rest of the UK and Europe to observe a minute’s silence for those killed and injured in the horrific attacks in Paris last month. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, LGA Chairman Lord Porter wrote to Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressing condolences, support and solidarity to her, her staff and the people of Paris and France, on behalf of all councils in England and Wales. He wrote: “I know all of my council colleagues will wish me to say that at this very difficult time that local government in England and Wales stands shoulder to shoulder with local government in Paris, France and across the world. We are united in your grief and in expressing solidarity with you at this very difficult time. Nous pensons très fortement des citoyens de votre ville merveilleuse, de vos collègues et de vous en ce moment sombre.”

Thanks for #OurDay

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housands of councillors, local government workers and partner organisations tweeted about the everyday and extraordinary things local authorities do for and with residents, as part of the LGA’s annual #OurDay tweetathon celebration of the sector’s work. It was the most successful tweetathon so far, with 36,072 tweets and re-tweets (up from 25,328 last year) and #OurDay trending second for most of the day. You can find out more about what happened on the day by viewing our storify at http://bit.ly/1lNJPoP

Pothole funding

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ong-term and consistent investment is needed to tackle potholes, the LGA has said after Chancellor George Osborne announced an additional £250 million for repairs over the next five years. Cllr Peter Box, LGA Environment Spokesman, said: “While this additional funding is a step in the right direction, there is a £12 billion backlog of road repairs which would already take councils more than a decade to clear. Current funding levels mean councils are only able to keep pace with patching up our roads and filling potholes rather than carrying out more cost-effective and long-term improvements. Long-term and consistent investment in local road maintenance is desperately needed to improve road conditions for motorists and cyclists.”

first news | 5

Young people take over scrutiny

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nder a council initiative to get youngsters more involved in local democracy, we recently got together a group of young people from Croydon College to make their own scrutiny committee. That way they could pick a subject that mattered to them and scrutinise the people who make the decisions about it in their town.

They decided to scrutinise housing for young people in Croydon. We hadn’t expected them to pick that, so we were very pleased that they had the chance to scrutinise something we hadn’t before.

We co-opted them so the cabinet could formally consider their recommendations. Then they went away to prepare and scrutiny officers helped them get the information they needed.

Kristoff, their chair, kicked things off with the aims of the meeting. As the meeting went on everyone’s confidence grew. They grilled officers, really pressed people when they didn’t get answers, and presented some real challenges for the future.

I was so impressed and I hope cabinet will accept their recommendations. The young people in Croydon have often got a bad reputation in the past, and I always love having the chance to show off their real potential.

I’ll definitely make sure this happens again because they can open our eyes to different views and make us question what we consider in the future.

Cllr Sara Bashford (Con), Shadow Deputy Leader, Croydon Council

letters

Being a good neighbour When a neighbour faces a crisis it’s important to stand up for them and offer support where we can.

Our immediate neighbour is North Lincolnshire Council, a borough that has been deeply affected by the recent announcement of heavy job losses at the Tata steelworks in Scunthorpe.

At a meeting of our full council last month, we agreed to push for more government support for the people and businesses affected by the steel industry crisis.

We voted to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills to call upon them to urgently reinforce their support for those affected and to intervene to ensure the sustainability of the steel industry and its supply chain.

Our economy is closely linked to that of North Lincolnshire and we’ve committed our officers to work with colleagues at North Lincolnshire Council and partner organisations to assess and mitigate the impact of the job losses and maximise new funding and other support which may be made available to the sub-region.

We need to do what we can to reassure those affected, ease the harm done by the job loss announcement and work with our partners to bolster the economy across northern Lincolnshire.

Cllr Ray Oxby (Lab), Leader, North East Lincolnshire Council

Job sharing a cabinet role

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ast month, I started sharing my cabinet post at Bristol City Council with my fellow Green Party councillor Fi Hance. Being Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods is a really interesting job and this is a practical example of how we can do things differently.

It’s not only good to share this role, it’s also really important. We are both involved with Bristol Women’s Commission’s 50/50 campaign, which aims to increase the number of women councillors in Bristol from 34 per cent to 50 per cent.

Many people are often put off by the full-time nature of politics and this move demonstrates that you don’t have to choose between a career and other commitments – it’s possible to job share, even at a senior level.

George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol, has welcomed Fi to his cabinet, saying he hopes

What do you think? Please submit letters for publications by emailing first@local.gov.uk.

Letters may be edited and published online

6 | first letters

www.local.gov.uk

this will set an example to other employers.

Politics has to adapt to modern life and this arrangement will help demonstrate that working mothers play an equal role in our workplace and that it should be flexible to meet their needs.

Cllr Daniella Radice (Green), Assistant Mayor, Bristol City Council

Business support

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t this year’s Federation of Small Business awards ceremony, Torbay Council’s Hi Tech Forum won the category for the best scheme to support innovative hi-tech businesses.

The forum was set up to provide an opportunity for local businesses to network and collaborate. Its bi-monthly meetings provide specialist advice to support and develop the growth of the hi-tech sector across Torbay and South Devon.

This award recognises the success of the scheme and its resulting benefits for local businesses. Through hard work we have managed to achieve our objectives to grow the hi-tech cluster, attract investment into Torbay, create jobs and increase the reach of local companies across Europe. Investment into the Electronics and Photonics Innovation Centre in Paignton is evidence of the impact the forum has made in shaping our growth strategy and also shows our ongoing support to see this sector grow further.

Since its formation, the Hi Tech Forum has held four manufacturing technology innovation exhibitions, two business engagement sessions between schools and industry, which created apprenticeships, and attracted £4.7 million of investment into the sector. It has led the generation of a cluster of innovative companies within the photonics sector and sourced funding for technology businesses, creating around 30 jobs.

Mayor Gordon Oliver (Con), Torbay Council

December 2015

Celebrating older people

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ationally and locally, people are living longer. In Central Bedfordshire we know that our population of older people, particularly those aged 85-plus, is set to grow much more quickly than the rest of the population.

Central Bedfordshire Council is dedicated to improving outcomes that enable older people to remain living independently in their own homes for longer. As the council develops its first independent living scheme in Dunstable, there are some exciting new developments that have big implications for the quality of our care offer for older people.

We’re planning similar projects elsewhere in Central Bedfordshire in discussion with local communities. The key for us is to offer people a range of social care options, while still supporting the independence we know they want.

As part of this agenda, we are building on the success of our early intervention and rehabilitation services which enable people to remain living independently in their own homes with access to the care and support they need.

We’re also committed to meeting the needs of people living with dementia and their carers, and have begun offering Dementia Friends training (an Alzheimer’s Society initiative) to all elected members and our staff.

We want to celebrate older people and as part of International Older People’s Day we held a Full of Life festival to encourage engagement in activities that keep them healthy and happy.

TV and film celebrity Robert Daws opened the partnership event where local statutory and voluntary services provided the festival goers with all the information they needed in one place. Working together to engage the older community and promote wellbeing, we had more than 300 visitors and over 45 organisations exhibiting, and received lots of positive feedback.

Cllr Carole Hegley (Con), Executive Member, Central Bedfordshire Council

sound bites LGA Communications “Thank you to everyone in #localgov for taking part in #OurDay, highlighting the diverse work that you do every day for your residents.” www.twitter.com/LGAcomms Tandridge District Council “Heating restored to elderly & disabled resident in sheltered scheme after call to out of hours officer #OurDay.” www.twitter.com/TandridgeDC Brent Council “Tonight we’ll be out with outreach workers from @mungosbroadway between 11pm & 4am to help rough sleepers #OurDay.” www.twitter.com/Brent_Council Andrew Harrop (General Secretary, Fabian Society) “‘Local authorities running schools a thing of the past’: driven by ideology, at total odds with devolution, a recipe for fragmentation #SR15.” www.twitter.com/andrew_harrop Michael White (The Guardian) “#SR15 confirms abolition & localisation of business rates. That may be a very unequal “reform” for poorer areas.” www.twitter.com/MichaelWhite HM Treasury “400,000 affordable new homes by the end of the decade #SpendingReview. “ www.twitter.com/hmtreasury Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following?

Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk

first letters | 7

spending review

features

Breaking down the Spending Review As expected, the Spending Review confirmed local government will face further real-term funding cuts up until 2020, on top of 40 per cent reductions over the last Parliament.

But Chancellor George Osborne’s big announcement included some new proposals and flexibilities

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t could have been worse. The Treasury had asked spending departments to model cuts of up to 40 per cent in the run-up to last month’s Spending Review – something the LGA had warned would have delivered a £10.5 billion knock-out blow to cherished local services (see first 593).

Instead, local government faces a cut in core central government funding (comprising business rates and revenue support grant) of 24 per cent in real terms, according to LGA analysis, or 6.7 per cent after taking into account Office of Budget Responsibility forecasts of other income raised by councils.

Local government remains the most efficient part of the public sector. With spending pressures still increasing and most efficiency savings already made, there will be some councils facing hard decisions in the near future.

The LGA believes the Government has missed a genuine opportunity to reform the way money is spent across the public sector and to protect services for our communities.

Taking decisions closer to where people live is the most effective way to use public spending to create jobs, build homes, raise school standards, strengthen healthy communities and protect the vulnerable

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across all parts of the country.

The devolution deals that have been agreed so far with city regions, as well as Cornwall Council, are good news for people living in those areas. However, it is absolutely critical that greater powers and funding are also devolved to non-metropolitan areas, which account for more than half of the country’s economic output.

However, ministers have responded at least in part to the concerns we and others raised ahead of the Spending Review about the social care funding crisis, and to our call for further flexibility on setting council tax rates.

The widely trailed announcement of a social care precept – allowing councils with social care responsibilities to raise council tax up to 2 per cent above the existing threshold – will go some way to helping councils address the social care funding gap. The LGA calculates this could raise up to £1.6 billion by 2019/20 if all the affected councils use the flexibility in full. There will also be an extra £1.5 billion in the ring-fenced Better Care Fund.

Elsewhere in the Spending Review, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed his commitment to move towards 100

per cent business rates retention; announced moves to boost house building; said police spending would be protected in real terms; and confirmed plans for a national funding formula for schools from 2017.

You can find out more about these and other aspects of the review on the following pages and by viewing the LGA’s on-the-day briefing at www.local.gov.uk/briefingsand-responses. The Spending Review, Autumn Statement and related government documents are available at www.gov.uk/ government/topical-events/autumnstatement-and-spending-review-2015

Have your say What do you think of the Spending Review? How is your council affected?

Email first@local.gov.uk

See p22-23 for responses to the Spending Review from the LGA’s political group leaders

www.local.gov.uk

Adult social care • •

Social care funding precept – 2 per cent above current council tax threshold Additional funds for adult social care from 2017, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019/20, in the Better Care Fund

The LGA says: “The Spending Review announcement asserts that the additional money detailed above will be sufficient to meet the existing funding gap in adult social care, to fund the implementation of the National Living Wage and achieve full integration of health and social care.

While we welcome the Government’s recognition of the importance of adult

Business rates •

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Consultation on local government finance system in preparation for 100 per cent business rates retention by councils by 2020 Councils to gain £13 billion additional local tax revenues and £26 billion in total business rate revenues Local government grant to be phased out Additional responsibilities to be devolved to local authorities (e.g. funding public health) Top-ups and tariffs redistributing revenues between local authorities retained Uniform Business Rate to be abolished Power to cut business rates for all councils Power to increase business rates, for new infrastructure – for elected city-wide metro mayors only

social care, the announcements raise a number of important questions.

“It will be up to councils to choose whether to raise council tax by an additional 2 per cent for adult social care. If they all chose to, this will raise an additional £1.6 billion per year by 2019/20. Using council tax as a way of raising funds for adult social care unfairly affects those with higher levels of deprivation and weaker tax bases. They are less able to raise their own funds locally. While welcoming the measures taken to support social care, the LGA is disappointed that the funding saved from the deferral of Phase 2 of the Care Act has not been fully reinstated to support the sector.”

The LGA says: “The LGA has long argued that the current system of business rates needs to be reformed so councils can more effectively support small businesses and boost high streets. We will work closely with government to get the details of the policy right and ensure that it can be introduced in a way that is fair to all councils. All councils should be given powers to increase the business rates multiplier, not just metro mayors.”

Other financial issues •

• •

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•

Public health •

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Real-terms annual savings of 3.9 per cent in local authority public health spending Consultation on funding public health from retained business rates

The LGA says: “At a time when the Government has issued a firm commitment to the NHS Five Year Forward View, with prevention very much at its heart, cutting the public health budget is counter-productive.

We are concerned that this decision could undermine the objectives we all share to improve the public’s health and to keep pressure off the NHS and adult social care. This announcement reinforces the view that central government sees prevention services as ultimately non-essential. Many councils will now feel that they have been handed substantial responsibility without adequate resources. Any reduction to public health budgets will be a cut to the NHS in all but name.”

Councils will be able to use capital receipts from the sale of assets (except Right to Buy) on the revenue costs of reform projects, subject to conditions to be announced later this month in the local government funding settlement.

The Government has recognised the LGA’s arguments that local government should have autonomy in deciding how to spend its reserves.

The One Public Estate programme will get another £31 million to support local authorities to design more efficient asset management strategies. Councils are set to release £13 billion from the development and sale of land up to 2020, compared to £5 billion by government.

Average public sector pay awards of 1 per cent will continue for the next four years.

Although this does not strictly apply to local government, it will be an important factor in pay negotiations.

The Government will issue new guidance on remuneration for senior staff, aimed at reining in “excessive salaries”. Average chief executive salaries were down 5.3 per cent to £122,210 in 2014/15, compared to an average of £182,500 in NHS acute trusts. “Democratically elected councillors should set remuneration packages based on finding the most talented candidates for ever-more complex and demanding roles.”

December 2015

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spending review

Children and schools • • • • • • • •

National funding formula for schools by 2017/18 Core schools budget protected in real terms Per pupil rate for the Dedicated Schools Grant protected in cash terms £390 million of additional funding for least fairly funded areas in 2015/16 Pupil premium protected at current rates Funding for universal infant free school meals maintained £600 million cut from Education Services Grant (ESG) Government aims to “help every secondary school become an academy”

The LGA says: “Councils have long been calling for a fairer funding system for all schools. However, it is essential that a national formula is introduced in a phased way to protect those schools facing a relative reduction in budgets.

We will clarify with the Department for

Education how, and over what timescale, the £600 million cuts will be achieved and what proportion will come from council budgets; and how [all secondaries becoming academies] will be achieved when academy conversion is voluntary.”

Childcare Housing • •

• •

Housing budget to double by 2018/19 200,000 starter homes at 20 per cent discount on market value for young, first-time buyers 135,000 help-to-buy shared ownership homes 8,000 specialist homes for older people and those with disabilities

The LGA says: “Councils welcome resources to increase the supply of new homes in a way that meets the needs of local communities.

Government’s emphasis on increasing house building is welcome. We are concerned that some measures [such as reducing social housing rents] may have the unintended consequence of reducing the availability of social and affordable rented homes, and prevent councils from playing their role in building new homes and reducing waiting lists. It is important that councils are free to manage their housing assets to meet the local housing needs of communities and reduce waiting lists.”

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•

• •

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£1 billion more a year by 2019/20 for free childcare places for two, three and four-year-olds £50 million of capital funding to create additional nursery places £300 million a year to increase the average hourly rate paid to childcare providers Parents must earn less than £100,000 and work 16 hours a week to receive free childcare

The LGA says: “The capital funding is welcome, particularly if councils have the freedom to invest in extending provision in maintained schools, where it would benefit parents and children to do so. Increasing the average hourly rate for providers is also welcome, as is the introduction of a national early years funding formula. In the past, providers in some areas have been underfunded due to the wide variation in rates paid by government and the use of the Schools Forum to regulate funding.

This funding formula is no longer fit for purpose. The new formula must enable councils to persuade providers to come forward to meet the needs of working parents and provide high quality places for every child that needs one.”

www.local.gov.uk

Community safety

Syrian resettlement scheme

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•

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Police spending protected in real terms (£900 million in cash terms) Greater funding flexibility for police and crime commissioners (PCCs), potentially worth £12 million a year New statutory duty on emergency services to collaborate PCCs enabled to take responsibility for fire and rescue services £74 million for the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme

The LGA says: “Protection of police funding in real terms will help protect vital frontline policing services like neighbourhood policing teams. A new statutory duty to collaborate is not needed, and the provision of incentives like transformation funding are more likely to increase collaboration between the emergency and other services (see first 593).”

Planning • Delivery test on local authorities, to ensure delivery against the homes set out in local plans within a reasonable timeframe • Local communities to allocate land for housing through neighbourhood plans, even if that land is not allocated in the local plan • Planning policy amendments to ensure the release of unused and previously undeveloped commercial, retail and industrial land for starter homes • Support for regeneration of previously developed brownfield sites in the greenbelt

•

£460 million to resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees covering the first full-year costs £130 million for local authorities for support beyond the first year

The LGA says: “The Syrian refugee crisis is an international problem and therefore must be adequately funded by central government. Councils will need to monitor actual costs to be confident that the scheme is adequately funded and government needs to commit to a review after 18 months.”

• A more standardised approach to viability assessments, and extension of the ability to appeal against unviable Section 106 agreements to 2018 The LGA says: “Local government is not holding up development on brownfield sites, it is more often than not the cost of remediation and infrastructure.

Councils are committed to delivering fast and effective planning services, approving nine in every ten planning applications. Councils have been forced to spend in excess of £450 million covering the cost of planning applications over the last three years. The introduction of locally-set planning fees is needed to ensure responsive council planning services that are crucial to growth and building the homes we need, rather than further tweaks to the planning system.

We are pleased that the Government has listened to our call for a more standardised approach to viability assessments to ensure that development and supporting infrastructure meets community need.”

The LGA’s annual local government finance conference takes place on 6 January in London, and will be covering the Spending Review and this month’s local government finance settlement. To book your place please visit www.local.gov.uk/events

Other issues covered in the LGA’s on-the-day briefing on the Spending Review include apprenticeships and skills, the arts, broadband, business rates appeals, counter terrorism, courts, culture, dementia, devolution, digital technologies, disabled facilities grant, domestic abuse, farm inspections, growth, home energy efficiency, homelessness and temporary accommodation, housing benefit cap, infrastructure (including flooding and fracking), integration and the Better Care Fund, mental health, changes to New Homes Bonus, potholes, public land and assets, extension of Right to Buy, sport, stamp duty, welfare, and the Work and Health Programme – see www.local.gov.uk/briefings-and-responses

December 2015

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State of mind More should be done to help people with mental health problems, and especially children, before they reach crisis point Cllr Gillian Ford is the Lead Member of the Vulnerable People Policy Group, part of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Portfolio

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he Christmas holidays are associated with families and children – which can make this time of year especially difficult for a young person or child experiencing mental health issues.

Helpfully, though, every council area in England has now signed up to the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, to which the LGA was one of the original 22 national signatories. The concordat aims to improve the care anyone experiencing a mental health crisis receives and, in its second year, is putting an additional focus on helping children and young people in crisis.

Elsewhere, though, the LGA is keen to see more work done on helping prevent young people reaching a crisis point.

For example, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, together with Wirral Borough Council, has developed a pioneering peer-to-peer support programme where a young person can speak first to another young person rather than an adult.

The project involves two sixth form pupils and two members of staff in a school being trained in mental health first aid. The pupils, termed peer educators, then produce and deliver presentations to all Year 9 pupils in their school to raise awareness about mental health and to reduce stigma.

Dr Fiona Pender, Clinical Director of Wirral Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, said: “We have listened to young people asking for information from their peers and have worked with local schools to deliver this support. We are really pleased to see significant reductions in stigma about mental health, increased awareness and more young people knowing how to access specialist support when they need it. We’re looking

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forward to sharing our model with other local authorities and child and adolescent mental health service teams.”

Meanwhile, the LGA is working with NHS England to establish the degree of joint working that has emerged from new funding associated with a report on children and young people’s mental health, published earlier this year by the Department of Health.

Future in Mind, to which the LGA contributed, found that for 75 per cent of adults with mental health problems, these started before the age of 18 – yet we may be reaching as few as one in four children and young people with problems that could be helped. The report’s big themes include promoting resilience, prevention and early intervention and improving access to effective support, as well as care for the most vulnerable. Additional funding has been made available to local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to support these aims, and they have had to submit ‘local transformation plans’ setting out

how they will improve local mental health services for children and young people. The LGA has been pushing for this funding to be used collaboratively between local councils, schools and health partners so that any support is joined up and can wrap around the child rather than organisations.

NHS England guidance suggests CCGs work with schools and councils, and that a member of the local health and wellbeing board should sign off local transformation plans. The plans play a pivotal role in the delivery of timely personalised support, while reducing the need for crisis interventions.

The only way we will actively prevent long-term mental health problems for children and young people is to reduce the stigma through education, by example and by offering readily accessible information, support and advice. At a local level, with adequate resources and by working in collaboration with all stakeholders and agencies, we can improve the life chances for our children and young people.

Children and young people’s mental health will be discussed at an LGA conference, Mental Health and Local Place: the Role of Councils in Mental Health, in London on 17 March. To book a place, please visit www.local.gov.uk/events

www.local.gov.uk

Caring support Cllr Izzi Seccombe is the LGA’s Portfolio Holder for Community Wellbeing

As the Spending Review is published, what does the future hold for local health and care services?

L

ocal care services proved remarkably resilient over the last Parliament.

While government grant was cut by 40 per cent, councils protected social care to the extent that real spending fell by just 10 per cent. Transfers from the NHS through the Better Care Fund (BCF) also contributed to maintaining care services.

This year, though, there is clear evidence that further savings from efficiency will be harder to deliver. Major suppliers are unable and unwilling to absorb ever lower margins.

Care workers from specialist nurses to home care assistants are difficult to recruit and retain in current market conditions. A National Living Wage is great news for low paid carers, but the money for it has to be found.

Pressures on hospitals are increasing inexorably as the services to keep people at home, or get them back home, are unaffordable or unavailable. Last winter, 7 per cent more people went into A&E by ambulance, they needed urgent care. Around 400,000 less people get publicly funded care than in 2010 and the current system leaves too many people behind.

So the challenge for this Parliament is to reform services so that we prevent needs, integrate support to people at home and maximise choice and independence. And we have to do this quickly and across the whole system. We have a plethora of innovations – pioneers, vanguards, test beds, improvement programmes – all developing ways to replace old models with more personal, homebased offers to keep people healthy and independent.

Ministers, councils and the NHS will need to work together to provide a simple framework for sharing information. Councils and employers both need a more stable

workforce, with the skills and culture to work together. Health and care need to catch up with the rest of life and provide digital access and support for self-care.

Devolution brings the opportunity for local leaders to grasp the agenda and develop a new deal between citizens and care and health services – preserving national entitlements and delivering them in ways that work for local people. Of the 34 local devolution proposals submitted in September 2015, half included integrated local health and social care.

By 2020, a diversity of new models must be mainstream. The public, professionals and local leaders should expect services to go to people, not force people to find outmoded services.

But much of this is not really new.

Personalised co-ordinated care at home has been a goal for decades. So what will we need

“Devolution brings the opportunity for local leaders to develop a new deal between citizens and care and health services” December 2015

to do differently this time? Ask yourself, what makes care excellent? It’s the people that matter.

Our best people must be supporting families in the community and we must help our communities, care providers and hospitals develop and sustain excellence.

This means investing our money in excellent community support.

And that means moving money from the current struggling services to the new ones, not in one-year bail outs and BCFs, but over a decade supported by consistent policy and planning.

Why don’t the many brilliant and committed people running care and health already do this? Because they are rewarded for propping up the existing model just one more year. Because they are denied the means to challenge and replace what we have today.

That is the challenge for this Parliament, the courage to really change.

See www.local.gov.uk/chip for more on social care improvement and health integration

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Independent voices Devolution was the hot topic at the 2015 Independent Group Annual Conference

Cllr Marianne Overton MBE is Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group

A

t a time of great upheaval in local government and with further funding reductions announced in last month’s Spending Review, devolution is seen as a way to refocus on sharing resources and increasing economic growth.

That was the view of our Independent Group panellists, in a debate ably chaired

by Colin Copus, Professor of Local Politics at De Montfort University, at our annual conference in London last month.

Speaking from first-hand experience, Cllr Julian German, Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture at Cornwall Council, talked about the council’s recently agreed devolution deal with the Government.

“Do not underestimate the need for dedicated officer resource before, during and post the deal. Developing the proposals are time intensive,” he said.

“The signing of a deal is, at best, the end of the beginning. In Cornwall, which was the first rural area to sign a devolution deal, we see this as another step in our devolution journey, in order to achieve our vision of

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real local decision making powers.”

Governance was a key concern of members with new deals expected to include elected mayors, even in areas such as Cornwall that already have a strong leader model.

Our MPs echoed this concern, highlighting the importance they place on the democratic inclusion of all councillors who are well connected to their communities, and the risk that it could be easier for a mayor to be manipulated by a national party.

Martin Surl pointed out that as Gloucestershire’s Independent Police and Crime Commissioner, he and colleagues felt free to act in the interests of their residents. But he is deeply concerned about the funding to do the job. With increased pressures of counter-extremism, he felt the Government was not listening and seemed “determined to cut police funding with disastrous consequences”.

“Good policing and good GPs are the minimum that should be provided,” said Douglas Carswell MP (UKIP). Accepting the issue of local differences following devolution of powers, he pointed out that centralism plainly creates random arbitrary service provision, which is certainly true, looking at the urban-rural issues.

Green MP Caroline Lucas gave her view that our Independent councillors “build resilience across the UK with grassroots innovation”, and are well placed to create a consensual and inclusive approach to better local government,

now with multiple stakeholders.

Outside of the devolution debate, Independent Group members discussed the Housing and Planning Bill and set out their concerns about the Government’s plans to extend Right to Buy and introduce a new starter homes initiative.

They also heard from the Home Office regarding a new counter-extremism bill, considered the challenge of managing prevention with reduced public health budgets, and received an update on the Syrian resettlement scheme.

Key addresses were given on the future of local government from LGA Chairman Lord Porter and new LGA Chief Executive Mark Lloyd. We were joined by Baroness Jenny Jones who offered to host a visit to the House of Lords.

Finally, we much enjoyed a reading of political poetry from Maggie Sullivan, author and past head of the Independent Group office.

If you are on Twitter, find out more on our conference by searching #LGAIndyConf2015

www.local.gov.uk

Get yourself connected The introduction of free Wi-Fi across England’s libraries is part of councils’ wider efforts to help residents and businesses boost their digital skills and get online

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t was an early win for the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce when the Chancellor earlier this year announced a new fund allowing greater Wi-Fi access across England’s communities.

The taskforce, a joint initiative between the LGA and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was established in the wake of William Sieghart’s independent report on libraries and brings together an impressive range of other organisations working hard to support these important civic spaces. These include Arts Council England, Society of Chief Librarians, The Reading Agency, The British Library, the BBC and Public Health England.

In March, the Government pledged a £7.4 million fund to install and upgrade Wi-Fi in public libraries across England. This fund, managed by Arts Council England, has seen 68 councils successfully apply, which will benefit more than 1,000 libraries and ensure near universal coverage.

Public libraries have innovated in what they offer over the years, in line with people’s changing expectations and the different needs of the communities in which they’re based. They also have a long and proud tradition of being trusted and welcoming places, with a footfall that other services can only dream of.

Libraries are increasingly being used not just as a resource for books and archive materials, but as community hubs serving a whole range of purposes. This includes embracing the opportunities presented by the digital age, as recommended in the Sieghart report, and which the taskforce is charged with supporting.

The introduction of free Wi-Fi is part of councils’ wider efforts to help residents and businesses to boost their digital skills and get online in community settings, with all the extra economic and social benefits which these bring. These vary from offering new opportunities for jobseekers, helping to close the digital divide for those who have never surfed the web or used email before, to coding clubs for school children and offering public health and business advice. This is even more important in the wake of a tough Spending Review and funding settlement December 2015

Cllr Ian Stephens is Chairman of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board

for local authorities. A number of councils have already invested in Wi-Fi for their public libraries and this new partnership with Arts Council England will help improve and extend access to the internet to many more communities.

Investment Among those to have benefited is Nottingham City Council, which was awarded £96,600 funding towards expanding Wi-Fi access in all its libraries. Currently only signed-up library members can use the connection but all visitors will be able to go online for free using their own devices. Other investments include upgrading parts of the library network to

improve Wi-Fi performance and an increase in web content filtering security.

Kent County Council has secured just over £300,000 funding to extend free Wi-Fi to the rest of its library network, from 33 to 99 libraries, including to rural areas and smaller villages where Wi-Fi is less available than in larger towns. This also opens up the council’s virtual library service which includes free online subscriptions to newspapers, journals, encyclopaedias and business resources, as well as the library catalogue which contains almost half a million books, DVDs and CDs, available via a free click-andcollect reservation service.

Visitors to libraries across Calderdale will be able to connect their smart phones, tablets and laptops thanks to a £36,000 grant to extend the council’s free Wi-Fi service.

This will increase high-quality internet access across the borough, from 10 to 22 libraries

by March 2016. Staff and volunteers will also be on hand to give practical help and advice on getting online.

The LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board works with Arts Council England to share good practice at leadership seminars for library portfolio holders.

The next one is on 27 January at The Hive in Worcester – see www.local.gov.uk/events for more information and to book a place

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interview A sceptical voice Public services face a “terrifying” future as a result of funding cuts, warns Shadow Communities Secretary Jon Trickett

J

on Trickett pulls no punches when criticising the “deeply disturbing” way funding cuts have been handed down to local councils over the past five years.

Speaking to first ahead of the Spending Review, the veteran Labour politician set out his fears of a “terrifying” future for local public services as Chancellor George Osborne prepared his announcement on local government’s funding for the next four years.

The 65-year-old was the first Labour MP to nominate Jeremy Corbyn for the party’s leadership and was rewarded with a top job in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Communities Secretary after his preferred candidate swept to victory. But it is clear that his credentials for the job extend far beyond his political loyalty and belief in the ability of Corbyn to rebuild his party.

His passion and knowledge about local government dates back to the 1980s when he was first elected as a councillor on Leeds City Council – a local authority he went on to lead from 1989 until his election as MP for Hemsworth in 1996.

“I am trying to get out and meet councillors and keep in touch with communities,” he said on his new role.

“It has been good to remind myself of some of the issues facing councils. It amazes me how so many are still the

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same as when I was a leader.”

Before the Spending Review, the LGA warned the Government that a further 40 per cent funding cut to local government funding would leave councils facing almost £20 billion in funding cuts and cost pressures by the end of the decade. Councils would face impossible decisions about which statutory services they can continue to provide as a result, the LGA said.

The Government has pointed to satisfaction with local services remaining high to combat criticism over the impact austerity has had on local services. But while Trickett is quick to acknowledge

the “ingenious ways” councils have continued providing services in the face of funding pressures, he is quicker to point out that “whatever the truth of the past is, they are now creaking”.

He insists cuts handed down to councils since 2010 have impacted on the “civilised quality of life for people”. Unless local government is “funded properly and www.local.gov.uk

PHOTOS CHRIS SHARP

“People in the north don’t trust Westminster anymore. They want power to be more local but they don’t trust Westminster to deliver it”

fairly”, he has a stark warning about the consequences.

“There is so much to celebrate about local government,” he said. “Instead of celebrating it, we are kicking it. Something very serious is going to happen, bigger than anything any of us can fear.

“The Government said it wanted to cut waste and inefficiency, and I support that, December 2015

but it said front line services wouldn’t be cut. I think people are shocked and will increasingly be shocked when they see how things will develop over the next few years.”

With the funding gap facing social care growing at a minimum of £700 million a year, it is services supporting our elderly and vulnerable that he fears will collapse as social workers buckle under the strain of increased demand from our ageing population and cuts to council funding.

He said: “Cuts are having an impact across the board – the local park is under threat and libraries are closing. But the way funding cuts are hitting people in social care is dreadful.

“The first step will be reducing the number of staff working on a statutory service but, for example in social care, you will see an increase in the workload because

that doesn’t diminish. Whether it’s planning, food inspections or care for the elderly, there comes a point at which you increase the workload just a little bit more and suddenly the whole system collapses.

It’s absolutely terrifying.

“The country is quite good at criticising social workers when things go wrong but we mustn’t ever forget these are dedicated people who are human and make mistakes.

The truth is that if the service is not properly funded then mistakes are going to be become systemic.”

Trickett is an extremely outspoken and sceptical voice within Parliament about the Government’s devolution agenda.

That is despite Labour-led councils leading the way in negotiating greater powers and freedom from Westminster. For

first interview | 17

Trickett, the Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill is a smokescreen being used to shift the blame and responsibility over future funding cuts to local services from Whitehall to the town hall.

He said: “It’s true that politics is not working very well and everyone feels that within the country. The country is too centralised and it is right that we get power out. But it is silly to pretend you can hand power out if you don’t will the means. That requires a fiscal solution to the problem and that is the central issue that the Government has not addressed.

“Huge amounts of money have been taken away from local government, depriving councillors and councils of the capacity to operate autonomously and cutting services to the bone. George Osborne is passing power to local councils because it is his intention to try and avoid responsibility for some of the cuts taking place on his watch.

“I don’t think for a moment that councillors are deceived and it is important that when a council is forced to remove a service that everybody knows who is responsible for this. Part of my job is to make sure that is the case. It is party political but it is not purely party political because we know there are some Conservative local authority leaders saying the same thing.”

The Chancellor’s vision to create a Northern Powerhouse has not been without its stumbling blocks in recent months. A poll by Ipsos Mori found only a quarter of people in the north have confidence that the Northern Powerhouse will be a success in revitalising economies in our big northern cities.

Proud Yorkshireman Trickett said he would support Labour council leaders making “tough and difficult decisions” to get the best devolution deal they can from the Government. But, with Labour keen to hold a cross-party constitutional convention to discuss all aspects of governance and funding across the UK, he is clear that imposing mayors and dictating terms goes against the spirit of devolution.

He said: “I am in favour of devolution and

“It has been good to remind myself of some of the issues facing councils. It amazes me how so many are still the same as when I was a leader” 18 | first interview

“The Government said it wanted to cut waste and inefficiency, and I support that, but it said front line services wouldn’t be cut” it is an exciting moment because devolution in England is being discussed as part of a wider discussion in the UK. I am excited about the possibilities for the north, it is a moment of hope. But we can’t have a topdown model imposed by government onto the North of England and that is what we have got at the moment.

“People in the north don’t trust Westminster anymore. They want power to be more local but they don’t trust Westminster to deliver it.

“It is a mistake to think that Yorkshire is the same as Greater Manchester. It is clearly not. Even West Yorkshire – which is five urban centres – is very distinct. There are multiple centres of economic activity but the Government wants to impose a singular structure with a single mayor on a large part of Yorkshire. It isn’t going to work.

“The Government says they believe in devolution and will negotiate with local areas. Oh but by the way you won’t get anything unless you agree to a particular form of governance.

“If you want to have a legacy of real devolution this is not the way to do it. That is why we want a constitutional convention and we want the other parties to join us to think again about the constitutional structure of the UK.” In less than six months’ time, the new-look Labour party will face its first big test; the first round of local elections since their General Election defeat and a battle in the capital to take back City Hall.

Trickett admits emulating 2012 – when Labour gained more than 700 seats, won 39 per cent of the vote share and took control of key councils such as Birmingham, Southampton and Plymouth – will be a tough ask.

Labour’s Harriet Harman described that result as proof the party was “back in business” but just three years later they suffered another General Election defeat to the Tories.

Trickett said big changes continue in the Labour party, with further “debate on policy and how we position ourselves” making realism a must next May. However, he is clear December 2015

that reconnecting with Labour councils and councillors is key to rebuilding the party.

“I think there is some work to be done to make sure the communication between the national party and local councils is open,” he said. “We have to make sure that we are listening at a national level to what local people are saying. It is important we show we are listening.

“The elections next year will be a significant moment and we will be fighting and be determined to make our mark. In 2012 we made spectacular gains which was two years into the Coalition Government.

Next May will only be a year in so there are many different factors to take into account.

“Unfortunately, local elections become a test of the national government and that is partly down to so few powers being left with councils. More people will take more interest and vote more often if they can get proper devolution.”

first interview | 19

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www.local.gov.uk

comment Caring for our heritage Cllr Malcolm Kennedy (Lab) is Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Liverpool City Council

Liverpool’s been hard hit by cuts in central government funding – over the last Parliament, we’ve lost 58 per cent of our budget which equates to around £330 million.

Despite the financial pressures, heritage remains high on the council’s agenda. And rightly so: we have World Heritage status which helps draw tourists to the city; many of our buildings shaped not only Liverpool’s history but the country’s and the wider world’s; and neglected buildings send out the wrong message to investors and visitors.

For a number of years, we have set out to get to grips with the issue, putting in place sound working practices, protocols and experienced staff to make sure that the city’s

historic buildings are cared for and preserved.

Our approach is very much focused around partnership with Historic England, Heritage Lottery Fund and other private and public sector partners and developers, and we concentrate on being a facilitator for developers and building owners to help find new, sustainable uses for buildings.

One example is the magnificent Stanley Dock Warehouses, which had lain empty since the 1980s. Thanks to proactive working between the council and a private developer, the North Warehouse has now been transformed into the 153-bedroom luxury Titanic Hotel as part of a staged redevelopment which will also see an innovative residential, business, retail, educational and leisure complex created.

Other successes include the former Royal Insurance Building (pictured) and the landmark St Luke’s ‘bombed-out’ Church which is having essential repairs carried out funded by the city council and Historic England while we consult with the public on its use.

The Royal Insurance Building had lain empty for 20 years and was on Historic England’s at-risk register. The economic downturn meant developers could not find the money needed to get a scheme off the ground.

The city council stepped in and purchased the freehold of the historic landmark for £1.95 million, kick-starting £18 million of private investment to transform it into a stunning new Aloft hotel.

Creating jobs The benefits are significant: local council tax payers will make a long-term return on the investment through the leasehold which can be ploughed back into funding services; 50 permanent jobs have been created, of which 91 per cent have gone to local people; and a landmark city centre building has been brought back into use.

It recently scooped the Building December 2015

Construction Industry’s award for Building Project of the Year, beating off stiff competition including from London’s Guy’s Hospital Tower.

We have also recently secured the future of the world-famous Cunard Building on the waterfront by purchasing it as part of a rationalisation of council accommodation.

This is not only delivering millions of pounds in savings because we now have fewer office buildings, but is also generating valuable rental income which can be ploughed back into services. It has already attracted new restaurants and a tourist attraction – the British Music Experience run by music entrepreneur Harvey Goldsmith – which will create jobs and boost the local economy.

Our hard work is paying off, and is reflected in the most recent figures which show that the number of historically significant listed buildings deemed to be at-risk in Liverpool has fallen to a 24-year low. Historic England has commended us for our work, and the 2015 Royal Society of Arts Heritage Index placed Liverpool among the best large cities, and in the top 20 percent of places overall.

But we’re not resting on our laurels and recently we have developed a list of 25 heritage priorities for the immediate future.

We are committed to preserving as many gems as we can and finding new ways of bringing them back into use, saving them for future generations.

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group leaders’ comments Austerity cuts are hollowing out services

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eorge Osborne has shown once again, with this year’s Spending Review, that the Tory Government has little understanding or regard for how local government operates.

The Chancellor has imposed a 24 per cent real terms reduction in our grant funding – this represents a cut of £4.1 billion over this Parliament.

Austerity cuts have and are hollowing out much of what we cherish and hold dear to life in our cities, towns and communities.

Councils up and down the country have already made over £20 billion in cuts, and now face a funding gap of £13 billion by 2020.

This will have a devastating impact on the way local services are run and delivered, services which make our communities work and function – if, in many cases, the services can be saved at all.

But it’s not just communities that will lose out. Osborne’s approach to local government funding is hugely counter-productive for our economic growth too. How can the country function properly if councils can no longer deliver our legal duties, clean the streets, fix the roads or plan for and build new homes?

Perhaps the most alarming of all is that the Government has given little regard to how

“It’s not just communities that will lose out. Osborne’s approach to local government funding is hugely counter-productive for our economic growth too”

Cllr Sharon Taylor is Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group

their cuts affect the most vulnerable.

Budgets for looking after our older people are already facing a gap of £700 million a year.

Older people should be cared for at home in a dignified way, or we will see the financial burden on the NHS grow.

The reality is, that even if every council in the country levied a 2 per cent increase in council tax, we would still have a funding shortfall of £1.2 billion.

Osborne could have used this Spending Review to transform how public services operate. Instead, he has chosen to let local government and our communities bear the brunt of his unforgiving cuts.

chairman’s comment

The Spending Review: better than expected

Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

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t feels like it’s been a long time coming, but Chancellor George Osborne finally delivered the Spending Review late last month. And although it’s a difficult settlement, it’s better than some of us feared.

Core government funding to local government (including business rates and revenue support grant) will fall by 24 per cent in real terms over the Spending Review period, according to LGA analysis. If you take into account the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts of income raised locally by councils, the overall position is a

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6.7 per cent real terms reduction – compared to an estimated 23.6 per cent over the last five years from 2010.

With all the biggest efficiencies already made by most councils, it will be a challenging time for the sector. But Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Greg Hands, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, have listened to our concerns, particularly about the pressures arising from adult social care. The announcement that there will be flexibility to increase council tax by up to 2 per cent above the existing threshold will go some way to allowing a number of councils to raise the money needed to offset some of the cost of social care.

The £1.5 billion increase in the Better

Care Fund is also good news, but it’s vital that this is new money and is spent on adult social care. And allowing local government to retain 100 per cent of their business rates income will help councils to mitigate some of the pressures they will face from funding cuts up to 2020.

While it is positive that the Treasury has worked with us to localise business rates, this is just the start of the journey.

We will continue to work closely with Greg Clark and the DCLG team on the detailed work and consideration that must go into what extra responsibilities councils should take on, to ensure we get the best outcome for local communities.

“With all the biggest efficiencies already made by most councils, it will be a challenging time for the sector” www.local.gov.uk

group leaders’ comments

Cllr David Hodge is Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

Cllr Marianne Overton MBE is Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson is Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group

Getting the national finances under control

Social care is still unaffordable

Knock-on effects of benefit cuts

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T

G

he Spending Review saw the Chancellor take a further step towards getting our national finances back under control following the mess that the Conservatives inherited from Labour.

The reduction in funding for local government means that it is more important than ever that the Government continues to deliver on its devolution agenda in both our metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas as this is the most effective way to create more jobs, build homes, strengthen communities, boost economic growth and protect the vulnerable.

In terms of announcements affecting local government, I welcome the ambitious agenda in relation to house building; the flexibility on council tax and the additional £1.5 billion for the Better Care Fund to support social care; the greater flexibility for councils in relation to the use of capital receipts from asset sales; and the introduction of the first ever national funding formula for schools to ensure that pupils with similar needs receive the same level of support regardless of where they live.

Most important of all was the Chancellor’s confirmation that local government will be able to retain 100 per cent of business rates.

This has been a long-standing ask of local government and will be delivered by a Conservative Government.

“It is more important than ever that the Government continues to deliver on its devolution agenda”

he cross-benchers of the House of Lords, the Independent police and crime commissioners and the LGA campaigned hard in the run-up to the Spending Review to keep what is essential for our society.

We successfully fought for the protection of tax credits, currently keeping people in work, and for protection of police funding.

We appear to have a reprieve on tax credits, though the £12 billion is still to be extracted from the poorest of our society at the same time as corporation tax is reduced.

There remains a £4.1 billion cut in funding for local government with the National Living Wage unfunded and social care still unaffordable in the long term.

The £2 billion announced for housing is useful, but the greater portion appears to be given directly to the private sector, whose interest is in keeping house prices high. The additional council tax of up to 2 per cent for social care does a little to fill what is a substantial gap.

So despite a windfall to the Government based on a forecast improvement in income tax, councils are struggling to find new savings from what is already a low base and many will have to reduce or remove services.

“We successfully fought for the protection of tax credits and police funding”

iven this was the first Spending Review the Conservatives conducted without the Lib Dems, it was good to see our party maintain such an influence over some decisions – the most high-profile being the Chancellor’s decision to accept the Lib Dem peers’ amendment to reverse proposed tax credit changes, rejecting the parliamentary Labour Party’s transitional compromise.

However, the Government is still committed to taking £12 billion away from working-age benefit claimants and councils must prepare for the knock-on effects this will have in our local areas.

As central government support for councils whittles away, the impact on local government of these statements and reviews goes with it: the proposal to phase out revenue support grant entirely is going to disproportionately hit the areas that depend on it most.

Even for areas of wealth or economic growth that stand to benefit from rises in local income, the numbers still don’t add up, meaning many services that had already been cut to the bone will disappear.

It is a sign of the times when councils respond with such relief to the Treasury graciously allowing us to set our own council tax with all the limits and conditions proposed.

Social care is undoubtedly the most urgent cost pressure for local government, but there are all sorts of problems we could solve if the Government, specifically the Treasury, would just trust us to get on with it.

“Even for areas of economic growth, the numbers still don’t add up”

For more information about the LGA’s political groups, see www.local.gov.uk

December 2015

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Offices to housing doesn’t work Cllr Peter Smith (Lab) is Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development at Crawley Borough Council

We need housing – and lots of it. But the Prime Minister’s announcement to make permitted development rights (PDR) permanent is not the answer.

This policy simply doesn’t work in Crawley – and I’m sure we’re not alone. Where conversion of an office building to residential is welcomed it should be altered through the proper planning controls. PDR is exacerbating the acute shortage of employment space in the town, while permitting residential use in inappropriate locations, without proper standards or the provision of proper amenities, like play areas, or contribution to infrastructure costs or schools. PDR has an adverse impact on communities, as noisy building work takes place without notifying residents, there is no opportunity for the council and local people to consider the merits of development and no obligation on site owners to consider how

residents access waste collection services.

We have a well-planned town, right from our new town origins. Our planners do not obstruct developers from building homes or business premises – in fact, they help them.

We are badly affected because of our special characteristics as a major regional centre for business growth, wealth generation and job creation. This is why we are supported by local business leaders, who are extremely disappointed at the decision, saying that

PDR does not work because it stifles growth, increases cost pressures, affects the availability of office space and is causing thriving businesses great difficulties.

We have a shortage of land on which to build homes and a shortage of land for employment premises. The costs of home ownership are too high for our people to afford. We need help from government with these issues, not an arbitrary tearing up of planning policies that work well.

Town centre regeneration Dave Hodgson (Lib Dem) is the Elected Mayor of Bedford Borough Council

The UK high street is in crisis.

Last year, even as the economy picked up overall, net shop closures trebled to almost 1,000. Meanwhile, online and out-of-town shopping are here to stay as major features of the retail sector.

In these circumstances, some might argue for ‘managed decline’ of our town centres. In Bedford, however, we believe that their cultural, economic and social role is too important to allow it to wither.

Instead, we’re pursuing a vision to help Bedford town centre thrive in a changing landscape.

This vision is based on the conviction

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that if Bedford town centre is going to be an economically and socially vibrant place in years to come, it has to offer good quality shopping but also much more, for people of all ages.

It must be an attractive destination in its own right, for leisure, culture, events and food and drink. It should also be a place to live, and not somewhere that hollows out after shopping hours.

A lot has been achieved already, including a £6 million redevelopment of The Higgins Bedford gallery and museum (pictured).

Looking ahead, one major project in particular will contribute towards all elements of the vision. Council-owned land which was

previously the site of council office buildings and a car park will soon host a cinema, riverside restaurants, two large squares for events and shared public space, apartments and a hotel.

The £36 million Riverside North development will create 250 jobs and boost footfall by hundreds of thousands.

Encouragingly, over 80 per cent of units are pre-let, well over a year before opening in 2017.

Like all town centres, Bedford must rise to major challenges in a changing landscape, but Riverside North and the vision it is helping to fulfil are generating real confidence in its ability to do so. www.local.gov.uk

New beginnings for care leavers Mathew Taylor is a social worker and member of Marshfield Community Council

In 2013, a group of care leavers met the then minister for children and families.

The care leavers said many local authorities were not delivering the service they had signed up to under the Care Leavers’ Charter and that there were inequalities between services offered by different authorities.

The minister listened. The Department for Education (DfE) has since funded two phases of the New Belongings project, managed by the Care Leavers’ Foundation, which enables a team of facilitators and people with experience of being in care to work with participating authorities (shown in the map) and their care leavers to deliver services that honour the charter and are meaningful and useful to the recipients.

A vital strand of the project is to involve councillors and the local community in delivering the role of corporate parent.

Some authorities have set up training days for all elected members while others have invited them to get together and talk with a group of care leavers and meet them as people, not just issues on paper.

Without exception, this small change has raised awareness of the struggles faced by young people after leaving care and how important it is that the community embraces them as they would their own children. With interested and informed elected members, the changes that need to be made become easier to move through boards and committees.

If you have not already done so, please consider introducing this within your council.

North Somerset’s New Belongings journey December 2015

has led to it waiving council tax on young care leavers if they are studying or on an apprenticeship.

The council works extremely hard to help its care leavers into apprenticeships and employment. However, care leavers said they found the transition from being in education or on benefits to living independently on their first wage really difficult. They identified council tax as a difficult bill for them to pay at this stage of life, and North Somerset looked for ways to help manage this.

Care leavers are in a unique situation and some still leave home before many of their peers.

By supporting their care leavers aged 18 to 21, living independently and either unemployed or in apprenticeships or entry level jobs, to manage the financial and practical

transition, North Somerset hopes they will become fully financially independent in the future through receiving support for up to three years. North Somerset has approximately 130 care leavers. Council tax does not apply if they are studying or in their placement.

This change has resulted in an increase in care leavers taking up apprenticeships and they have said that it is a relief not be worried by court action and debt recovery when they are learning to manage their limited finances. There is little point in paying extra debt recovery costs to chase unaffordable council tax.

It makes sense for corporate parents to financially and practically support young people, as parents would their own children.

Surely any reasonable and responsible parent would and does do the same?

In a New Belongings survey of care leavers, managing finances was the overriding issue raised. The work around council tax is part of a wider piece of work to ensure that care leavers fully understand what financial entitlements are available.

As corporate parents we ask you to think about the little things you can do that have a huge impact on your care leavers. What can you do to remove the barriers to employment?

For more information about New Belongings and how you can help your care leavers, please email info@newbelongings.org.uk or visit newbelongings.org.uk

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Growing your own social workers Cllr Frances Nicholson (Con) is Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Somerset County Council

Stability is the foundation of any successful service and children’s services in particular.

In Somerset we’ve been doing a lot of work to bring in permanent and committed staff, beginning at the top.

With a permanent director of children’s services secured earlier this year, we have set a clear direction for our improvement journey.

The changes we are making are moving at

a good pace, and we are working with the Government and Essex County Council to ensure these changes result in better outcomes for children and young people.

One of our priorities for improvement is to boost social work capacity. We have done a lot to improve the offer we provide for our staff.

It includes a commitment to reduce caseloads and smaller teams so that managers can provide better supervision and oversight of cases.

In addition to improving our offer, we understand the importance of growing our own here in Somerset. We are leading a consortium of South West local authorities to deliver the Government’s Step Up to Social Work programme, which will see 26 talented graduates trained up in social work and

ready to practice early in 2017.

This is running in parallel with our nationwide campaign to recruit permanent social workers (www.socialcareandmore. co.uk) and their team managers.

Working in partnership with other local authorities has been extremely motivating and has provoked a great response from all levels of our organisation. Our social work teams have been greatly encouraged by meeting their Essex counterparts. This partnership has been mutually beneficial, with some of our ways of working influencing them too.

And as for the Step Up to Social Work partnership; we are boosting social work capacity, not just in Somerset, but for the whole of the South West.

Planning for people Kate Henderson is Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association

Planning, as councils know, is a democratic tool in the otherwise messy business of shaping the future and sharing scarce resources.

The planning system originally grew out of a powerful recognition that the places in which we live have a huge impact on the quality of our lives. Yet in recent years planning has lost all sense of the progressive social values that once lay at its core.

The planning system as we knew it is being continually undermined and devalued through significant reforms and deregulation, and the reputation of planning has declined.

We know this is wrong, and it is clear that planning must change so that it is genuinely focused on people.

That is why the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), with support from the Webb Memorial Trust, has launched the #Planning4People Manifesto. It brings together more than 60 organisations and individuals including councillors, academics, housing associations and charities, who are determined to ensure that planning shapes the kind of places that this nation deserves.

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The manifesto says local government should adopt a strong social dimension to local plans. This means shaping policy that prioritises place-making, providing for the full range of hard and soft infrastructure, and ensuring social and affordable homes receive the highest priority.

National government should give councils back power over permitted development; rebalance the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that outcomes for people are just as important as the needs of land-owners and developers; and restore a comprehensive framework of place-making standards for housing.

We strongly believe that councils should have the power to make vital decisions about the types of developments that are being brought forward in their communities.

Planning must change so it is genuinely focused on people’s needs, and we must strive to reinvent creative social town planning which did so much to lay the foundation of a civilised Britain.

For more information, please visit www.tcpa.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @socialtownplan

www.local.gov.uk

Re-thinking management structures Cllr Clive Woodbridge is Chairman of the Residents Association Group on Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

I first came across the ‘DMA’ approach to restructuring management when I was a member of the LGA’s Workforce Board.

Our chief executive, Frances Rutter, had also heard of DMA being used to good effect in other local authorities.

We quickly both recognised it could be a perfect fit for Epsom & Ewell, which had not had an organisational review for many years, and senior members agreed. If you are going to undertake a review of this type having chief executive and political leaderships ‘on the same page’ is vital.

DMA – Decision Making Accountability – helps establish the number of layers of management that your council needs, and the amount of decision-making responsibility that managers at each layer need to feel empowered to do their jobs well.

We began by setting out exactly what we wanted from the process: to create a more streamlined, balanced management structure that was leaner, more agile and more responsive, where decision making was rationalised and sped up, and staff were empowered to make decisions within their remit. Saving money would be a bonus but was not the primary aim.

A team from the LGA came in to conduct the DMA, interviewing staff at all levels of December 2015

the council over a two-week period. This was well received and other employees came forward asking if they could be interviewed too, seeing it as a chance to have their say.

Feedback was positive and staff welcomed their involvement in the process.

The options for the council were set out in a detailed report and the conclusion was that we were already lean in terms of structure but long in terms of processes.

We decided on an option which streamlined senior management and created new pathways to ensure faster decision making and greater ownership at senior head-ofservice level. The chief executive and director of finance and resources now make up the top layer of our new structure, with heads of service reporting directly to them.

Six months down the line, our chief executive has a senior management team that has the ‘head room and elbow room’ to do their jobs. Managers have been positive and recognise that the organisational structure is now more efficient. Officers have been empowered to take ownership of decision making at a greater level than before.

We are already seeing tangible examples of much faster responses. For instance, the council was recently contacted by the Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia action alliance co-ordinator about establishing dementia-

friendly communities. Whereas previous approaches had perhaps got ‘lost’ in bureaucracy, within 24 hours meetings had been set up to take this forward, as the heads of service and line managers recognised this as a very positive initiative which they wished to support.

Other examples include much swifter progress in agreeing a corporate plan and more positive and swifter buy-in from senior management to a new performance management regime. More direct contact between heads of service and committee chairmen has also been a positive step forward.

On top of this the changes did deliver savings of more than £100,000 a year. These are now being used to help protect front line services to the benefit of our residents.

A light-touch review is planned in a year’s time to see if the process has delivered on the original aims. But the indications are that we will achieve what we set out to do.

The review was delivered on time and within budget, and the LGA delivery team kept everyone informed and were positive, efficient and accessible. DMA provided a ‘reset button’ for the council to press and move forward. It’s not for everybody but it worked for us. If you have a clear idea of what you want to get out of it, DMA is a very valuable tool.

The LGA Workforce Team delivers the DMA approach in partnership with Stanton Morris.

Through our partnership agreement with Stanton Morris, we are able to offer this service to LGA members at less than half the commercial rate. For more information on DMA please contact suzanne.hudson@local.gov.uk

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NEW HORIZONS: TRANSFORMING CULTURE, TOURISM AND SPORT LGA Annual Culture, Tourism and Sport Conference 2016 24-25 February 2016, Leicester From the implications of the Spending Review to the government’s new sport strategy, Culture White Paper and opportunities from devolution, we will discuss the biggest issues, share innovative practice and give you the opportunity to network with colleagues and partner organisations.

Newly confirmed speakers: Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, Chair of ukactive Stella Duffy, Co-Director of Fun Palaces Victoria Pomery OBE, Director, Turner Contemporary Viscountess Penelope Cobham CBE, Chairman of Visit England Nick Bitel, Chair, Sport England Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England For more information or to book visit www.local.gov.uk/events

councillor Effective chairing As a councillor, you will be called upon to chair meetings as part of your role as a community leader, advocate or facilitator Whether this is representing the council in committee meetings at formal and informal discussions or attending meetings with community leaders and groups, chairing skills are key to making sure that meetings are run effectively and inclusively.

Political meetings require a special set of skills and insights to enable you to undertake chairing of meetings in the most effective manner.

As a chair you are also charged with the responsibility to ensure that meetings are undertaken in line with any agreed agenda and that they deal with the business at hand.

Good chairmanship will include preparation and follow-up, as well as taking charge during the meeting. It’s important because: unproductive meetings are a waste • of time • conflicting needs have to be balanced • clear leadership and direction are needed to move agendas forward.

Effectively managed meetings can save time and energy, contribute to team work and enable individuals to contribute effectively.

Here are our top tips for effective chairmanship: Chairing committee meetings: • work closely with council officers in preparing for all meetings • be aware that quasi-judicial meetings such as planning and licensing require specific attention

• recognise the importance of report deadlines and meeting schedules • ensure that recommendations and action are tracked and followed-up • plan to develop the skills of vice-chairs and aspiring committee chairs.

Chairing public and informal meetings: • plan for success – think about the venue, timing, invitees, and advertising • maintain control, order and confidentiality • manage all aspects of the process from start to finish.

After the meeting: • review its effectiveness • identify opportunities for improvement • review the action points and develop implementation plans • clarify how outstanding issues will be resolved • actively follow up progress on action points • ensure timely distribution of minutes or other documents • keep influential people informed of progress.

Effective meetings are not just about task and process, though. Effective chairmanship is as much about you as a chair. The ability to manage the personalities as well as the business is key to success.

Creating a powerful first impression, starting meetings on time, encouraging a wide variety of opinions and views as well as the use of effective body language, listening and questioning skills and handling conflict positively will all enable you to enhance your skills as a chair.

As part of the LGA’s Highlighting Political Leadership resources there is a workbook specially designed for councillors to enable you to enhance and develop your chairing skills.

See www.local.gov.uk/councillor-workbooks

December 2015

Cllr Graham Brown (Ind) is Deputy Leader of Powys County Council

The ‘problem people’

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here should be nothing easier than chairing a meeting – you just sit there, follow the agenda, get decisions and every one goes away happy. Job done.

Unless, of course, the meeting starts to unravel before you – some become persistent in their attempts to make a point, some might challenge on a point of order or the process permitted under the constitution. If it’s a public meeting on a contentious issue things start to get heated and tempers fray.

It is times like this that show the difference between an effective or ineffective chair. It is important to know the agenda – it may sound very simple, but how many times have you been in a meeting where the chair has totally lost their place and missed an item?

Know your council’s rules on how meetings are to be run – or at least make sure the clerk or officer who knows the rules is sat next to you. With regards to controlling the ‘problem people’– the chatterer (usually holding a separate meeting with someone else), the one who has to make a speech rather than ask a question, the aggressor, the one who just won’t get engaged – it is important to always remember the chair is in control and has (and is expected to use) the power to make the meeting a success.

Our bid to have paperless meetings poses a new challenge – the chair is now faced with people sat behind their laptops and ipads, some typing away vigorously.

Are these people reading the reports being discussed? Or are they catching up on their emails?

Cllr Brown will be speaking on being an effective ward councillor at the Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands 5th annual conference on 11 December – see www. westmidlandsiep.gov.uk/events

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parliament Childcare funding concerns The Childcare Bill seeks to extend free childcare for three and four-year-olds from 15 to 30 hours a week, thereby delivering a key commitment to working parents in the Conservative Party’s General Election manifesto.

But with childcare providers warning the current system is underfunded, the LGA has argued that extending the scheme could have a significant impact on local authorities because of the additional costs involved.

The Government has said it will increase the average rate that providers receive for each child, and has confirmed that this funding will be delivered to councils via the Dedicated Schools Grant. Decisions about the size of the rate uplift and the consequent additional funding were announced in the Spending Review.

The LGA supports the principle of extending free childcare. However, it is vital that the Government ensures that the funding rate covers the cost of delivering 30 hours of free childcare to a standard likely to improve children’s outcomes and deliver broader policy objectives on employment, progression and social mobility.

In the House of Lords, we supported a cross-party amendment to the Bill that requires an independent review of the funding to be

carried out and a plan for sustainable funding to be put in place before the Bill can fully come into force. This amendment was voted on and agreed by Peers, and we will now be encouraging MPs to support this change to the legislation as it is set to be debated in the Commons this winter.

Under the legislation, the Secretary of State for Education will also be able to regulate the type of childcare and the time at which this care should be available, and the LGA is concerned this will create further cost pressures on councils.

It is vital that local authorities have the funding and powers to shape provision in their local area, particularly where there are gaps in that provision.

This may entail: • g reater freedom to expand maintained provision • f urther capital investment across sectors to secure additional capacity in the most cost-effective way • g reater scope for councils to incentivise providers to shape provision to meet local needs.

That is why, further to calling for central government to provide councils with additional funding in order to create the capacity to provide 30 hours of free childcare in the most cost-effective way, we are also recommending local government be given greater power and scope to incentivise childcare providers.

The Childcare Bill has been through the Lords and will be debated by MPs in the Commons before it is passed into law. The LGA’s briefings on the Bill are available at www.local.gov.uk/briefings-and-responses

For more on the LGA’s parliamentary work please visit www.local.gov.uk/parliament

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Parliamentary update

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he LGA recently hosted its annual parliamentary reception in the House of Commons. It was well attended with more than 150 council leaders, MPs and peers joining us to hear about our devolution and Spending Review work.

Guests heard from former LGA President Lord Best, LGA Labour Group Leader Cllr Jim McMahon OBE, and Communities Secretary Greg Clark MP As part of our DevoNext campaign we have published an open letter (see www.local.gov.uk/devolution) calling for more devolution to local government. As this is such an important issue for councils, we are looking for lots of councillors, local business owners and leading personalities to sign it – please share with anyone you think might be interested.

The much-anticipated Housing and Planning Bill is now working its way through Parliament, covering starter homes, extension of Right to Buy, vacant high-value council homes and mandatory rent for high income tenants. Cllr Martin Tett, Vice-Chairman of the LGA’s Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board, gave evidence to the Bill Committee.

The Education and Adoption Bill continues through Parliament, and the LGA is supporting an amendment to require the Secretary of State to consider allowing maintained schools and local authorities to take on failing schools, including academies. The Enterprise Bill is in the Lords, where peers have discussed apprenticeship targets, business rates and public sector exit payments. Cllr David Simmonds CBE, Chairman of the LGA’s Asylum, Migration and Refugee Taskforce, has given evidence on the Immigration Bill.

www.local.gov.uk

local by-elections Barrow In Furness, Risedale LAB HELD 29.1% over UKIP Turnout 18.2%

elections Voters give support to local candidates A quarter of recent byelection results saw seats change hands.

With attention focusing on voters’ reaction to Labour’s change of leader, the party failed to retain two seats but did gain another. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continue their struggle with each gaining a seat from the other.

Meanwhile, voters continue to show support for candidates with a strong local presence.

Labour’s defeat to the Conservatives in Bury’s Tottington ward puts into sharp focus its generally poor electoral performance in the years prior to the 2015 General Election.

It only really troubled the Conservatives at its peak in 2012, when it captured this normally safe Conservative seat by just 120 votes.

Subsequently, the ward swung back towards the Conservatives.

A second defeat for Labour, this time to the Greens in Dorset’s Rodwell division, brought the added indignity of losing to one of its own former councillors. Clare Sutton represented Rodwell for four years after being elected in 2005. In 2013 she reappeared for the Greens, securing third place with 565 votes. The by-election saw her build still further, securing this victory with 663 votes.

Labour could only finish third.

Better news for Labour arrives from Bridgend where Dhanisha Patel captured a seat vacated by an Independent. It appears that she is well known in the area, the only one of the five candidates resident in the ward.

In south east England, it is the battle between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats that continues – but these by-election results suggest honours are even.

In Wealden, the Conservative Paul Soane resigned the Hellingly seat he won only last May, causing the by-election where he would December 2015

Professors Colin Rallings (right) and Michael Thrasher are Directors of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre

stand as an Independent. One of those he defeated was David White, a long-serving Liberal Democrat councillor until swept away as voters across the country deserted his party.

Voters, it seems, do not take kindly either to parties that squabble or having to vote in unnecessary by-elections but they do welcome back defeated councillors on occasion.

Roles are reversed in Brentwood’s Shenfield ward, however, as the electoral tide there continues to run in the Conservatives’ favour. Brentwood’s Conservative-led administration faced controversy in 2012 and as a consequence lost this normally safe ward in the May election and again the following December with a by-election defeat. The Liberal Democrats kept their momentum in 2014 but last May normal service resumed as local Conservative strength re-asserted itself.

In a set of results that serve to highlight the value some voters place in candidates and not just parties, Adrian Sanders’ resounding win in Torbay’s Clifton-WithMaidenway ward is worthy of note. He had been the local MP until his defeat last May. The former councillor Ruth Pentney, whose untimely death led to the by-election, had served as Sander’s election agent. His presence on the ballot paper contributed towards a large swing of 40 percentage points to the Liberal Democrats.

See www.local.gov.uk/first for more by-elections data

Brentwood, Shenfield CON GAIN FROM LIB DEM 24.8 over Lib Dem Turnout 34.7% Bridgend, Ogmore Vale LAB GAIN FROM IND Turnout 31.5% 21.7% over Ind Bury, Tottington CON GAIN FROM LAB 21.3% over Lab

Turnout 25.9%

Cambridgeshire, Chatteris UKIP HELD Turnout 23.5% 0.7% over Con Cheshire East, Congleton East CON HELD 8.2% over Lib Dem Turnout 18.1% Chorley, Euxton North LAB HELD 20.9% over Con Turnout 34.6% Colchester, Dedham & Langham CON HELD 69.3% over UKIP Turnout 29.1% Conwy, Eglwysbach PLAID CYMRU HELD 73.6% over Con

Turnout 34.3%

Cumbria, Howgate LAB HELD 14.3% over Con

Turnout 20.3%

Dorset, Rodwell GREEN GAIN FROM LAB 5.4% over Con Turnout 27.8% Hampshire, Chandlers Ford CON HELD 13.8% over Lib Dem Turnout 35.5% Oxford, Northfield Brook LAB HELD Turnout 15% 68.8% over UKIP Shropshire, Belle Vue LAB HELD 23.1% over Con Turnout 33.4% Torbay, Clifton-With-Maidenway LIB DEM HELD Turnout 27.6% 54.4% over Con Wealden, Hellingly LIB DEM GAIN FROM CON 52.2% over Con Turnout 22.2% Westminster, Bryanston & Dorset Square CON HELD Turnout 16.8% 31.1% over Other

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LGA/ADPH Annual Public Health Conference and Exhibition 3 February 2016 | London This annual flagship conference offers a valuable opportunity to analyse the implications of the public health transition into local government for councils, their partners and communities.

With the NHS 5 Year Forward View calling for a ‘radical upgrade’ in public health, the renewed focus on prevention and reducing health inequalities represents a unique opportunity to change the national mindset from treating sickness to actively promoting health and wellbeing. The conference will highlight the innovative work already being undertaken and look at how to build on existing best practice.

Speakers include: Jane Ellison MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health Robin Ireland Director of Food Active Alison Cox Director of Cancer Prevention, Cancer Research UK Helen Pineo Associate Director, Building Research Establishment Professor Simon Capewell Professor of Epidemiology, University of Liverpool Abdul Razzaq Director of Public Health, Trafford Council

For more information and to book your place, visit: www.local.gov.uk/events