POLICY BRIEFING FORwww.emcouncils.gov.uk EMC MEMBERS
20 February 2015
The Changing Nature of Flooding in the East Midlands
EMC Events for Councillors
Employment Matters - Strengthening our Local Economy – driving Skills and Jobs – 24 February 2015. This event in the Regional Programme of Briefings for Councillors in the East Midlands is focusing on the employment and skills of the local workforce – a high priority for local government. This event provides several opportunities to hear from locally led initiatives that are delivering on the ground and supporting young people into employment. Details are available here.
The Role of the Civic Head and Team – 27 May 2015. The day will include discussion on the role of prospective Civic Heads, Mayoress, Consorts or Escorts, their Deputies and all Civic Support Officers and will identify any concerns and further needs that the delegates may have in carrying out their duties. Details are available here.
A major new report highlights how the East Midlands is vulnerable to small changes in climate which could double the number of people at ‘significant risk’ of flooding. It goes on to highlight 16 recommendations aimed at Government, councils and business groups to reduce the impacts of flooding on local people and businesses. The report, entitled ‘The Changing Nature of Flooding’, has been published by East Midlands Councils with support from Climate East Midlands and research specially commissioned from the Met Office.
The report notes the existing vulnerability of 20% of the land area of the East Midlands to flooding from the sea, rivers and surface water. It also highlights that a 10% increase in peak river flow would potentially double the number of residential properties at ‘significant risk’ of flooding from 30,000 to 60,000.
Cllr Neil Clarke, Vice Chair of East Midlands Councils and Chair of Climate East Midlands said:
“The East Midlands has a long and successful history of managing water to meet the needs of people and the environment, but clearly more will have to be done in the future. I expect this report to be used positively to inform policy and practice in all levels of government and within the business community”.
The Changing Nature of Flooding in the East Midlands is available here. The report featured on BBC East Midlands Today and Cllr Neil Clarke was interviewed on the BBC late news on Tuesday 17th February 2015.
Planning & Transport (Officer Contact: [email protected])
The Infrastructure Act, has become law. Amongst other measures, the Act will allow the creation of Highways England, a government -owned company which will use access to long term stable funding to ensure improvements on the country’s major road network are streamlined, cost efficient and encourage investment.
The Government has made a formal announcement of the award of the contract for the Neighbourhood Planning and the Community Right to Build Support Programme 2015-16/18 to the consortium led by Locality, which includes the Royal Town Planning Institute.
A Question Time-style debate on the future of investment in good quality housing and infrastructure in the East Midlands is taking place from 6.30pm on 5 March 2015 at Nottingham Trent University. Chaired by John Hess, Political Editor, BBC East Midlands, the panel will comprise Robert Jenrick MP (Conservative, Newark), Lilian Greenwood MP (Labour, Nottingham South) and Julia Cambridge (PCC Liberal Democrats, Chesterfield), together with Peter Gadsby, Cedar House Investments and Peter Westland, Nottingham Trent University. The debate is backed by professional organisations involved in planning, design and construction, including RTPI East Midlands, RICS, RIBA and the Construction Industry Council. Places are free and can be booked here
W: www.emcouncils.gov.uk E: [email protected] T: 01664 502 620 POLICY BRIEFING FORwww.emcouncils.gov.uk EMC MEMBERS
20 February 2015
Housing (Officer Contact: [email protected] )
West Berkshire and Reading Borough Councils have launched a legal challenge against the Government’s decision to remove the right of councils to charge section106 planning obligations on developments of less than 10 houses. The change, introduced by Government just before Christmas, has been widely criticised by councils and rural groups such as Rural Network East Midlands because of fears it could severely restrict funding for rural affordable housing. Further details of the challenge are available here
ONS has published annual house price statistics from 1995 to 2013 for a range of subnational geographies in England and Wales. These include local authorities, parliamentary constituencies and middle layer super output areas (MSOAs). Statistics are also reported for different types of house including all types, detached, semi-detached, terraced houses and flats/maisonettes. Available here
Community Issues (Officer Contact: [email protected])
Communities Minister Stephen Williams MP has announced a new £6 million funding boost to the Community Rights Programme
Economic Development, Skills & Education (Officer Contact: [email protected])
Defra has announced the creation of eleven new food enterprise zones (FEZs) designed to free up food and farming businesses, making it simpler and easier for them to grow, and to attract new businesses. At the same time local communities will benefit from new jobs and the opportunity to develop local produce, boosting their economies. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available to set up FEZs. Three FEZs are planned in Lincolnshire and one in Leicestershire.
The Department for Education has set out how much funding local authorities will receive to create the new school places they’ll need by September 2018. The funding covers the financial year 2017 to 2018, and includes details of extra top-up funding for 2015 to 2017.
On 16 February 2015 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began the national expansion of Universal Credit to the remaining areas across Great Britain following the successful expansion to the North West of England during 2014. In addition to the already published roll out schedules for Tranches One and Two, DWP can now provide planning assumptions for the third and fourth tranches of national expansion to local authorities and jobcentre areas. The list of local authority areas can be found here
The Nottingham Trent University Economic Research Bureau has published its monthly Labour Market Briefing – which summarises the Labour Market Statistics published by the ONS this week within the context of developments in politics and the media.
Health & Social Care (Officer Contact: [email protected]) http://econ omicstrategyresearchbureau.blogspot.co.uk/
Dr Fu Meng -Khaw has been appointed as Director of the Public Health England’s East Midlands Centre for Public Health, which will now cover the whole of the East Midlands including Northamptonshire. Dr Fu Meng-Khaw has already been working with EMC on the recently published report: ‘A Healthier Future for the East Midlands’. The primary role of the EMPHE Centre is to support local authorities in their leadership of public health within a locality. The Centre Director will assure the provision of PHE’s expert advice locally and will support and strengthen communication, insight and dialogue between the local place and PHE national programmes and support. A letter outlining these changes can be accessed here .
The Department of Health has launched a consultation on the reforms under the Care Act that will come into force in April 2016. The consultation will run until 30 March 2015 and covers the cap on care costs system and a new appeals system. ) ADASS is making arrangements to provide a single coordinated response to the consultation Details of both are available here
Public Health England, the British Heart Foundation, Joint British Society and NHS choices have developed an on-line tool to allow members of the public to calculate their heart age and better understand their risk of serious conditions. The new heart age test can be completed online at NHS Choices.
W: www.emcouncils.gov.uk E: [email protected] T: 01664 502 620 POLICY BRIEFING FORwww.emcouncils.gov.uk EMC MEMBERS
20 February 2015
Employers’ Issues (Officer Contact: [email protected] )
CEEP UK has published its News Alert for 13 February 2015 - CEEP UK’s newsletters provide an update on recent key developments at European level which are of interest to the public sector. The 13 February newsletter can be downloaded here. It includes a range of articles including: CEEP UK President (Cllr Tom Beattie) and Director to attend Commission “High Level Conference on Social Dialogue” – 5th March 2015, and Driving Sustainable and Competitive Tourism Across Europe – 17 March 2015, Brussels.
Climate Change & Sustainable Development (Officer Contact: [email protected])
Climate East Midlands has held two successful business resilience workshops for the Construction and Food & Drink sectors this year, and there is one further event in this series coming up on 17th March in Nottingham, for businesses in the Waste sector. Find out more here or contact [email protected]
Business resilience workshops for farmers, focusing on soil management, are also coming up. They will be held on 3rd March in Lincolnshire, 5th March in Northamptonshire, and 12th March in Nottinghamshire. Find out more here or contact [email protected]
Local Government Policy (Officer Contact: [email protected])
DCLG has published the results of research into councils’ attitudes towards using digital services to improve local public services and create savings. Eight councils from the East Midlands participated in the research.
The Cabinet Officer has published Lord Young’s report on how the Social Value Act – which requires people who commission public services, including local authorities, to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits - has been working in its first two years. EMC Events, Training & Development
Employment Law Update – 18 March 2015. Come and find out about any major changes to Employment Law. This session is packed with important developments that all HR professionals need to be familiar with including how and when overtime payments need to be included in holiday pay; the latest case law on what constitutes a disability; the duty to make reasonable adjustments in cases of disability-related absence; the Woolworth’s case and the need for consultation in collective redundancies; key issues in the new shared parental leave regime; and the Government’s new Fit for Work Service – how will it affect the management of sickness absence. Details are available here.
Professional Facilitation Skills – 26 March 2015. Facilitation has become an increasingly important part of many peoples’ role. This workshop will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and a variety of techniques used by effective facilitators. Details are available here.
EMC Leadership Click on our Twitter & YouTube accounts for Chair: Cllr Jon Collins [email protected] further information.
Vice Chair: Cllr Martin Hill OBE [email protected]
Vice Chair: Cllr Neil Clarke MBE [email protected]
Conservative Group: Cllr Chris Millar [email protected] East Midlands Councils First Floor Offices, South Annexe Labour Group: Cllr Robert Parker [email protected] Pera Business Park
Lib Dem Group: Cllr Fiona Martin MBE [email protected] Nottingham Road Melton Mowbray Independent Group: Executive Mayor Tony Egginton tegginton@mansfield.gov.uk Leicestershire
Executive Director: Stuart Young [email protected] LE13 0PB
W: www.emcouncils.gov.uk E: [email protected] T: 01664 502 620