Alan Smith

Social care spending continues to take up more of councils’ totals, DLUHC data shows https://lnkd.in/eprDYtfP #serviceexpenditure #spending #socialcare #DLUHC #data #localgov #localgovernment

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Join Jenifer Jackson - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council & Eric Owens MBA MA MRTPI - Buckinghamshire Council as they share strategies for quick local plan submission, building stakeholder agreements, the new 30-month system for producing local plans and its implications for developers and local authorities.  #ThePlanningSummit #UrbanPlanning #LocalPlans #EfficientPlanning #Regeneration #LevellingUp

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Read the full CIC response to the National Planning Policy Framework https://lnkd.in/etzxHpkd #NationalPlanningPolicyFramework

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Council funding will “certainly be a key issue post-election” as report highlights real terms cuts https://lnkd.in/eC6TJTkh #localgov #localgovernment #councilfunding #corefunding #budgetcuts #servicecuts #revenue #generalelection Institute For Fiscal Studies

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Along with other members of the #ACRENetwork, we are calling on the next government to make sure no #rural community is left behind. We are asking parliamentary candidates in Somerset to consider ACRE’s policy recommendations for addressing issues such as diminishing public services, inadequate infrastructure, increasingly unaffordable housing and ageing populations. A new vision for the countryside is needed – one in which rural communities are empowered to become stronger, fairer, and more sustainable places where everyone can thrive. https://lnkd.in/ep9EwQj3

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This week, Suffolk County Council released their Community Engagement and Wellbeing Policy, highlighting the profound impacts major infrastructure projects can have on community and stakeholder wellbeing. Our team was proud to have been engaged in the development of this report and its findings. We’ve seen first hand the importance of protecting community mental health, which is why we created the Stakeholder Wellbeing Assistance Programme (SWAP)—first-of-its-kind in the UK. SWAP is designed to address the very challenges outlined in the report, providing: ✅ Tailored mental health support for impacted stakeholders ✅ Training for project teams to detect and respond to early signs of mental distress ✅ Immediate crisis response solutions to prevent long-term negative effects SWAP is delivered in partnership with Vita Health Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of wellbeing services. Together, we help ensure that major projects not only succeed but do so while safeguarding the communities they touch. Are you a promoter who wants to go beyond the regulatory minimum to protect the wellbeing of your stakeholders? Or a contractor looking for expert support to manage the wellbeing of communities affected by your project? Contact a member of our team today and see how SWAP can strengthen your project’s community Tom Hacker Orla Downs #wellbeing #infrastructure #SWAP

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Catch up on all our coverage of the Budget so far ⬇ 🗺 Ministers seek ‘simpler’ council structures through reorganisation -https://lnkd.in/eamWXhGd 💰 Councils set to get 3.2% increase in spending power - https://lnkd.in/eBxUs8Yr ❌ Levelling up projects scrapped and shared prosperity fund scaled back - https://lnkd.in/e7V8aPVb 🏡 Household support fund extended - https://lnkd.in/ewDtSn6Z 🏫 Government promises £100bn capital spending boost - https://lnkd.in/eMkWuwKz 📝 Briefing: Big numbers, big promises and big changes - https://lnkd.in/ewScR39Q More reaction and analysis to come

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Government publishes consultation on measures to overhaul Right to Buy: Newly-built housing could be exempt for a set period of time and eligibility periods extended as part of Rayner’s package of reforms to “help councils protect and increase their housing stock” #ukhousing #housing

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I have signed this letter this morning on behalf of the Mind Federation. This is one of those times when the policy might be right but the context isn’t. I want tax equality and I want us to generate money for public services. We have been advocating for this for years and desperately so during austerity. But, the policy around the increase in NI contributions for employers doesn’t count for the fact that in health and care most providers are already propping up the system. Local Minds across England and Wales are subsiding their services. Why, because NHS and Local Authority contracts are rarely reflective of the true cost of delivery. We already know that hourly rates never fulfill the complete employment costs required. If all things were equal, and that the funding at source was fair and at full cost recovery this wouldn’t be an issue. We could trust contracts would be built with these incremental costs in mind. Commissioning and procurement is mostly dictated by price, combined with this additional cost will drive down quality, increase competition, reduce third sector providers and increase private sector. This feels very bleak! So, it is with a heavy heart that we as a sector ask for a reconsideration and make a desperate plea to fund health and care properly so that it is not consistently at threat.

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The Northern Housing Consortium’s "Brownfield First" report highlights a transformative opportunity for the North of England: building a new generation of homes on brownfield land. By devolving funding to local Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), we can address the housing crisis, regenerate urban areas, and protect greenfield sites. At Sureserve, we share this vision of transforming communities through sustainable housing solutions. Our commitment to improving social housing efficiency has positioned us as leaders in retrofitting and renewable energy, including heat pumps and solar battery storage. Our high standard of service is driven by our frontline workforce, who deliver lasting impact in their communities. Working as one Sureserve, we support initiatives like “Brownfield First” to drive forward sustainable, affordable housing solutions. Let's back this strategic initiative to create sustainable, affordable housing solutions while rejuvenating our communities. #HousingCrisis #UrbanRegeneration #BrownfieldFirst Read more: https://lnkd.in/eKvkjmqi

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The BBC recently published an exaggerated article about MVDC's financial position. Like all councils we face the need to make significant savings to balance our budget in the medium term but the Council has a transformation programme in place to do just that. If the savings outlined are made, reserves will stay at sustainable levels. More information can be found below. https://lnkd.in/efP9Yxnv.molevalley.gov.uk%2F2024%2F11%2F15%2Ffinancial-position-mole-valley-district-council%2F&utm_campaign=aga&utm_source=agsadl1%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4

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Today's report from the Local Government and Housing Committee is welcome and it raises important points on issues such as how we assess the need for social homes in Wales and also the challenges in delivering these. In addition, it proposes important recommendations for improving data collection, establishing a national development corporation in Wales and increasing the financial support provided to deliver new social homes.   Every day, we at Shelter Cymru see the reality of a lack of social homes in the experiences of people coming to us for help and advice. For many of those people, a safe, secure and suitable social home would play a key role in resolving the challenges they face, but right now we simply do not have enough of those homes. The result of this is people and families are forced into temporary accommodation or into a private rented sector that cannot meet their housing needs.   As Audit Wales have also noted, Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government is now unlikely to reach its target of delivering 20,000 social homes by 2026, and while it is right that all reasonable effort is directed towards getting as close to this target as possible we must also begin to look beyond 2026. Ultimately, the need for social homes in Wales far exceeds 20,000 and it exceeds what could ever have been delivered in one Senedd term. It is vital that the Welsh Government sets out a clear strategy for housing that runs beyond a single term and ensures a sustainable pipeline of new social homes that can help us end the housing emergency once and for all.

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The Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprises (VCFSE) sector holds untapped potential to create positive impact in communities. But both the public and private sectors must understand how to fully harness this power 🌎 NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System has taken decisive action to integrate VCFSEs into its Social Value initiatives. The result? Its ground-breaking new 'Roadmap to Maximise VCFSE Social Value Outcomes' Co-created with our Consultancy team and numerous public, private, and VCFSE stakeholders, this roadmap outlines six crucial transitions that will unlock the full potential of the third sector 🔗 Dive into the full story: https://lnkd.in/eXpa-932

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Only a fifth of local authority kinship care policies include information about support for covering legal expenses. Find out about our call for both national and local government to do better by kinship families. https://ow.ly/A8Oj50RCR4Y #LocalGovernment #KinshipCare

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Angela Rayner just announced proposed reforms to the NPPF and other changes to the planning system. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ea4Qk23q CDF Chair Andrew Lansley said of the announcement: "The development community in Cambridgeshire will welcome the speed and priority which the new Government attaches to promoting house building. We welcome the reversal of the damaging text in the NPPF which treated the Standard Method as a “advisory starting-point”. We in Cambridgeshire are consistently planning to build more homes than the Standard Method and we should continue to relate our local housing need to the evidence of employment growth and lack of affordability for those wanting to buy or rent in our region. Cambridgeshire should continue to be a pathfinder region for the government’s plans for strategic planning, local plan-making using the new system and for tackling water scarcity. We have already been very clear over the last two decades about the purposes of the Green Belt around Cambridge and the new rules should bring national policy closer to our practice locally. The government will need to press on rapidly with consulting on national development management policies, on reform of developer contributions and on setting a new affordable housing programme budget." Be sure to read the draft text for the new NPPF and respond to the consultation via the links below. 👇 Draft text: https://lnkd.in/gu_vtZ2C Consultation: https://lnkd.in/gDCgBj8p

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As the demands on LPA staff continue to increase due to colleagues leaving and new mandates from central government, it's crucial to support and develop the talent that remains. With the right tools in place, LPAs have the power to transform performance and morale at every level of the planning team. Read our latest insight article to see what can be done: https://lnkd.in/eDiqt7XW #Planning #PlanningData #BuiltEnvironment #LPA #Insights

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‘Critical’ spending review a chance to bring ‘desperately needed’ stability to council finances https://lnkd.in/ebi4zYam #localgov #localgovernment #spendingreview #budget #funding #councilfinance #treasury #publicfinances

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We always encourage our members to save responsibly, but we know how difficult this is in today's #CostOfLivingCrisis 🫰 WCU loans are affordable and accessible, with a holistic approach to decision-making. We look at circumstances; not just credit scores 💚 https://lnkd.in/etJTEQj2

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