House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee Councillors on the front line Sixth Report of Session 2012–13 Volume II Additional written evidence Ordered by the House of Commons to be published 11 June, 2 July, 16 July, 3 September, 15 October, 17 October and 7 November 2012 Published on 10 January 2013 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited The Communities and Local Government Committee The Communities and Local Government Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Current membership Mr Clive Betts MP (Labour, Sheffield South-East) (Chair) Bob Blackman MP (Conservative, Harrow East) Simon Danczuk MP Rochdale (Labour, Rochdale) Bill Esterson MP (Labour, Sefton Central) Stephen Gilbert MP (Liberal Democrat, St Austell and Newquay) David Heyes MP (Labour, Ashton under Lyne) James Morris MP (Conservative, Halesowen and Rowley Regis) Mark Pawsey MP (Conservative, Rugby) Andy Sawford MP (Labour, Corby) John Stevenson MP (Conservative, Carlisle) Heather Wheeler MP (Conservative, South Derbyshire) Heidi Alexander MP (Labour, Lewisham East) and George Hollingbery (Conservative, Meon Valley) were also members of the Committee during this inquiry. Powers The committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publication The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at www.parliament.uk/parliament.uk/clg. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in a printed volume. Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Glenn McKee (Clerk), Sarah Heath (Second Clerk), Stephen Habberley (Inquiry Manager), Kevin Maddison (Committee Specialist), Emily Gregory (Senior Committee Assistant), Mandy Sullivan (Committee Assistant), Stewart McIlvenna, (Committee Support Assistant) and Hannah Pearce (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Communities and Local Government Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 1234; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] List of additional written evidence (published in Volume II on the Committee’s website www.parliament.uk/clgcom) Page Association of Democratic Services Officers Ev w74 Janet Atkinson Ev w42 Bharti Boyle Ev w36 Buckinghamshire County Council Ev w5 Nigel Carter Ev w38 Community Council of Staffordshire Ev w34 District Councils’ Network Ev w23 Dr Mark Ewbank Ev w17 Suzanne Fletcher Ev w73 Friends, Families and Travellers Ev w31, Ev w32 Warren W Hateley Ev w61 David Hill Ev w72 Jack Hopkins Ev w79 L. E. Horne Ev w36 Edward Houlton Ev w38 Robina Iqbal Ev w38 Desmond Jaddoo Ev w41 Councillor Lynda Jones Ev w68, Ev w69 Councillor Mike Jordan Ev w38 Councillor Richard Kemp Ev w39 Rebecca Lane Ev w78 Jenny Lawrence Ev w34 Localis Ev w29 George McManus Ev w37 Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council Ev w62 Alfred Murphy Ev w35 NAVCA Ev w81 Netmums Ev w48 Scott Nicholson Ev w1 Timothy J Oates Ev w40 Office for Public Management Ev w7 Christopher Padley Ev w70 Participants in Local Government Association seminar Ev w58 Councillor Norman Plumpton Walsh Ev w36 Councillor Robin Potter Ev w33 Somerset County Council Ev w66 Ray Spalding Ev w80 Staffordshire County Council Ev w12 West Midlands Council Ev w2 Wiltshire Council Ev w25 Workers’ Educational Association, York Participate Pilot Ev w43 cobber Pack: U PL: COE1 [SO] Processed: [08-01-2013 11:16] Job: 024883 Unit: PG01 Source: /MILES/PKU/INPUT/024883/024883_steve_w043_024883CC 59 - NAVCA.xml Communities and Local Government Committee: Evidence Ev w1 Written evidence Written evidence from Scott Nicholson (CC 01) 1. Summary — Councillors should selflessly, represent their community. — Councillors should have an enhanced role in leading the organisation of constituents into a community by creating community groups. — There should be a movement away from the idea that only the retired have the time to undertake the role of the councillor. — Greater remuneration, more councillor seats and a movement of council meetings outside of working hours may achieve this. 2. Introduction 2.1 My name is Scott Nicholson; I am 27 and work for the University of Leeds researching the hospital superbug Clostridium difficile. I am based at Leeds General Infirmary but before this worked as a Scientist in the NHS at both the Royal Cornwall Hospital and Scarborough General Hospital. 2.2 In addition to this, I am the Secretary of Leeds Central Constituency Labour Party and the Labour candidate for Wetherby Ward in the Leeds City Council elections on 3 May 2012. 3. TheRole ofCouncillors asLeaders ofCommunities andNeighbourhoods 3.1 I think primarily the role of the councillor should be one of selfless, representation of his or her community. I do, however, feel that further to that it would improve our neighbourhoods if councillors were expected to take a leadership role in organising communities. 3.2 This organisation by councillors could see them acting as “managers” of perhaps the Prime minister’s “Big Society” idea. In this way it would be the councillor’s role to make sure that communities had youth groups, amateur dramatic societies, sports clubs, etc. I do not feel it should be the councillor’s role to run these groups, merely to lead the organisation of people into a community. 3.3 I very much feel it is the case that people need to be organised into becoming a community. I personally live with my girlfriend in modern flats filled with other young professionals, a lot of whom, I assume have also moved to Leeds from elsewhere. Generally, the interaction between neighbours is very similar to the interaction between commuters on the London Underground. 3.4 These people have no stake in the community but surely have in the past been in clubs and societies at schools or universities. This contrasts the Ward in which I am standing in which organisations such as “Wetherby in Bloom” bring people together in the community but also provide them a reason to be proud of their neighbourhoods. 3.5 I feel if it were the councillor’s responsibility to make sure these groups were present and that people were encouraged to be involved it would really give the young professionals in my area a reason to form a community. This organisation may even assist in reducing antisocial behaviour in poorer areas by giving young people something to do but also more importantly, a stake in society and a sense of community. Furthermore the leadership of councillors in organising communities could possibly even prevent further destructive riots occurring. 4. Recruitment andDiversity ofCouncillors—and theImplications forRepresentation and LocalDemocracy 4.1 I can only talk about the Labour Party’s recruitment of potential councillors in Leeds. I feel that an email sent out to all members, asking if anyone was interested in becoming a local councillor and inviting them to attend a meeting to further discuss it, is a good recruitment procedure. 4.2 I do, however, feel that there is a distinct lack of not just young people but those that are still of working age in our local councils. Having an average age in a council of 60 years old is obviously unrepresentative, as is the lack of black and minority ethnic groups. 4.3 What really annoys me is that people of working age are put off from standing, by sitting councillors in their 60s, anecdotally telling potential candidates that they will not be able to work and simultaneously be a councillor due to time commitments. This was said to me when I applied to become a councillor. 4.4 If it is true and that people cannot possibly fit employment and casework into their daily life, then obviously there must be a change or we doom ourselves to only being governed by those who are in their 60s and 70s. This change could involve greater remuneration to allow further employment to be unnecessary or the creation of more councillor positions to allow the workload to be shared. In addition to this council meetings cobber Pack: U PL: COE1 [E] Processed: [08-01-2013 11:16] Job: 024883 Unit: PG01 Source: /MILES/PKU/INPUT/024883/024883_steve_w043_024883CC 59 - NAVCA.xml Ev w2 Communities and Local Government Committee: Evidence could also be held outside of normal working hours to allow younger people to combine employment with representing their community. April 2012 Written evidence from West Midlands Councils (CC 07) Communities and Local Government Inquiry into the Role Councillors Play in their Communities Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the important discussion on the role of councillors in their communities. West Midlands Councils serves the interests of councils in the West Midlands. It is collectively owned by its member councils, who together decide on the activities and priorities of the organisation. The submission reflects a diversity of views and in reality many apply or span a number of the questions that you have posed. TheRole ofCouncillors asLeaders of theirCommunities andNeighbourhoods People generally become councillors in order to “make a difference” to their local area. By virtue of their unique position of being democratically elected to represent the people of their area they are well placed to act as leaders in their local areas.