Following the success of our 2025 conference, attended by over 300 people, we will be returning to the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor.

If you’re a councillor or an officer at a DCN member council, you can book your place by following this link. Please share this invitation widely with your colleagues.

Our 2026 conference will focus on the opportunities and challenges of local government reorganisation, reforming the local public sector, leading people through change and empowering communities.

Delegates will have the chance to engage with high-profile speakers, including Government ministers, parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, local government partners and leaders from the private sector and other walks of life.

The conference offers a golden opportunity to meet others in our network and find out how other elected members and officers are grappling with the same issues you face on your council.

Useful information:

• Conference registration opens around 10am on Thursday 19 March with lunch served from around 11.45am.
• Conference programme begins around 12:30pm.
• Drinks reception and gala dinner take place on the evening of 19 March.
• Conference finishes around 2pm on Friday 20 March.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available on our booking site:

• Full conference ticket including gala dinner and overnight accommodation at the conference hotel on Thursday night: £549 + VAT.

Other options are available by emailing dcn@local.gov.uk. They are:

• Full conference with gala dinner but no overnight accommodation £435 + VAT
• Full conference without gala dinner or overnight accommodation £400 + VAT
• Thursday only with gala dinner but no overnight accommodation £250 + VAT
• Thursday only without gala dinner or overnight accommodation £198 + VAT
• Friday only £198 + VAT.

All options include lunch and other refreshments.

Please book now to secure your place at what is sure to be a popular event.

Prospective corporate attendees should contact DCN@local.gov.uk for more information on how to book as a sponsor or exhibitor. This booking site is for member councils only.

CLLR SAM CHAPMAN-ALLEN: Let’s make a final push for action in the Budget

MUST-READS: Our round-up of policy and media highlights

NOTICEBOARD: DCN’s LGA Conference events – and other diary dates

Let’s make a final push for action in the Budget

 Districts are stronger when they work together for fair funding

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, DCN Chair; Leader, Breckland Council

There is an opportunity for the new Government to make its mark in the forthcoming Budget by taking action on longstanding problems.

We’re grateful for the input we’ve had from you, our member councils, about your financial pressures. These have been reflected in DCN’s submission to the Treasury on your behalf.

Temporary accommodation (TA) is one area in which we’re all seeking action. Not only does it often lead to poor living conditions and personal instability but, as you’re aware, it’s consuming an ever-greater proportion of councils’ budgets, leaving us with fewer resources to provide the services our council tax payers demand.

I know you want to bring about permanent housing for everyone in your community and this must be our long-term goal. However, we’ve asked the Treasury to recognise the very real costs that councils face right now. It cannot be right that the housing benefit subsidy we receive for TA costs is still tied to Local Housing Allowance rates from way back in 2011. This is an area in which the Treasury can act now to prevent the need for greater expenditure in future.

There are also costs associated with waste reform – many of you are reeling at the cost of impending expenditure on the new vehicles and other infrastructure necessitated by the plans. While we’re all striving to further improve our waste services and boost recycling rates, the straitjacket imposed by Defra isn’t conducive to councils taking the local decisions that will result in greener or more efficient services. Again, there is an opportunity here for the Government to signal a bottom-up approach that won’t result in the need for massive local expenditure playing havoc with council budgets.

We all appreciate that public expenditure is tight. However, the case we’ve made is that spending now is likely to ward off greater expenditure in future – problems will intensify without action now.

But there is much that the Government can do that will cost it nothing: the ability to ensure planning and licensing fees reflect the costs of providing the services is one such example.

I urge you all to make a final case to your local MP for fair funding for districts this side of the 30 October Budget. Your support is absolutely crucial in bringing about the changes we want to see, which will benefit all of our communities and the nation more broadly.

I am hugely looking forward to seeing most of you in Harrogate for the LGA Conference later this month, in particular at DCN’s drinks reception on the Tuesday evening and our fringe event on affordable housing the following day (full details below).

Amid the turbulent politics of recent years there has been quite a turnover of leaders of DCN councils, and for some of you this will be your first LGA Conference in your role. Please engage with me as DCN Chair as well as my vice-chairs representing the other parties and Independents. While of course there are divisions politicly, we’re intrinsically bound together in support of local government and our places. On the Budget and so much else besides we’re stronger together.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

The Independent: Record number of homeless families living in hotels and B&Bs as cost to councils set to soar

The Guardian: Rising cost of social services in England putting arts and youth services at risk, say councils

LGC (£): Temporary accommodation spend ‘threatening the future of districts’

LGC (£) Devolution Map: Revolution gives way to evolution

Prof Colin Copus and Prof Steve Leach in The MJ (£) Is reorganisation inevitable or just ingrained

Kathy O’Leary, Chief Executive, Stroud DC, in The MJ (£): Keeping local government relevant and meaningful

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chair, DCN, in The MJ (£): It’s essential the Government listens to planning authorities

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation, in The MJ (£): Looking for big results

NHS Confederation Report: Paving a new pathway to prevention

Joe Fyans, Head of Research, Localis, in The MJ (£): Why pubs are community hubs

Institute for Fiscal Studies: Green Budget 2024

NOTICEBOARD: Dates and opportunities for your council

LGA Conference: DCN is hosting two main events at the LGA Conference in Harrogate on 22-24 October.

• DCN Drinks Reception, 6.30pm on Tuesday 22 October in Hall D at Harrogate Convention Centre. You can sign up here.
• Tackling the affordable housing crisis – a blueprint for change. This fringe session takes place at the Crown Hotel, close to the Convention Centre at 5.15-6.16pm on Wednesday, 23 October. It features Cllr Hannah Dalton, DCN Housing Spokesperson; Professor Janice Morphet from the UCL Bartlett School of Planning; Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing at the Association of Retained Council Housing and Mari Roberts-Wood, Chief Executive of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. To sign up, please follow this link.

DCN Planning Webinars: We are continuing our series of webinars on the future of planning:

• New towns and garden cities: lessons from districts – 7^th November, 12.30pm – 2pm. To register please follow this link.
• Increasing land value capture for the benefit of our communities – 14^th November, 12.30pm – 2pm. To register please follow this link.
• Strategic planning: the case for its return – 21^st November, 12.30pm – 2pm. To register please follow this link.

Waste case studies: The LGA has published guide to councils operating services on a commercial basis. “Let’s do business waste – a policy and practice report” can be read here. It features examples from Bromsgrove, Chichester and West Suffolk councils among others.

Rural homelessness: The Rural Homelessness Counts Coalition and the Centre for Homelessness Impact have launched a rural photography collection capturing “a set of non-stigmatising images which capture the reality of homelessness”. They are intended for use in everything from media coverage to sector reports and publications. The collection is now live and can be seen here. The coalition’s next community of practice event, exploring work to prevent homelessness in North Yorkshire takes place on Friday, 1 November from 11am- 12.30pm. You can sign up here.

CLLR HANNAH DALTON: It’s time to prioritise affordable housing

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

SIXTY SECONDS WITH… Kath Marriott, Chief Executive, Rushcliffe Borough Council

NOTICEBOARD: Dates and opportunities for your council

EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE What DCN’s Executive discussed on 21 August

It’s time to prioritise affordable housing

Councils want to prevent homelessness, not deal with its consequences

Cllr Hannah Dalton, Vice-Chair, DCN; Leader, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

I’m honoured to take over as DCN’s Independent group leader and look forward to working alongside colleagues at all member councils and of all political groupings.

As ever, there is much we’ll be doing collectively through DCN as we seek to bring about the changes we need to help us support our communities locally. This is particularly true in the areas of health, housing and homelessness, for which I am DCN’s spokesperson.

The housing crisis and its impact on our citizens looms large in most councillors’ postbags. My council, Epsom & Ewell in Surrey, covers a relatively small geographical area. The lack of suitable land available to build upon coupled with a short supply of accommodation means that what is available is expensive. Many people struggle to find or retain a home in which they can afford to live.

I recall one case in the run-up to last Christmas when a mother and her child came to us facing homelessness. Few options were available that would have ensured the child didn’t face the disruption of changing schools. My dedicated officers worked wonders and located a two-bedroom private rental property within the borough. It was affordable for the council and spared the mother and child unnecessary upheaval – they had their new home in time for Christmas.

Sadly not all stories have such a happy ending. Across the country too many people face crisis as a result of homelessness. Poor housing leads to ill-health – both physical and mental – and the lack of a permanent home prevents people from putting down roots in their community. Employment and education are disrupted by constant moves. Barriers prevent councils from building and retaining the social housing which could ease the problem and we have little option but to use temporary accommodation, which can be exorbitant and low quality.

Things must change. We need far more affordable housing. That’s why DCN has brought together expertise from within our membership and the many partner organisations with whom we work to discuss a new way forward. Our aim is to devise a bold new blueprint before the end of the year setting out how we as district councils can work to ease the temporary accommodation crisis.

The Government’s prioritisation of housing and planning gives us an opportunity to make our case strongly. I have already written to Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, calling for urgent action to end the temporary accommodation crisis, including the raising of Local Housing Allowance rates and the removal of the Housing Benefit Subsidy cap, but we need more dramatic changes to ensure everyone has an affordable and safe home.

We don’t want to be using temporary accommodation following homelessness – we want to prevent it in the first place. Together we can make this a reality.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

Cllr Susan Brown discusses a stronger role for districts in devolved arrangements in the MJ (£): A seat at the table

DCN: Our response to the King’s Speech

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen in the MJ (£): Reasons for cheer on Government’s housebuilding ambitions

Matt Prosser, Chief Executive, Dorset Council, in LGC (£): The Government needs stable councils to achieve its missions

Sky News: High-risk flood areas face cuts to key council services as flood defence costs spike

The Guardian: Cost of flighting flooding is soaking up English councils cash, ministers warned

The Telegraph (£): Council tax could rise in high risk flood areas

The Independent (£): ‘Time for half-measures has passed’ say housing leaders amid record homelessness

BBC Radio 4 News: Coverage of DCN’s temporary accommodation letter

The Financial Times (£): UK councils demand extra cash and end of Right to Buy to boost social housing

George Eaton, Senior Editor (Politics), The New Statesman: Keir Starmer’s big idea: the preventative state

David Phillips, Associate Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies: Devolution may be sexier but updating the local government finance system is vital

Gill Kneller, Chief Executive, East Hampshire District Council, in the MJ (£): We aim to create empowered, resilient and self-sufficient communities

Sixty Seconds With…

Kath Marriott, Chief Executive, Rushcliffe Borough Council

What was your first job as an adult?

Whilst at University in Reading I worked at County Delicacies, a deli that catered for many international cuisines. I gained an extensive knowledge of cheese and the ability to slice wafer thin ham off the bone. After uni, and thinking that I should gain some office experience, I worked for the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, a civil service agency that implemented the Common Agricultural Policy. I had to reconcile the paper slaughter sheets for cows destroyed as part of the BSE crisis. Then I achieved my dream of moving to London and working in publishing.

What’s given you the most satisfaction in your career?

Apart from becoming Chief Exec of Rushcliffe Borough Council in 2019, it has to be the regeneration of Cotgrave Town Centre in Rushcliffe. This was a 10-year project that included transforming a grotty town centre precinct into a welcoming shopping area with a multiservice centre and business units, delivering employment units, and the building of 450 new homes on the former colliery site. I started working on this when I joined Rushcliffe with no prior experience in such things, no budget and many land and community challenges to deal with. Now the town is flourishing and I feel a very strong emotional attachment to the project and the improvements we delivered.

What’s the most exciting thing your organisation is doing?

We are the home of the last coal-fired power station in the UK at Ratcliffe on Soar which will be decommissioned from October onwards.  We have worked with Uniper on the vision for the site for the future which we hope to be a new home of clean energy for the East Midlands.

Which single thing – not money or devolution – could most improve local government?

Attracting people to the sector who have not grown up with it brings fresh ideas. Being able to promote the career opportunities there are and encouraging people that there are so many options would be good.

What is your biggest local government annoyance?

In some organisations it’s the pace of decision making.

What keeps you up at night?

My husband’s insomnia or a late-night cheese board. I am fortunate that I like my sleep and generally get eight hours in.

Tell us something surprising about yourself

I love musicals, the Lake District and my Romany dog Monty, who is a springer cross.

NOTICEBOARD: Dates and opportunities for your council

Household Support Fund The support to help people through the cost of living crisis, has been extended by six months. You can see more details here.

Social housing The Government has decided against implementing changes to social housing allocations, which had been the subject of a consultation undertaken by the previous administration. The Government announcement is here.

Comms webinar DCN is holding a one-hour webinar on communicating contentious housing and planning decisions, which is intended for communications officers at member councils. The speakers are Donna Nolan, Chief Executive, Watford Borough Council; Cllr Paul Harvey, Leader, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council; Oliver Deed, Managing Director, Engage, Communicate, Facilitate; and Natasha Lee, Regeneration Communications and Marketing Manager, Stevenage Borough Council. It takes place on Friday, 20 September at 2pm. To attend, please email DCN@local.gov.uk.

LGA Conference DCN will be hosting a drinks reception on Tuesday, 22 October from 18.30 to 20.00. This will take place in Hall D at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Technology The Local Government Association is holding a Technology Innovation Showcase, which aims to connect councils with cutting-edge AI and smart tech solutions to their challenges, on 14 November, both in-person and remotely. Councils can submit specific challenges by 19 September for tech innovators to propose solutions. Further details are available here.

EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE What DCN’s Executive discussed on 21 August

DCN’s political executive discussed:

• Devolution
• Planning reform
• The spending review
• Waste and recycling.

CLLR SAM CHAPMAN-ALLEN: Welcome to our new councillors

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

WALLACE SAMPSON: How to bring about a more diverse and inclusive leadership

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 22 May

Welcome to our new councillors!

By working together, we are stronger

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chairman, DCN: Leader, Breckland Council

Attention has turned to who could win seats at the forthcoming general election, but I want to focus this month on those who entered local government for the first time at the 2 May local polls.

While Westminster may have more grandeur, a common complaint among some of the MPs I meet is their inability to make a difference. This is rarely the case among DCN councillors.

As those of us who have been on a council for some time will know, there are few roles which put you quite so central in your community. People come to us seeking support and guidance. This can range from concern about impending homelessness to information on how to work with the council to bring about jobs and growth. Despite the constraints under which our councils operate, more often than not, we are able to make a difference.

So to those new councillors – of all parties, of all councils – I want to welcome you into the DCN family. Congratulations on winning the trust of your community! You are in a role in which you can become a lynchpin of your place and build a political legacy of enhancing local wellbeing and prosperity.

However, together we can be even stronger and effective. This is why DCN exists.

DCN works to help you overcome your challenges, for instance by sharing information, facilitating collaboration or organising networking at which our shared concerns can be discussed.

We also represent your concerns and serve as your advocates to ministers, civil servants, parliamentarians, partner organisations and the wider world.

And we produce evidence-based research to assist us in some of our most profound challenges.

However, to perform these roles optimally we are reliant on your input.

I encourage you to engage with us on the big issues, attend our events and express your concerns to us.

I was hoping at this point to say how much I’m hoping to see you at our planned sessions at the Local Government Association annual conference and our parliamentary reception commemorating 50 years of district councils. However, unfortunately, the calling of the General Election has led to the postponement of both. Fear not! We will meet soon.

We also hugely appreciate you telling DCN about the issues that you face on your council. This could be to privately share intelligence and solutions. Or it could be in a more public-facing role – could your councils offer case studies which would help us make an impact to parliamentarians or the national media?

Please get in touch with us at dcn@local.gov.uk or through your regional political or officer representatives. You can find out who’s on our DCN Executive Board or Chief Executives Group here. Ultimately, I encourage you to seek election for our executive board if you’re a politician – and I know that Trevor Holden, our chief executive lead, would encourage chiefs to become involved by standing for election to the Chief Executives Group.

I hugely look forward to meeting you, learning more about your councils and getting your full input to DCN. Welcome to the family!

MUST-READS and MUST-WATCHES: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

Bennett Institute for Public Policy: Should local authorities reorganise? A review of the evidence

Localis thinktank research on regeneration: Design for life

Gill Kneller, Chief Executive, East Hampshire District Council, in the MJ (£): Communities are the heroes of the East Hampshire story

Kathy O’Leary, Chief Executive, Stroud District Council, in the MJ (£): Keeping local government relevant and meaningful

Sarah Wilding, climate change manager, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, in LGC (£): Decarbonising buildings to reach net zero

Watford Borough Council short film showing its innovative new skatepark: 50 years of districts: boosting physical activity from childhood to adulthood

Pendle Borough Council short film showcasing its regeneration work: ‘By working together we’re achieving big things’: Pendle’s regeneration showcased

How to bring about a more diverse and inclusive leadership

The challenges of becoming a chief executive from a BAME background

Wallace Sampson OBE, former Chief Executive, Harrogate Borough Council

This is an edited version of a longer article by Wallace Sampson, which contains insight from Wallace’s own career experiences. You can read the full article here.

I was fortunate throughout my career to work for councils who believed in my ability to deliver, and I can look back on many successes with a strong focus on service improvement, the customer and communities. I was privileged to work with staff, partners and teams that delivered award-winning outcomes and provided legacy benefits.

Much has changed since I entered local government in 1983. But one issue which has changed little over the past 40 years, is how few chief executives, or senior leaders more generally, there are of colour in public service compared to the demographics of our society.  A survey was undertaken in 2018 by Green Park that estimated that there were 16 persons of colour in chief executive roles in local government. Despite some changes in the last five or six years, my guess is that the changes are not seismic.

Perhaps my own experiences can offer some further insight. I was until last year the chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire. I served in that role for almost 15 years and for a lot of that time I was the only local authority chief executive from a BAME background in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber, a region which covers a population of 5 million people.

Notwithstanding my appointment at Harrogate, it was a mixed picture to get to where I ended up. In some respects, being black has shone a spotlight on me, but my perception has been that sometimes I have had to work harder to prove myself because I am black.

For those without the mental toughness and resilience that I possess, the setbacks I experienced would be very difficult to deal with. You consider whether you should challenge and if so, how does it affect your future prospects in an environment where recruitment consultants are very powerful in the search and selection process. Or alternatively you dust yourself down and go again. There is no right and wrong in how you should approach this but situations such as this shouldn’t happen in the first place.

If we are to move towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce where the demographics of our senior leaders reflect society, how can we better support people of colour in their career progression in local government? I would suggest four things from my own personal experience, although the views of others may differ.

Firstly, without a doubt the sector has to showcase successful people of colour as role models more than we currently do. We can go further and establish specific buddying and mentor programmes for aspiring black leaders to be supported by successful leaders from the BAME community. Success breeds success and emerging leaders will gain confidence and learn from being closely associated with people that they can more easily identify with.

Secondly, we need to have a more targeted approach to spotting and nurturing emerging talent from the BAME community at the earliest opportunity. I am aware that Solace is working jointly with the Local Government Association to create a broad programme of activity around leadership and development as part of its sector support offer to local authorities. It will certainly assist the sector as a whole but, Solace’s AMPlify programme aside, very little is specifically targeted at talented rising stars from under-represented groups. Perhaps, for example, there should be targets within the National Graduate Development Programme to ensure that the cohorts from each intake reflect the diversity of our community.

Thirdly, there should be short-term placement opportunities created for aspiring leaders to be placed as heads of services and directors as development opportunities. It will be challenging to establish, but it is possible to do – indeed, the NHS has done this.

And finally, we need to work with the decision makers, particularly councillors, because not enough emphasis is placed on diversity issues in recruitment training for those that are the final decision makers and gatekeepers for the most senior roles in local government.

There are so many amazing people working in local government with great leaders at the helm that I am optimistic about the future. I hope that the sector continues to deliver on its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

• This is essay is part of a collection of articles by former chief executives looking back at their careers published by Solace as part of its 50^th birthday celebrations. You can read the full Rewind: 50 years of local government excellence collection here.

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities

Cancellations DCN regrets that the calling of the General Election means we have had to postpone or cancel a number of upcoming events. These are: our parliamentary reception celebrating 50 years of district councils, previously scheduled for 5 June; our webinar with Housing Minister Lee Rowley, scheduled for 11 June; and our events at the LGA Conference, scheduled for 2-4 July. We will let you know in due course whether any of these events can be rescheduled.

DCN political balance Following the 2 May elections, this is the new political make-up of the DCN Executive Board:

Climate training Climate Emergency UK is running a free online six-week training course for newly-elected and early-career councillors on how their councils can take effective climate action. You can find out more and register here.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 22 May

• DCN’s work programme: our forward plans
• Amendments to DCN’s constitution
• How DCN’s political balance changed after the local elections

CLLR BRIDGET SMITH: Let’s celebrate 130 years of female district councillors

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

MAXINE CARRIGAN: How we… increased benefits take-up

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 10 April

Let’s celebrate 130 years of female district councillors

We need to ask why gender parity eludes councils

Cllr Bridget Smith, Vice-Chair, DCN; Leader, South Cambridgeshire District Council

2024 holds several important anniversaries for local government, not just the 50^th birthday of the modern district council. Another significant milestone has so far received little recognition – 130 years of a woman’s right to stand as a district councillor.

The 1894 Local Government Act enshrined the right of women to stand as councillors on district councils – the late-Victorian versions of district councils – and enabled some women to vote in their elections.

The decades that preceded and followed were dominated by the powerful struggle for a woman’s right to stand and vote. These rights were hard won and courageously fought for.

“Courage calls to courage everywhere,” as Millicent Fawcett’s statue in Parliament Square reads.

Courage remains an apt word. There’s no doubt it takes courage to choose to stand and become a councillor – to put yourself forward for external scrutiny, critique and public criticism, and to devote days, evenings and weekends to attending council meetings, holding surgeries, meeting with residents and campaigning. Having your face emblazoned on campaign literature that goes through the door of your all neighbours and friends also takes some getting used to!

But being a councillor is not only a privilege, it is one of the most rewarding vocations: our work transforms lives. This results in families being safely housed, refugees being protected and integrated into our communities and residents who are elderly and people with disabilities enabled to live independently in their own homes through adaptations.

District councils help shape communities and places – we regenerate areas, build the homes people need, provide parks and green spaces, protect local heritage and lead the drive to net zero locally.

In South Cambridgeshire we are just embarking on a joint venture that will deliver 38 new council homes built to Passivhaus standards, meaning that not only are they good for the environment but also good for people’s pockets as they will be considerably cheaper to run. We have also given communities just under £500,000 in recent years to help their own local drive to zero carbon.

This transformation takes courage, but it brings results that make me proud to be a councillor.

At local level, you see the impact of your decisions directly with an immediacy which is often lost at national decision-making level. Your neighbours and communities also have the relationships with you to tell you exactly what they think about the decisions you have made – the good, the bad and the ugly. They tell you frankly what is working and what is not. This makes policy making stronger and interventions more effective.

As one of the minority of district leaders who is a woman, I am very conscious of the fact that I owe my place to the courage of those men and women 130 years ago who made the powerful case for equality.

It’s a sad reality that as yet, few councils have achieved full gender parity with complete 50:50 representation, although we may hope that things move in the right direction on 2 May.

There are some positive signs, however, the number of women councillors has increased (it’s now 36% on districts), but we have much further to go.

As we mark 130 years of the right to stand, we must ask ourselves (as officers and councillors, as political parties, councils and local government organisations), the challenging question – why is it that so many women are still choosing not to?

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, DCN Chairman, in Localis essay collection: Delivering local aspirations through strategic planning

Trevor Holden, DCN chief executive group chair, appears before parliamentary inquiry: Independence for Oflog ‘will boost improvement’

Jessica Studdert in The MJ (£): Total Place is unfinished business

Penna opinion article for DCN: Finance – the hot potato for local government

Room 151: Government’s use of exceptional financial support ‘at best careless and maybe reckless’

LGIU/Ipsos research covered by LGC (£): Half of the public concerned over deteriorating services

Nick Clarke, head of social care, Grant Thornton, in the MJ (£): It’s time to supercharge prevention

The MJ (£): LGA lobbied over income tax devolution amid White Paper preparations

The House magazine: Retail politics: The battle to ‘save the high street’

Lawrence Conway, Director, the Institute of Economic Development, in LGC (£): Give us a vision for the economy and the nation

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen in the MJ (£): Looking forward to the next 50 years of districts

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation in the MJ (£): Finding the right prescription

Maxine O’Mahony, Chief Executive, and Steve James, Executive Director, Breckland Council, in LGC (£): Community-led approach saved our health system £1.8m a year

How we… increased benefits take-up among vulnerable people

Wealden’s proactive approach led to 160 people receiving extra support

Maxine Carrigan, Benefits Team Leader, Wealden District Council

As the pandemic ended, it became apparent that residents needed help with navigating the system to find the financial help and support available to them. This was particularly the case with various discretionary schemes and cost-of-living support payments.

We seized the opportunity offered by the Household Support Fund going live to invite residents to an outreach session in August 2022 at the council offices. Following a big drive on promotion, we saw a constant stream of people on the day for face-to-face meetings. We offered advice on eligibility, the benefits they could claim and council tax discounts or exemptions, among other things.  We set up laptop stations so we could assist people to make claims for the Household Support Fund and council tax reduction.

The trial day was a huge success, and we have since held a further 11 events across the district, bringing a value of over £22k of additional benefits and discretionary schemes/discounts to over 160 of our residents.

All events were promoted via the council’s social media platforms, posters displayed around the local area and local shops and services promoted the event for us, boosting attendance.

I have invited along relevant internal members of staff, including those on the housing department, and we have engaged with external stakeholders such as Citizens Advice, Care for Carers, IT for You and People Matters, who have enthusiastically attended these events alongside us. This partnership provides a wider range of advice services and avenues for support in a single place.

Taking this service out into our district has meant that we can talk to people about the true cost-of-living challenges they’ve been facing and indeed still face. We’ve proactively sought to improve the significant lack of awareness of entitlement to benefits, offered reassurance and assisted people to claim what they are entitled to, to help them maximise their income.

These outreach sessions have been well received and have highlighted Wealden’s focus on helping our community by listening to people’s needs, assisting with financial support, and signposting further help where it’s needed. The work doesn’t stop here though, and there is much more we’re doing to provide a strong forward-thinking service and council that works for our community.

We have a strong value in our commitment to our residents, particularly those that are vulnerable and require additional support with their financial welfare.

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

50 years of districts DCN is still seeking member councils to showcase their innovation at a reception in Parliament to commemorate our anniversary on the evening of Wednesday, 5 June. Please email DCN@local.gov.uk if you are interested in participating.

Waste workshops Defra has is to hold two in-person workshops for waste officers on extended producer responsibility. One will take place in London on Monday, 13 May, starting at 10am, and places for it can be booked here. The other is in Manchester on Wednesday, 22 May, starting at 10am, and can be booked here.

Fifty trees free The Woodland Trust is offering district councils each 50 trees to commemorate their 50^th birthday. The next delivery of the free tree packs will be in November, giving councils time to choose a suitable location or locations, and councils can sign up here. North Kesteven District Council has already planted its trees.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD NEWS: What our leaders discussed on 10 April

• Local government funding
• DCN funding reform priorities
• DCN’s constitution

CLLR SAM CHAPMAN-ALLEN: Happy birthday to us!

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

DCN CONFERENCE: Our round-up of DCN’s biggest event

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities

Happy birthday to us!

Let’s showcase district councils’ innovation at our 50^th anniversary

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chairman, DCN; leader, Breckland Council

It was so good to see so many of you at the DCN Annual Conference two weeks ago.

Our member councils’ willingness to come together – especially at a time of extreme workloads – demonstrates the spirit so prevalent across the sector, namely that districts deliver. Together, we are the largest constituent part of local government, with a strong voice, and as a membership organisation we can offer one another mutual support, inspiration and comradeship. It was so good catching up with all of you who attended, whether officer or member and whichever party or part of the country you represent.

The conference had an upbeat atmosphere. Our theme was examining the challenges and opportunities we face as we look ahead to 2030 and beyond – a time horizon which extends beyond the timescales that dominate budget and local election cycles. We had sessions on everything from inward investment to AI. Many of these issues are daunting but I’m confident that our track record of sharing expertise puts us in the strongest place to contend with them.

I wish to offer personal thanks to everyone who contributed to the event, by speaking, supporting, engaging or attending. Further thanks to everyone who has completed our post-event survey – your comments will feed into our preparations for our 2025 conference, which we’ll seek to make bigger and better than ever before.

The conference, of course, took place just before the vast majority of our councils celebrate their 50^th anniversary. This is some achievement and the source of much celebration.

Over the past half-century we as district councils have proved our value to our local communities. Our status as the most localised principal authorities gives us a unique advantage.

Of course, no one can predict what the next half century holds but I can be confident that being close to communities will continue to bring results.

To commemorate this anniversary, we’ve asked our member councils to produce short films to showcase examples of local innovation and delivery. We will release these films regularly over the remainder of the year. To start things off with a bang we are focusing this week on the bold plans of Folkestone & Hythe District Council to build Otterpool Park, a new garden town. This is a great example of a district council being a force for sustainable development and seeking to meet local housing needs. You can see their excellent film here.

If you’d like us to showcase a film from your council, please get in touch with dcn@local.gov.uk or nick.golding@local.gov.uk.

Projects like this are the truest celebration of the value of district councils. However, I do hope you can also use our Easter Monday anniversary as an opportunity to toast the role of you and your council in ensuring our communities are vibrant, healthy and prosperous.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

Penna blog for DCN: Finance – the hot potato for local government

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen in the MJ (£): The threat from bank and building society closures

Public Accounts Committee report: Levelling up funding to local government

Cllr Susan Brown, leader, Oxford City Council; Vice-Chair, DCN, in LGC (£): With funding and freedom we can end homelessness

The FT on Right-to-Buy (£): Jeremy Hunt pulls £200mn a year from council budgets

The Observer: Capacity crunch on National Grid is delaying new homes in UK by years

Pollsters report on the issues that matter to people: Ipsos Issues Index February 2024

Institute for Government: Power with Purpose: Final report on the Commission on the Centre of Government

National Audit Office report: Use of artificial intelligence in government

Sheila Oxtoby, Chief Executive, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, in the MJ (£): Partnership working is making major projects deliverable

Kieron Williams, Executive Member for Climate, Transport and Environment, London Councils in the MJ (£): Join the conversation on waste reform

Did you miss our annual conference?

Watch our exclusive highlights film

DCN’s annual conference in St Albans, which took place on 14-15 March, attracted 250 delegates from district and unitary councils across the country.

The event at Sopwell House was the biggest ever DCN Conference.

Our conference theme was looking ahead to 2030 and beyond – facing up to the challenges of the coming years, and examining the opportunities that they will bring.

We have produced a short film showing some of the main conference speakers to give you a lasting flavour of the event. You can see this here.

Speakers included ministers or shadows from the three main political parties, journalist and presenter Steph McGovern, pollster Professor Sir John Curtice, AI expert Chris Meah, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice.

Further footage of our speakers can be seen on the DCN LinkedIn page.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored or spoke at the event.

Noticeboard: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

Planning: DCN and Public Practice are jointly hosting a webinar on planning skills and capacity challenges on Thursday, 18 April from 1-2pm. Speakers at the event include Cllr Barry Wood, DCN’s planning spokesperson and leader of Cherwell District Council, and Alex Govier, Partnership Manager at Public Practice. To participate, please click here.

Workforce: Penna, a DCN strategic partner, is holding a webinar about neurodiversity at 12pm on Tuesday, 23 April. To sign up for the Great minds don’t think alike webinar, hosted by Alexis Curtis-Harris, please follow this link.

APPG The APPG for District Councils held its AGM on 12 March and is pleased to have 23 MPs and Peers signed up as members. More information about the APPG and the website is here.

Energy theft: Crimestoppers has launched the Stay Energy Safe campaign to highlight the hidden dangers of energy theft and tampering with electricity and gas meters. Stay Energy Safe is keen for councils to publicise this campaign in local communities. You can find out more about the campaign here. You can find an information sheet about the issue below.

Stay Energy Safe

CLLR SUSAN BROWN: With funding and freedom we can end homelessness

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights

SIXTY SECONDS WITH… Robert Weaver, Chief Executive, Cotswold DC

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 29 February

With funding and freedom we can end homelessness

Urgent action is required to end the temporary accommodation crisis

Cllr Susan Brown, Vice Chair, DCN and Leader, Oxford City Council

The housing crisis is wrecking lives and the recent huge increase in homelessness presentations is in danger of wrecking local government.

Concerns about the shortage and unaffordability of temporary accommodation are by no means confined to district councils. It is having a grave financial impact on all types of council nationwide. All of us want our residents to have a secure home in the first place – rather than having to devote so much resource to supporting people once they have reached crisis point. There is real danger that without extra resources this huge increase will tip our councils into crisis.

Oxford is, according to Centre for Cities, the country’s least affordable city when it comes to housing. Many people here are struggling to find clean, safe homes.

Eviction from the private rented sector is the leading cause of homelessness here. Section 21 evictions must end now.

The high cost of living is another. Many people who may previously have ‘sofa surfed’ now tell us that their family and friends reluctantly feel it’s unaffordable to support them.

Meanwhile, domestic abuse forces many people from their homes. Councils are seeing increased numbers of domestic abuse victims thanks to a welcome change in the law which helps people leaving abusive relationships to access help – but we do need the resources to help them.

And the asylum system’s shortcomings are adding to the problem. I welcome asylum claims being processed more rapidly and it’s good if people are moved out of inappropriate hotels. But it’s no good getting people out of hotels and telling them to present to their council as homeless with no support for them or to us. The end result is likely to be that they end up being still accommodated in hotels at the taxpayer’s expense.

My council, Oxford City, has been working flat out to support vulnerable people and to ensure housing is built.

We are proud of our universal private rented sector regulation scheme designed to improve the standards of housing to reward the best landlords and tackle the worst housing. We are ourselves leasing housing from the private sector and block booking hotels – which brings the cost of rooms down. And we are building more council houses and allocating more of our stock to homeless households. We also work hard on prevention, helping families to hold onto their housing, preventing homelessness through advice and support.

We estimate that we are saving the taxpayer over £2 million a year through the measures we are taking. But we face an uphill struggle. Even the tireless work of our dedicated officers cannot bring numbers down: the numbers of people that we accepted as homeless increased by 141% over the last year.

So what can we done? The Chancellor could use his Budget next week to increase the Housing Benefit subsidy that councils can claim for temporary accommodation – which is still tied to 2011 rental costs. This is clearly ridiculous and needs to be upgraded to reflect the very much higher costs we face today.

We also need some changes in approach from the Government – closer co-operation with us on homelessness, in particular on asylum seekers, would help the system function far better for everyone. And we need a real focus on improving the rights of tenants in the private rented sector.

We are doing a lot but we want to be working differently. By funding us properly now and giving us the freedom we need to tackle homelessness in our areas we can help people to have the security in their own homes that everyone deserves in the interests of a healthy and happy life.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

MJ article on local government spending: 14 years on: the ‘winners’ and the ‘losers’

Levelling Up Select Committee report: Financial distress in local authorities

Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) report: State of Local Government Finance in England 2024

LGIU report: Learning from local government finance across the world

Jonathan Werran, Chief Executive, Localis, in The MJ (£): Where is fiscal devolution?

Michael Burton in The MJ (£): Lyons: Where are we now?

Institute of Economic Development manifesto for giving local councils statutory powers over economic development: Grow Local, Grow_National

New Local report: Place-Based Public Service Budgets: Making Public Money Work Better for Communities

DCN Chairman letter to the Chancellor covered by The MJ (£): Call for Hunt to lift benefit subsidy cap

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, DCN Chairman, in The MJ (£): The threat from bank and building society closures

UCL Bartlett School of Planning report: Local authority direct provision of housing

Shelter and National Housing Federation: Report on economic benefits of social housing

Strong showing for DCN members in LGC Awards: Shortlist for 2024 LGC Awards revealed

60 seconds with… Robert Weaver

Robert is Chief Executive of Cotswold District Council and a member of DCN’s Chief Executive Group

What was your first job as an adult?

I trained as an environmental health officer (EHO). My first role was as a technical officer for housing and pollution, the role that in the old days supported EHOs in complaints investigations, and setting up noise monitoring equipment. I loved it and it was a great way to make a start in my local government career.

What’s given you the most satisfaction in your career?

Developing others – I love to see others grow. I have always been keen to ‘talent spot’ and develop individuals within the teams I’ve worked with, and am now a mentor on several of the Solace and DCN development courses. This is incredibly rewarding.

What’s the most exciting thing your organisation is doing?

Building mosaics. Really! We are redeveloping part of the public realm in Cirencester with modern mosaics based on ancient roman designs. It’s part of a much larger strategic Cirencester Masterplan, seeking to make sure the town remains attractive, economically vibrant and sustainable in every sense of the word.

What single thing – not money or devolution – could most improve local government?

Adopting technological advancements often seen in the private sector, to maximise efficiency of service delivery.

What is your biggest local government annoyance?

It has to be not having sufficient funding to deliver the best for our residents and businesses. We know we have the drive, determination and tenacity as a sector to achieve great things, but ultimately we are limited by the lack of funding – especially single-year settlements that make strategic planning difficult.

What keeps you up at night?

The difficulties we often face in attracting the best talent. Local government unfortunately isn’t seen as sexy as ‘tech’ or some corporate careers. This is a real shame as there are some great opportunities that are often overlooked, especially by new graduates.

Tell us something surprising about yourself 

For a couple of years I was a cameraman for Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Countryfile, getting to travel to some amazing parts of the UK to film wildlife. One of the best trips had to be to the Isle of Mull to film rutting red deer. Long days, but some great local whisky in the evenings!

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

Local Authority Draft Nature Recovery Toolkit In-Person Roadshow Three events will be held in March by the Planning Advisory Service for officers to learn more about its draft nature recovery toolkit and how to use it. Events will take place in Manchester on 12 March, Birmingham on 14 March and London on 21 March. More details can be found here.

Planning Recruitment and Skills Survey Public Practice is running its annual survey designed to build an understanding of the recruitment challenges in council planning or placemaking teams. The five-minute survey is open until the end of Monday 4 March.

Pathways to Planning graduate programme The LGA and Planning Advisory Service are recruiting for the latest cohort of graduates to join the Pathways to Planning programme, who will be placed with local planning authorities. The scheme offers a bursary of £5,000 per graduate which can be used to cover costs associated with the RTPI accredited Level 7 apprenticeship or as a contribution towards part-time Masters fees. There are 120 places available and the deadline for councils to sign up is 31 March. Please click here for more information or contact anna.buttenshaw@local.gov.uk. You can also join one of the upcoming workshops by contacting pathways.planning@local.gov.uk and sign up for the scheme by completing a brief form.

Transformation capability framework The LGA is seeking feedback by 4 March from councils on its framework which identifies what good transformation looks like. Feedback can be sent to: transformation@local.gov.uk.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD NEWS: What our leaders discussed on 29 February

• Councils’ role in electrifying the economy and enabling low-carbon technology
• Retrofitting housing
• Simpler Recycling
• DCN’s parliamentary engagement strategy

CLLR SAM CHAPMAN-ALLEN: Happy Christmas – and thank you

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

YVONNE REES: I’m leaving with pride – we’ve made a difference

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 13 December

PLEASE SHARE THIS BULLETIN WIDELY ACROSS YOUR COUNCIL

Happy Christmas – and thank you

Let’s reflect on the impact and achievements of DCN member councils in 2023

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chairman, District Councils’ Network

As we approach the festive season, I want to extend heartfelt gratitude and season’s greetings to all of you. Your dedication and tireless efforts throughout the year have been the cornerstone of our communities.

The range and impact of services provided by our 169 member councils, covering 53% of the country and serving over 20 million people, is truly remarkable. From waste collection to welfare support, from fostering economic development to enhancing health and wellbeing, your work touches every aspect of daily life. You have been the unsung heroes, ensuring that our residents find the support and services they need.

This year has been challenging, but your resilience and commitment have been unwavering. As the Chairman of the District Councils’ Network, I am proud of how we have collectively navigated these times. Our voice into Government and our partners remains strong, advocating for reforms that will enhance our support for our communities.

As we celebrate this December, let’s take a moment to reflect on our achievements and the difference we make. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I eagerly look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual Conference in March, if not before.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

Kath O’Leary, Chief Executive of Stroud DC, in the MJ (£): Districts ‘think global, act local’

William Benson, Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells BC, in LGC (£): We need to rethink council audits

Policy in Practice: Autumn Statement 2023: Will increases to the Local Housing Allowance reduce homelessness? – Policy in Practice

Demos report: Wall to wall support: joining up public services and housing for vulnerable children, young people and families

Resolution Foundation Report for its Economy 2030 Inquiry: Ending stagnation – a new economic strategy for Britain

I’m leaving with pride – we’ve made a difference

The DCN can build bridges between councils, says its outgoing chief executive lead

Yvonne Rees, chair, DCN Chief Executive Group; chief executive, Cherwell District Council

Christmas is, of course, a time of joy. But for me this year there’s a tinge of sadness as I’m stepping down from my role as chair of DCN’s Chief Executive Group.

Throughout my career as a chief executive, I’ve understood the importance of the DCN.

It’s clear what the DCN offers the sector – the ability to speak with one voice, both to central Government and to other partners. Together we are stronger. But that’s not all…

From a personal perspective DCN has given me the ability to engage with a close network of colleagues across the country. I’ll let you into a secret: being a chief executive can be a lonely job – you need comradeship and advice. My fellow chief execs across Oxfordshire are a great source of support, but what DCN gives me is the ability to talk to counterparts in different areas with different experiences. Whenever we’re taxed by something we benefit from each other’s insight and experiences.

This DCN dividend isn’t just for chief executives. Many of my officer team members have been involved in the DCN. Their work, as volunteers on specific DCN projects or events, gives them links with peers nationwide; it offers them routeways into central government, which would otherwise be impenetrable. Everyone who’s worked with DCN has come back more confident, more knowledgeable of the world beyond Cherwell.

So I heartily encourage any chiefs to consider standing at the next round of Chief Executive Group elections next summer, and any leaders to stand for the DCN Executive – and you can do this after May’s local elections. And I urge chiefs to get your skates on and finish your application for one of your up-and-coming officers to participate in DCN’s staff development programme, which offers mentorship, guidance and inspiration. Hurry up guys – the deadline’s Monday!

Well time is running out for me too in this role. As I look back on my time as chair of the Chief Executive Group and, for that matter, chief executive of Cherwell and, before that, Oxfordshire County Council, South Northamptonshire and Mole Valley, I have a sense of pride. The thing that really makes me tick is helping people. Districts are so close to our communities that you can feel the difference you make.

At districts, we know the things that really matter for our communities; our housing function places at the cornerstone of local wellbeing. We’re key to delivering a physically and mentally well community. We change lives. Our residents are front and centre in everything that we do.

I’ll be leaving Cherwell in the next couple of weeks and then take time to decide what to do next. So, to misquote Arnie, I may be back.

Hasta la vista!

And thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for each other and for our communities.

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

Health best practice The NHS Confederation is seeking case studies of district councils’ work to link health to the local economy for a best-practice bulletin it is producing. If you wish to be featured please email charlotte.maguire@local.gov.uk.

DCN Annual Conference Places are selling fast for the biggest district council event of the year, which takes place on 14-15 March in St Albans, Hertfordshire. For further details, and to secure your place, please click here.

Digital transformation DCN and Capita are holding a roundtable in London on digital transformation on Friday, 26 January, from 11am to 1pm. If you would like to participate, please email dcn@local.gov.uk.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 13 December

• Local Government Finance Settlement and budget pressures
• The DCN Annual Conference
• Tributes to Yvonne Rees on her standing down as Chair of DCN’s Chief Executives Group

CLLR SAM CHAPMAN-ALLEN: DCN spoke and the Chancellor listened

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

SCOTT LOGAN: We’re taking a systemwide approach to tackling the skills gap

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 15 November

PLEASE SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WIDELY ACROSS YOUR COUNCIL

DCN spoke and the Chancellor listened

The Autumn Statement offered action on many areas on which we’ve campaigned

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chairman, DCN

The Autumn Statement’s positive measures for our member councils stemmed from our collective efforts in campaigning, lobbying and sharing our case studies. This is testament to the effectiveness of DCN’s advocacy and strength, as well as the fact that we spoke with one voice.

While we recognise that not all our asks were fully met, our influence has been pivotal in securing additional Government support to address some of our most pressing challenges.

It was notable that the Government addressed the issue of temporary accommodation, with the struggle against rising demand and costs having been a major concern of many councils. Our work, alongside that of charities, has demonstrated to ministers and civil servants the scale of the problem and what needs to happen for the essential lifeline that we offer vulnerable people to continue.

The Chancellor’s announcement that he will increase Local Housing Allowance rates to cover 30% of local market rents, along with an additional £120m to combat homelessness across the UK, is a significant step forward. Although these measures don’t completely resolve our difficulties, they will alleviate some of the burden for a short period of time.

However, it’s clear that there’s more work to be done. The absence of long-term support beyond next year is a gap we must continue to address. We aim to collaborate with the Government to develop sustainable solutions for affordable housing and to address the root causes of homelessness and that wider preventive work.

Another area of progress is the response to the nutrient neutrality regulations that have slowed development. The Autumn Statement’s allocation of £110m to pollution offset schemes, which could unlock 40,000 homes, is a move in the right direction. It aligns with our need to facilitate housing development in an environmentally responsible manner.

Furthermore, the confirmation that councils can recover full costs for processing major business planning applications is welcome news, though the requirement to refund fees for missing deadlines is a consideration we must manage carefully. While we support measures to expedite development, the ongoing shortage of planning officers remains a challenge for most of us.

DCN asked for action in the Autumn Statement and we’ll be doing likewise for the Local Government Finance Settlement. Member councils’ underlying financial position continues to be unsustainable and we will seek extra freedoms and extra resources when Michael Gove announces our provisional budgets for next year.

The message from us is clear: investment in our preventative services helps potentially vulnerable people avoid crisis and saves other parts of the public sector, most notably the NHS, from having to undertake more expensive interventions later on. I firmly believe that it’s in the Treasury’s own interests to be receptive to this message, Districts Deliver.

I do want to thank every one of you who has made a case for action to support member councils. I know that so many of you have engaged with your MPs on the big financial challenges we face.

This all just shows how by working together – sometimes publicly and sometimes behind the scenes – we can achieve results.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

The Guardian: Councils in England facing bankruptcy as lack of housing pushes up costs

The Guardian: England’s ‘broken’ housing system is now a problem no council can avoid

The Guardian: English councils seek £100m to avert collapse of homelessness services

BBC News: Homelessness: Calls made for government action on temporary accommodation

ITV News: Councils demand ‘immediate intervention’ by government to tackle the homelessness crisis

The Financial Times: English councils warn of soaring cost of preventing homelessness

The New Statesman: The housing battle of Hastings

Sky News: Temporary accommodation spending ‘threatening to overwhelm council budgets’

Adam Hawksbee, Deputy Director, Onward, in The Times (£): Seaside towns hold the key to solving our housing crisis

Government response to Liaison Committee report: Future of seaside towns

Cllr Elizabeth Dennis, Finance Spokesperson, DCN and Leader, North Herts Council on cost pressures in The MJ (£): Districts face unpalatable choices

Institute for Government and CIPFA analysis of public services’ performance: Performance Tracker 2023: Cross-service analysis

Local Government Information Unit: Are we living in an age of post-trust politics?

LGA/Empty Homes Network report: A practical approach for councils on dealing with empty homes

National Audit Office: Levelling up funding to local government

Sheila Oxtoby, Chief Executive, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, on finance in the MJ (£): Challenging times

Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive, Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council, in the MJ (£): Climate action’s delicate hire-wire act

We’re taking a systemwide approach to tackling the skills gap

By partnering with neighbouring councils and the private sector Basildon is bringing about new higher education opportunities

Scott Logan, Chief Executive, Basildon Council

Basildon has long been a place that global organisations come to do business – Ford UK, Costa Coffee and Leonardo all base their operations here. However, there is a significant skills gap preventing local people from filling local jobs, particularly those roles in vocational fields such as engineering and advanced manufacturing.

In the 2021 Census, 21% of Basildon residents reported having no qualifications – a figure as high as 28% in wards with higher deprivation. This is significantly above the England-wide level of 18%.

Realising the council was unable to impact these stats by itself, Basildon Council pitched the idea of an employer-led not-for-profit organisation, supported by the local authorities of South Essex. This would establish new higher education opportunities, providing local people with a clear route into high-skilled employment.

That new organisation is called South Essex Advanced Technical Skills (SEATS), and it has been designed as a collective, industry-based training organisation. DP World, Southend Airport and Ford UK all joined the project to lead the way as founding partners of SEATS – addressing the skills gap head on and sharing in the ambition to invest in local people as their workforce of the future.

By joining forces with other locally based companies, and with the support of local authorities, SEATS has been able to share resources and scale its ambition to bring university partners to South Essex, creating opportunities for local people and leading to a higher skilled workforce. Recently it was announced that Coventry University would be the first higher education provider.

In autumn 2023, 16 young people in Basildon and South Essex began the first skills-based, degree-level apprenticeships with top locally-based firms. We plan to scale this up as the project grows each year.

This collective approach to training, of partnering the public and private sector with the same ambition, is truly innovative and will support the economic growth of the area. Local authorities and businesses have come together to tackle a systemwide issue, leading to an outcome where they and local people all benefit.

Now up and running, The SEATS project will look to engage with schools, colleges and other education providers to promote opportunities within the scheme. Coventry University has also pledged additional support to encourage growth across the region. SEATS founding directors are eager to engage with even more of our businesses to ensure long-term growth for the scheme.

I am extremely proud that this unique concept, first put forward in 2019, is creating prosperous opportunities for local people and employers. It’s especially gratifying that global brands and educators have recognised the importance of the challenge we face here in South Essex and are supporting our cause.

It is testament to the dedication of public and private sector partners working together – building strong relationships over the last four years to create something truly innovative to tackle the regional skills gap together. By doing so we have been able to bring forward new opportunities that will benefit the people of South Essex for generations to come.

• For more information visit www.seatshub.org

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

Local Government White Paper As part of its work to devise a white paper which will be presented to the Government after the next General Election, the Local Government Association has launched a survey, the deadline for which is 15 December. This asks councils for their priorities and about the policy changes they seek. It can be taken here.

The National Graduate Development Programme Councils can sign up here to participate on the 26^th NGDP cohort and take on the very best graduate talent, helping build crucial capacity within their organisations whilst providing a platform for motivated trainees to kickstart their careers as future leaders local government. The deadline for applying is 29 February.

Climate Action Scorecards Climate Emergency UK assessed all councils on the actions they have taken towards net zero. If your council has any concerns or suggestions for improvement about the scorecards released last month, there is an opportunity to feedback until 8 December and to fill in the feedback survey.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 15 November

• The homelessness challenge
• Affordable housing
• Simpler recycling

CLLR BRIDGET SMITH: Districts’ climate action must be recognised

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

ANDY BATES: We all need to shout more about our achievements

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 18 October

PLEASE SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WIDELY ACROSS YOUR COUNCIL

Districts’ climate action must be recognised

Urban authorities were favoured in Council Climate Action Scorecards

Cllr Bridget Smith, vice chair, DCN

Data has a huge bearing on our perceived success or failure as councils. This is one of the reasons why many of us are concerned about the creation of Oflog, the Government body being set up to monitor local authority performance. Although Oflog assures us data will not be used to make snap judgements, it is not in any way independent and so those of us who have been around for a while are all too weary of data being used for nefarious political purposes, and judgements made without essential context being applied.

However, it’s not Oflog that I’m writing about this month. I want to discuss the Council Climate Action Scorecards which were published last week, assessing councils’ progress as they seek to move towards net zero.

I fully welcome challenge on this most important of issues. Quite frankly, none of us can say we’re doing enough. And, when the Government’s recent announcement of slowdowns on banning the sale of vehicles with combustion engines and gas boilers sends us in the wrong direction as a nation, there is even more of an imperative that we as councils fulfil our potential. However, for any challenge to be pertinent, it has to be fair.

London boroughs were by far the strongest scoring councils under the methodology of Climate Emergency UK, which compiled the scorecards, occupying 12 of the top 20 slots for English councils. The vast majority of the other places were taken by predominantly urban councils – including four district authorities, three of them small city councils.

I’m delighted to say that one of DCN’s members, Lancaster City Council, was the second highest scoring council in the country, and it was almost alone in the top 20 in being an area with a lot of rurality. Well done to Lancaster!

My own council, South Cambridgeshire, scored above average, when I’d have hoped to have done very much better than that.  We have invested millions of pounds in reducing the carbon footprint of our own estate and operations including installing ground source heating, photo voltaics and 20 EV chargers at our offices, moving to electric bin lorries which will be charged from a new solar farm at our depot and given over £500,000 to communities to help them on their own carbon zero journeys. Additionally, we have won a number of awards and recently been certified A Carbon Literate Organisation by the Carbon Literacy Trust. But we may be adversely affected by our baseline which includes having fewer trees in this area than the rest of the country and carbon emissions 25% above national average – due largely to transport.

To me the list appeared skewed against rural areas like mine, diminishing the effectiveness of this important project. I’d urge Climate Emergency UK to engage with DCN and other representatives of non-urban councils so that their next set of scorecards use a more rounded set of metrics and do not so favour city areas.

Even though the current set of scorecards are, in my view, imperfect, I hope that they will provide an impetus for us to demand change. In many areas the Government stands in the way of us adopting greener measures and getting higher scores.

Councils need freedom to reduce the use of cars – workplace parking levies should be easier to set up and road charging needs to become widespread. Public transport of all types needs to be an attractive alternative to the car thereby not only reducing car use but also car ownership. The Government also needs to make it easier for councils to be able to demand all new buildings conform to the highest energy efficiency standards. The fiscal barriers that make it incredibly difficult for districts, and other councils for that matter, to plan long-term for a greener future need to be overcome.

So data can provide an impetus to change. However, if it unfairly favours some councils – urban ones – over others, then there is a danger that it diminishes the standing of districts when they need empowerment to bring about radical climate action.

MUST-READS: Our round-up of media and policy highlights for DCN councils

Demos report: Revenue, capital, prevention: a new public spending framework for the future

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen in the MJ: Party conferences are a golden opportunity for districts

North Kesteven District Council in LGC: Our new affordable housing supports climate action

National Audit Office report: Investigation into the Homes for Ukraine scheme

The MJ: A new trading platform for nutrient offsetting

LGA: Council leaders call on Government to back local climate action

The Independent: More than 100 councils join emergency summit over temporary accommodation crisis

BBC News: Recycling reforms see separate food waste bins for England

The Independent: More than 100 councils join emergency summit over temporary accommodation crisis

The Guardian: Councils in England paying £17bn a year to house people in temporary homes

Room 151: Over 50% of district councils won’t be able to balance their budget next year

We all need to shout more about our achievements

Districts’ closeness to their communities brings results – but as a sector we’re not celebrating them enough.

Andy Bates, Chief Executive, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council

I was an ordinary working-class boy from an ordinary work a day town, Kettering in Northamptonshire, where aspirations at the time were not high. My first job, in 1984, was as a temporary role as a gardener for the now defunct Kettering Borough Council.

Since then, my local government career has taken me to places I couldn’t have anticipated and provided opportunities I could not have imagined. I was a clerical assistant – to be honest, I didn’t enjoy that one much – but then it got more exciting. Sometimes I’ve moved sideways and sometimes I’ve moved up and every time I’ve had an amazing new experience. I’ve worked in democratic services, in leisure and on regeneration projects, as well as time spent with the Audit Commission and Local Government Association. Now I’m chief executive at South Hams and West Devon. I love these places and I’m incredibly proud of the ‘place leadership’ my councillors provide and what my councils do for our communities.

Earlier in my career I thought success was all about processes and systems, but I’ve come to realise that it’s all about the people and places. A common purpose drives us – achievement for our communities. I suspect it’s the same in your council. I am fortunate to have a fabulous team and great staff and together we are motivated by making the world a little bit better and collectively we’re achieving some wonderful things that would be impossible for us individually.

Our councils have a highly localised connection to our communities which brings results but at the same time we’re outward looking. We’re working incredibly well with our county council and district colleagues in Devon on ensuring housing and support for our care leavers, and we’re proud of our work with unitary Plymouth to generate inward investment in a high-tech green economy. While we’re forever focused on our communities, we also have a burning desire to improve the whole area through initiatives like the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest.

But I’d never want to be anything other than a district council chief. At district councils, the onus – in both the political and office leadership – is all about place, about connectivity and understanding local needs. Our services like waste collection impact on every household; our housing work is absolutely critical to ensure the lifeblood of our communities (some of which have been diminished by short-term lets). Delivering the right houses of the right tenure in the right places, is absolutely at the forefront of the work of district councils.

Both my councils changed political control at the last set of elections and I have a new cohort of enthusiastic, energetic and talented councillors to work with. My job is to deliver on the mandate obtained by my administrations and to translate that ambition into reality. Climate change and biodiversity, economy and jobs and housing will continue to keep us busy.

None of us do this job for the praise, but it is nice to get the recognition of our peers within the sector. Our success as Senior Leadership Team of the Year in the MJ Achievement Awards was the best moment in my working life, because it’s a true celebration of our joint team – made possible by all our councillors and officers. And a recognition of all they do for our areas.

I urge you to enter the MJ and LGC awards. So many districts are doing fantastic work but it often feels to me that we’re unwilling to shout about it enough. Sometimes we feel afraid to blow our own trumpets. Is there an inferiority complex? Possibly. Our budgets are lower and our scale is certainly smaller than many other authorities but our intense community focus makes a huge difference. We should celebrate it.

My career has brought me enjoyment and immense pleasure in where it has taken me. But I’d now like to inspire the next generation of officers to careers in districts. We need to emphasise that our closeness to our communities offers prospective officers richness in their career. But to get this message across we must be bold.

Let’s enter the awards, let’s express our pride and let’s demonstrate the difference we’re making.

NOTICEBOARD: Essential diary dates and opportunities for you and your council

Homelessness DCN is teaming up with Eastbourne Borough Council to co-host an emergency homelessness summit, focusing on the social and financial impact of the unprecedented demand for temporary accommodation. It takes place remotely on Tuesday, 31 October, from 9.30am to 11am. To attend, please email dcn@local.gov.uk.

Brownfield land The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities is distributing £60m through the second phase of the Brownfield Land Release Fund. Full details can be found here.

Commercial skills DCN and Local Partnerships are co-operating on a project to support council chief executives on commercial work. Local Partnerships have produced a ‘CEO Commercial Blueprint’ outlining the support and resources available to chiefs which they are seeking to road test with senior officers at a webinar open to chief executives, deputy chief executives, s151 officers, chief operating officers and any other people who aspire to becoming a chief executive in the coming years. It takes place at 2-3pm on Friday 10 November. To attend, please register here.

Decarbonisation of property DCN and Norse Group are holding a roundtable examining how council-owned buildings can move towards net zero. It is being held in London on Thursday, 23 November at 10.45 to 1pm. If you would like to participate, please email DCN at dcn@local.gov.uk.

Smoking and vaping The LGA is hosting a webinar which is free for local government on ‘Creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping’. It takes place on Tuesday, 7 November from 2-3pm. You can register for the webinar here.

DCN EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATE: What our leaders discussed on 18 October

• The Office for Local Government
• Local government improvement and assurance
• Reflections from party conferences
• The Autumn Statement and Local Government Finance Settlement