POLICY AND INFORMATION UPDATE Tuesday, 16 August 2011 Issue 05 2011/12 Performance Improvement Unit Email: [email protected] www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/local_democracy/Performance 1 Policy & Information Update Tuesday, 16 August 2011 1. POLICY AND INFORMATION UPDATE The Policy and Information Update is published on a regular basis, to highlight announcements, publications and consultation documents issued by the Government and other relevant agencies and public bodies, which directly affect the work of the Council. The Update is designed to ensure that relevant matters, which often have corporate as well as service specific implications, are drawn to the attention of the appropriate Portfolio Holders, Service Directors and other members and officers. The Policy and Information Update provides a brief summary of new and emerging issues, and contains links to the full versions of publications and consultation documents etc. The update also provides details of forthcoming events of relevance to the Council’s activities. Whilst Members, Directors and managers may already be aware of issues specific to particular services, functions, responsibilities or interests, the Policy and Information Update is intended to raise corporate awareness of relevant matters and to ensure that nothing of importance to the Council is overlooked. If members or officers wish to discuss any of the items published in the Policy and Information Update, or require further information or reports on specific issues, they should contact the relevant Service Director in the first instance. Comments or suggestions in respect of the format and content of the Update can be made to the Performance Improvement Unit at [email protected] PART A - NEWS 2. NEW GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON MINICABS TO GIVE VOLUNTEERS AND CARE WORKERS A SMOOTHER RIDE (3 AUGUST 2011) Volunteers, childminders and care workers should be freed from the unnecessary and costly process of being licensed as minicabs following guidance published by Transport Minister, Norman Baker. Changes to the minicab licensing laws in 2006 mean that some councils have been classing people like childminders, who drive children to and from school in their own vehicles, and care workers, who assist elderly people in their homes, as minicab drivers. The new guidance makes it clearer which vehicles the Government believes need minicab licences and those that do not, removing the burden on local authorities of licensing vehicles unnecessarily. Groups that the Government considers should be exempt from licensing their vehicle include private ambulances (including emergency vehicles and vehicles which operate as part of a formal patient transport service), volunteers who share their car or provide lifts as part of their voluntary duties, care and support worker services (including those who care for adults in their own homes, in community settings or in residential or nursing care homes), childminders who carry children as passengers as part of their duties, 2 Policy & Information Update Tuesday, 16 August 2011 and rental car companies and garages offering ‘courtesy lift’ services for customers, for example whilst their car is in for repair. The Department for Transport document sets out details of what is, and what is not, a private hire vehicle. It is designed to assist local licensing authorities in making licensing decisions and provide transport service providers with clarity about whether they need to be licensed as private hire. http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/phv-licensing-guidance-note/phv-licensing- guidance.pdf Of interest to : Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder Director of Environment and Street Scene Director of Corporate Support Services 3. GREEN LIGHT FOR NEW ESSEX POWER STATION (4 AUGUST 2011) Energy Minister Charles Hendry has given the go-ahead for proposals to construct a new gas power plant at the London Gateway Logistics Park in Coryton. The plans are for a new £600 million power station comprising of up to two CCGT generating units, each around 450MW in capacity. This brings the total new capacity consented by the Government since May 2010 to 5,456MW, enough to power more than seven million homes if developed. The proposed combined cycle gas turbine plant will take about three years to build, generating around 600 jobs during the construction period. Of interest to : All Members 4. PUBLIC PROPERTY MAP - COUNCILS COULD SAVE BILLIONS (5 AUGUST 2011) Councils and other public bodies should publish asset lists that will help to identify billions of pounds of potential savings and protect frontline services, Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has announced. A 'demo' map published by the Department for Communities and Local Government locates over 180,000 assets owned by almost 600 public sector bodies, including Central Government and 87 councils. It reveals widespread public property ownership, beyond frontline services, underlining the scope for savings and the potential of a national asset map. Public sector assets are worth an estimated £385bn, with almost two thirds owned by councils. The Government has committed to work with areas seeking to make savings through better property management, and estimates this could potentially save £35 billion over ten years. Mr Pickles wants public sector organisations, including councils, to publish registers of all buildings and land owned, for local people to use alongside the Localism Bill's new 3 Policy & Information Update Tuesday, 16 August 2011 community rights to protect local treasures. Mr Pickles believes the public have a right to see the sheer scale and variety of public sector asset wealth, which in some cases include pubs, farms and even sports clubs. Results from eleven council led pilot projects, known as capital and assets pathfinders, found that on average 20% savings could be made by rationalising public assets or co-locating local services based on customer needs, and a recent independent report found local government and the public sector could save up to £7bn a year in operational costs through better property management. http://publicassets.communities.gov.uk/ Of interest to : All Members Management Board 5. POSITIVE PLANNING TO LET GOOD SCHOOLS GROW (15 AUGUST 2011) Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has introduced new planning measures to support the expansion of popular state schools and the creation of new free schools. Ministers are determined to change the current system which is viewed by many as an obstacle to good schools with long waiting lists being able to expand. In a new planning statement, Mr. Pickles has set out new principles for councils considering proposals for the creation or development of free and other state-funded schools. The new guidance is a boost for state education and local promoters of the Government's free schools programme, who can now be confident their proposals will be processed swiftly, and that new schools can be set up quickly in response to demand from local people. The Secretary of State said the measure should allay public concerns that some councils could have a conflict of interest as a local planning authority and a local education authority, or could try to use the planning system to stop new free schools opening. The new rules provide greater certainty for all involved. The Government is committed to ensuring there are sufficient state- school places and improving choice and opportunity in state education so every child can reach their full potential. Free schools give parents, teachers and community groups the power to establish a state-funded school to help improve standards for all children. The Government is making it easier for people to create, expand and improve free and other state-funded schools, and today's guidance makes it clear that councils should work positively with communities from an early stage to identify suitable sites and prepare strong planning applications. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1966167.pdf Of interest to : Planning and Technology Portfolio Holder Director of Planning and Economic Development 4 Policy & Information Update Tuesday, 16 August 2011 6. 2012 BIRTHDAY HONOURS (28 JULY 2011) The Local Government Group has been asked by the Department for Communities and Local Government to invite recommendations for the Queen’s Birthday 2012 Honours List. It is important that citation forms be fully completed, as lack of information can prevent a name being put forward. A new form is required when re- submitting a candidate put forward in a previous round, as names do not go forward automatically. Citation forms must be returned by email by 2 September 2011. http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/aio/19480097 (Citation Form) http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/aio/19480101 (Guidance) Of interest to : All Members PART B - PUBLICATIONS 7. 'DOING SOMETHING BIG' (18 JULY 2011) This report from the Local Government Group's Big Society Task Force shows how democratically-elected local councillors are at the forefront of developing stronger, more empowered and more resilient communities. By working together with local people, public service partners and voluntary and community organisations, local councillors are delivering different and better services for communities in difficult times. http://www.local.gov.uk/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=5bfefa23-ac6d-4d01-82c8- a8d6f9be251b&groupId=10161 Of interest to : All Members Acting Chief Executive 8. LOCAL AUTHORITY COLLECTED WASTE FOR ENGLAND