Transcript Slide 1

WELCOME
Town & Parish Forum
27 March 2014
AGENDA
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Financial Overview
Communities
Breckland Training Services
Norfolk Association of Local Councils
Town Council Liaison Arrangements
Questions & Answers
2014-15 Financial
Overview
Town & Parish Forum
March 2014
Introduction
 Medium Term revenue budget position
 2014-15 costs breakdown
 Council tax level
 Business Rates pool
Medium Term Budget (as at 12-13)
Net Cost of Services V Total Income
15,000
14,500
14,000
Net Cost of Services
£'000
13,500
13,000
12,500
12,000
Total Income
11,500
11,000
10,500
12-13
13-14
14-15
15-16
16-17
Medium Term Budget (as at 14-15)
Net Cost of Services V Total Income
15,000
14,500
14,000
Net Cost of Services
£'000
13,500
13,000
12,500
12,000
Total Income
11,500
11,000
10,500
14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
18-19
Medium Term Budget (as at 14-15)
Outcomes:
 2 years balanced budget
 2 years freeze on Council Tax levels
 Efficiency requirement in 2016-17 reduced to
£1.35m compared to £3.33m
Medium Term Budget (as at 14-15)
Sensitivities:
 NNDR levels
 Central Government funding
 Economic growth
 Contract inflation
 Interest rates
 Localised Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme
 Council Tax
2014-15 Cost Breakdown
3%
5%
13%
4%
0%
Employee Related Expenses
Premises Related Expenses
Transport Related Expenses
Supplies & Services
Transfer Payments
Support Services
Capital Financing Costs
54%
21%
2014-15 Cost Breakdown
7%
12%
27%
Employee Related Expenses
Premises Related Expenses
Transport Related Expenses
Supplies & Services
Support Services
Capital Financing Costs
7%
1%
46%
2014-15 Income Breakdown
10%
9%
Rental income
6%
11%
Fees & charges
Grants
Other service income
15%
13%
Retained NNDR
RSG & CT Freeze grant
NHB
Council Tax
16%
20%
2014-15 Council Tax
5%
5%
£
14%
Norfolk CC
1,145.07
Norfolk CC
Norfolk PCC
204.75
Breckland DC
69.03
Average Parish/Town Cncls
76.32
Total
Norfolk PCC
Breckland DC
Average Parish/Town Cncls
1,495.17
76%
2014-15 Council Tax
250
200
150
100
50
0
Breckland
Broadland
King’s Lynn
S. Norfolk
N. Norfolk
G. Yarmouth
Norwich
Business Rates Pool
 2014-15 Breckland Joined Norfolk Pool
 Tariff paid into Pool rather than to Central Government
 This results in saving in tariff to Norfolk overall
 Keeps funding within Norfolk rather than centralised
 Funding to be used to promote economic development
within Norfolk
Communities
Steve James
Community Development
2013/14 Review…..
FOTF 2013
Dereham 5k
Cycle Breckland
Community Grants
Community Development
Village Games
Book Festival
Holiday Activities
Thetford Parkrun
The year ahead….
26th July 2014 – Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
festivalonthefarm.com
The year ahead….
Grants up to £500 for community projects which explore, share and
conserve the heritage of the First World War in Breckland.
The deadline for grant applications is Friday 9 May 2014
The year ahead….
22nd June at Northgate High School
The year ahead….
Volunteers recruited for 2014
Training weekend 29th & 30th March
The year ahead….
Fitness in Later Life launching April 2014
The year ahead….
2 x 10 week blocks of 12 courses
Such as Yoga, Golf, Indoor Bowls,
Badminton targeted at inactive people
The year ahead….
Spring 2015
Author visits & workshops across the District
Member
Development
Our
Expertise
&
Knowledge
Breckland
Training
Services
Development
Courses
Team
Building
&
Away
Days
Breckland’s Member Development Journey
So how good is this status?
336 Local Authorities
235 signed up to achieve the Charter
136 achieved the Charter
13 achieved Charter Plus
22 signed up to achieve the Charter
17achieved the Charter
3 achieved Charter Plus
What does this mean for Councillors?
Dedicated Panel
Annual Self Assessment Questionnaires
Annual Personal Development interviews
6 month review
Tailor made Training programme
Town and Parish Councillors
5 Town Councils
92 Parish Councils
??? Councillors
Training Programme 2014-2015
Chairing Meeting Skills
Software training
Media Training
Community Champions
Managing your time
To book……
Through your Town/Parish Clerk
Directly to the Breckland Training Team
Leanne Neave – 01362 656225
[email protected]
Thank you
Breckland
Town & Parish Forum
27.03.14
Jane Scarrott –
Norfolk ALC
NorfolkALC
Membership Association serving the
needs of Parishes throughout Norfolk
We have two main streams of funding
 Membership Subscriptions
 Norfolk County Council Grant
Parishes In Norfolk
Norfolk
members
Parish
Councils
Town Councils
Parish
Meetings
Total
Non-members
448
49
22
All in
membership
4 in
membership
59
529
Non-Members in Breckland
Bradenham
Cockley Cley
Garboldisham
Gt. Cressingham
Kenninghall
Oxborough
Rougham
Shropham
Sparham
Snetterton
South Pickenham
Wellingham
Lt. Cressingham
What services do we offer ? 1
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HR Advice
Employment Service/Recruitment (chargeable)
Meeting Procedure Advice
Desk Top Legal Service
Weekly e-mail
Newsletter
Website
Lobbying via the National Association
What services do we offer ? 2
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Quality Council Mentoring
Seminars – either topic specific or general
Training
Meeting Attendance
Locum Clerk service
Cafe Clusters
1-1 Meetings
LET US KNOW!
Current Problems for
Parish Councils
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Precept – concern regarding localisation of
Council Tax Support Scheme grant and
possible future capping
‘Informed’ Public!
Freedom of Information – social media
Audit (proposed transparency code)
Consultation overload – recent Local Audit
and Accountability Act
Norfolk ALC
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Norfolk has a great number of Parishes
but they are classed in National Terms as
small-medium
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But smaller councils tend to have bigger
problems!
What are their problems?
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Apathy
Too much Interest
Inter weaving with other village organisations
Family Ties
Clerks salary as a proportion of the precept
Too much to do!
What are their problems
Small Councils have big problems
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Wind Farms
Solar Farms
Extraction Sites
Second Homes
Affordable Housing
Growth of the Multi-clerk
Many clerks now cover more than one
Parish
Benefits:
•Training Costs Shared
•Good Practice Extended
•Easy to cluster and consult
Growth of the Multi-clerk
Many clerks now cover more than one
Parish
Pitfalls:
•Can be anti-training
•Can ‘lead’ the council
•Can run out of time!
•Loss of clerk leaves no cover locally
Localism
“My job as Secretary of State is not to sit in my
office, making all the decisions, pulling all the
strings, coming up with more and more ways to
annoy you. It’s to get out of your way: and to
get everything else out of your way too. That’s
what localism means. Pushing power out to
local government, and beyond into
neighbourhoods and communities.”
Eric Pickles
July 2010
Localism Act 2011
Aim to assist councils and communities to
make a difference locally through
introduction of:
•General Power of Competence
•Community Right to Challenge
•Neighbourhood Planning
•Community Right to Bid
Localism Update
Where are we?
According to DCLG localism means
“doing more for less”
Eric Pickles has also said local councils are
“localism’s magic wand”
Does this mean the Government want parishes
to deliver more for even less?
Conclusion
There are councils with problems and
these are the ones we are aware of.
However, the vast majority of Town and
Parish Councils are undertaking services
that meet the needs of their community
in a professional and timely manner.
Hopefully, they are all embracing
Localism too!
Town Council Liaison
Arrangements
Michael Wassell
Leader of the Council
Question & Answers
Thank you
Have a safe journey