Lyn Cadwallader Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr Implementation and interpretation of the Local Government Wales Measure 2011 One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Lyn CadwalladerChief ExecutivePrif Weithredwr

Implementation and interpretation of the Local Government Wales Measure 2011

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

The Voice of Community and Town Councils

Llais Cynghorau Chymuned a Thref

www.onevoicewales.org.uk


Community and Town Councils - some key facts:

• 1st tier of government in Wales• 735 community and town councils across Wales• 8,000 Community Councillors – provide their time

unpaid (IRP report pending)• Funded by local precept added to council tax• Combined annual expenditure excess of £45 million• From very small rural communities to large towns

spending in excess of £750,000• Cover 94% of land mass and 70% of the population


Community and Town Councils - some key facts:

Support to local voluntary groups and associations Wide range of powers and some duties (e.g. allotments,

cemeteries, bus shelters, Christmas lights, community centres, crime prevention, highways, open spaces, play areas, toilets, and community transport)

Key role in consultations, local planning applications and community safety initiatives

One employee, the clerk, typically administers the affairs of community councils – often part-time

Average number of seats in Welsh councils is 11


Changing times...legislative and policy context Aberystwyth Report 2003 Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 – Power of Wellbeing Simpson Review – 21 recommendations for how local government

should be delivered in future One Wales: One Planet - Welsh Government central organizing

principle Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 Sustainable Development Bill Local Democracy Consultation Current financial climate – pressure for new models of working at

the local level Currently awaiting statutory guidance on the Local Government

(Wales) Measure 2011


How the Welsh approach has differed Since devolution, there have been stark contrasts in the ways in which the

UK and Welsh Governments have approached public service reform In England: - centred on the importance of offering choice to users as to what services they

receive.- that by allowing public services to compete with each other for users, it will force the

poorest performers to improve.- Free’s services from central control but requires performance monitoring and league

tables to drive forward improvement. In Wales: reform has focused on encouraging collaboration, rather than

competition, between service providers.- based on the presumption that Welsh population densities are too low to support

multiple providers- emphasis on sharing expertise and resources to maximize efficiency gains


A new role for Community and Town Councils...

Under the Local Government Wales Measure 2011, Community and Town Councils have the power to promote wellbeing.

“In Wales, sustainable development is defined in terms of the enhancement of the well-being of people and communities, and quality of life. There is broad stated public support for this approach: a 2005 poll, 89% of those surveyed in Wales agreed with the statement: A government’s prime objective should be achieving the greatest happiness of the people, not the greatest wealth. The other important feature of this definition is long-termism – reflecting the pursuit of wellbeing for future generations, locking in a commitment to maintain ‘endowments’ or natural, social, human and economic capital that will affect wellbeing in the future. It is important to recognise that sustainable development is not only or primarily an environmental concept – it is not ‘greening up’ of government activity, but a broader and deeper concept.”

Clive Bates, Director General Sustainable Futures, Welsh Government, July 2011


Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 – key changes (1)

Community meetings Community polls Merging or Grouping of Community Councils Member Co-options Community Youth Representative Members Council Areas and Electoral Arrangements


Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 – key changes (2)

The Power of Wellbeing in Wales Grants Charter Agreements An Accreditation Scheme Payments and Pensions for Members


Local government functions in Wales – a comparison

Unitary Authorities in Wales-£4 billion via Welsh Government revenue grants-150,000 staff-1,257 councillors-0ver 400 statutory services

Community and Town Councils-56% of clerks work less than 10 hours per week-Average (median) precept for a community council in 2010-11 was £13,000…£45 million precept across Wales annually-8,000 councillors-40 statutory powers


Implementing the Local Government Measure – key facts

Skills and training- 1 in 3 councils support notion of accreditation scheme in Wales- One third of councils send councillors on training courses (although

only last year we trained 1,000th councillor)- Three quarters of councils will ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ use the

Power of Well-being

ICT- 47% of Councils in Wales have a website- 7 in 10 have access to the internet- 1 in 20 have no computer, email, internet


Implementing the Local Government Measure – key facts

Interacting with Communities- Reporting local problems/planning issues- 6% of councils have youth representatives- Most common method of communication is telephone- Members of community often did not know what the responsibilities

of the community and town councils were

Interacting with Unitary Authorities (UA’s)- Three quarters have a good relationship with UA’s- 9 Charters at present- Problem with UA’s and slow response times- Quarter of C&TC’s sit on UA’s committees


A model for the community council of the future (1)…

Future roles for community councils...

Identifying, utilising and optimising assets Achieving fairness for everyone Empowering local governance Increasing resources for community benefit Enjoying locally relevant services


A model for the community council of the future (2)…

Enriching social capital and well-being Valuing local distinctiveness Developing reliable infrastructure Enhancing environmental capacity Supporting a dynamic local economy


Community and Town Council Sustainability Action Plans

The main elements of sustainable development that are relevant at the community level can be summarised as follows:

1. Energy efficiency

2. Community owned renewable energy generation

3. Food and allotments

4. Management of green space and parks

5. Management of local natural resources and ecosystem services

6. Reuse, recycling and waste management

7. Sustainable travel planning

8. Measures to promote well being

9. Stimulating local sustainable trade


Strong Roots

Partnership by Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales, One Voice Wales and The Climate Change Consortium Wales.

A project to increase the capacity of community and town councils to both lead and support sustainable development

Enable the development of sustainable, resilient, low-carbon communities.

A bilingual training programme now being delivered by Cynnal Cymru to the Community and Town Council sector


Strong Roots

Councillors will build their capacity to: Take action on sustainable development and

climate change; Support voluntary and residents groups to

develop their own initiatives; Provide leadership on sustainable development

in their communities and facilitate effective links between citizens and other tiers of government and public administration.


Penllyn Partnership Partnership between five town and community councils in the Bala

area Set up originally to improve the relationship with Gwynedd council In 2008/9 Gwynedd Council entered into a formal agreement with

these authorities whereby the authorities manage the following services – Grass cutting Management of local toilets Management of street furniture, benches etc Management of recreation areas and children’s play areas Some road works


Penllyn Partnership

Services provided have developed incrementally over the past 3 years

The partnership ha s now secured a grant of £100,00 - pressure to set up a separate body

Issues: What kind of body to set up? The creation of local Forums by Gwynedd roles and responsibilities need to employ staff with appropriate skills Issues about representation


Monmouthshire RDP Community Led Planning Pilots

Realising rural potential initiative Axis 3 funding ‘Connecting Monmouthshire’ pilots

Community led planning 2 day over weekend consultation Identification of local service issues Defining potential future roles for community councils


Case Studies

Mold Town Council – Cittaslow

Gelligaer Community Council – Environmental initiatives

Penllyn Community Council – community growing

Presteign Town Council – re-cycling

Blaenau Ffestiniog – The Green Town initiative

Nantglyn Community Council – energy efficiency

Llandough Community Council – Biodiversity Scheme

Talgarth – sustainable regeneration

Mumbles Community Council – community planning


There are challenges though... Funding the transitional growth of local councils Need for bottom up as well as top down community planning

processes Some kind of bridging will need to take place between the local

community and the authorities to create the right decision making spaces to enable communities to engage eg participatory budgeting

Move to vertical integration of community planning (multi-level governance)rather than horizontal co-ordination across agencies

Firm agreements on procedures or protocols for communicating between local communities and key stakeholder organisations eg social enterprises

Recognising time will be needed to embed above including training provision


And finally a message to community and town councils post 2012 elections...

“Review what you are doing for your communities against your statutory powers including the Power of Wellbeing and be ambitious for your communities in future...challenge yourselves to improve...learn from your innovative peers actions and work with local agencies to deliver better environments for your residents”

Lyn CadwalladerChief Executive

Prif Weithredwr


Thank You

Diolch yn Fawrwww.onevoicewales.org.uk


Our workshop tasks today (in 20 minutes...)

The future role of Community (Parish) Councils in the provision of services to local communities:

3 Ideas for action that can be developed/delivered in Wales / England

3 Issues that others in the conference may be interested in knowing about or any questions or challenges that the workshop identified.

Documents

Lyn Cadwallader Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr Implementation and interpretation of the Local Government Wales Measure 2011 One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru