Responding to Government Consultations

Business RatesAn Opportunity or a

Foregone Conclusion?Society of Local Councils Clerks

Larger Councils Network Meeting, Swanley – 15th September 2011

Inform and Coordinate

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Info 4 Local

SLCC External Affairs Officer, Sam Shippen PILCMslcceao@sky.com 01323 894870Branch Meetings

NALC Head of Policy & Development, Justin Griggsjustin.griggs@nalc.gov.uk 020 7290 0317Policy & Development Manager (Larger Councils), Chris Borgchris.borg@nalc.gov.uk 020 7290 0741

County Associations

Local Associations Information Services (LAIS)

Info 4 Local

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Consultations ending soonTransforming Regulatory Enforcement: Discussion paperDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills Deadline: 15 September 2011Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) Reform ConsultationDepartment for Transport Deadline: 15 September 2011The Future of the Local Better Regulation Office and the Extension of the Primary Authority Scheme

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Deadline: 15 September 2011Consultation on the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal Plans Department for Transport Deadline: 15 September 2011Work Capability Assessment: Year two call for evidenceDepartment for Work and Pensions Deadline: 16 September 2011Integrating the Operation of Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions: A call for evidence

HM Treasury Deadline: 19 September 2011

http://www.info4local.gov.uk/ http://youtu.be/spuVrU-LbHQ

SLCC

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

External Affairs.Members section of the web site.

Example – Data Transparency.

Mrs Sam J Shippen FCIS, Principal ILCM SLCC External Affairs Officer c/o Seaford Town Council 37 Church Street Seaford East Sussex BN25 1HG Tel: 01323 894870 slcceao@sky.com Mr S Macleod The Department for Communities and Local Government Zone 3/J4 Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU

13 March 2011 Dear Mr Macleod Code of recommended practice for local authorities on data transparency consultation I am the External Affairs Officer of the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) which is the professional body for officers working for Town, Parish, Community and Neighbourhood Councils in England and Wales. The SLCC represents clerks and other officers in over 4,200 councils, I write on behalf of those members. The SLCC agrees with the principle of democratic accountability and the rights of the community to seek and receive information from their council. Town and parish (local councils) are at a level closest to communities, most often based on a single villages and towns. Suggesting a code that will apply to the largest county council and to the smallest parish meeting is an ambitious one. Capability and capacity are issues that concern our organisation particularly as many local councils are small and employ only a part time clerk. The scope of technology available in the smallest councils, some of whom have no current access to broadband, may prove a limiting factor. Around 2,000 of the 9,000 local councils in England have a budget of less than £2000 and although the requirement for publication of spend over £500 is unlikely to apply this code goes beyond that requirement and introduces a requirement to publish as a minimum other information regarding the democratic running of the council. We would request that consideration be given to exemption for the smallest of councils perhaps those with expenditure less than £50,000, but consideration particularly to parish meetings who may have no staff at all. Whilst previous governments have given financial support to IT capacity and capability within principal local authorities, investment has not extended to local councils. Those who have IT capacity have made their own investment, whilst in many small local councils IT equipment competes with the provision of play equipment or other resources of direct benefit to the local tax payer. The lack of investment in some councils may make these proposed regulations impossible to comply with. The suggestion of a data inventory seems to expand upon the requirement to have a Publication Scheme. The publication schemes currently required to be approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 allows a local council to make available information in hard copy only, whilst we recognise that information provided electronically has a greater value for re-use, perhaps in consideration of any exemption, hard copy only might be allowed.

NALCP31-11 Natural White Paper Response Sept-2011 P25-11 Land and Society Commission Report Jul-2011 P24-11 Relaxation of Planning Rules Jul-2011 P23-11 Planning for Traveller Sites Jul-2011 P19-11 Future of Public Audit Consultation Response by Peter Lacey Jul-2011 P18-11 Waterways Response Jun-2011 P17-11 CLG Select Committee Report on Localism Response Jun-2011 P12-11 Community Right to Challenge Consultation Response May-2011 P11-11 Community Right to Buy Consultation Response May-2011 P10-11 Review of Statutory Duties Consultation Response May-2011 P06-11 Data Transparency Consultation Response Mar-2011 P23-10 New Homes Bonus Consultation Response Dec-2010

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

LAIS

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

DCLG Ministers

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Secretary of State Eric Pickles

Decentralisation &Planning Minister

Greg Clark Housing Minister Grant Shapps

www.communities.gov.uk

New Homes Bonus - DCLGHousing Minister Grant Shapps today pledged cash for communities who allow new homes to be built in their area. Almost £1bn Government funding has been set aside for councils that welcome new housing development, which they will be able to spend to benefit their local community.

The Minister announced that the Government will match the council tax raised from new homes for the first six years through the New Homes Bonus. Councils and communities will work together to decide how to spend the extra funding - whether council tax discounts for local residents, boosting frontline services like rubbish collection or providing local facilities like swimming pools and leisure centres.

Mr Shapps said "We are ending the system where the Government can tell communities what and where to build. That's why we've set aside almost £1bn so councils who build more homes start benefiting immediately from the extra cash, which they can spend on improving the local area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbYsqBqtZUk&feature=player_embeddedResponding to Government Consultations

Business Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Grant Shapps MP: Welwyn- HatfieldIn January he told Welwyn Hatfield Times; “The town council is pointless, and I think the time has come for a campaign to back either its abolition, or its costs being dramatically slashed.”

Mr Shapps said there was a “large crossover” with services and facilities run by both the borough and county councils, which could easily be incorporated

In March he backtracked, after many comments that he was actually opposing his party’s own stated policy and he said that he was calling for a review of the town council’s structure and financing rather than its abolition – ‘although that scenario may indeed be the outcome of any review.’ The ‘Fairer Deal for Hatfield’ Website is no longer being promoted by him – but it is still live – perhaps Eric Pickles sat on him (ouch).

http://andrewlainton.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/grant-shapps-opposes-localism-calls-own-town-council-pointless/

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

NALC - New Homes Bonus Response

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Question 5: Do you agree with the proposal to reward local authorities for bringing empty properties back into use through the New Homes Bonus? Are there any practical constraints? If not, what would the appropriate split be, and why?

No, we do not agree with the split. It should be; in parished areas with District and County tiers: Parish – 5%; District – 75% County – 20%. In parished areas with Unitary Authorities and in London:Parish – 7% Unitary – 93%. This would help local councils deliver the Big Society agenda and the neighbourhood planning elements of the Localism Bill.

Business Rates

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Local Government Resource Review: Proposals for Business Rates Retention.Before the introduction of the poll tax, business rates were set locally by councils and included a proportion retained by the local council. Since April 1990, they have been set by and passed on to central government, and are known as National Non Domestic Rates NNDR. The proposal is to allow local authorities to retain the NNDR and to reduce the grants to local authorities from central government.Where: http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localgovernmentfinance/lgresourcereview/How to respond: ResourceReview@communities.gsi.gov.ukWhen: Consultation ends 24th October 2011

http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/pdfs/pub_26_-_full_publication.pdfhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1990/mar/27/poll-tax-northumberland

LAIS – Business RatesLocal Government Resource Review: Proposals for Business Rates RetentionA consultation on the potential change to council tax arrangements to enable principal local authorities to retain business rates. This is being described as a means to help them to improve their services locally and create greater buy-in to locally-driven economic and business vibrancy. What it does not do is provide local councils with any element of the business rates, despite the fact that those councils often deal with the impact of business on the community and are crucial to the attractiveness of an area to visitors that businesses rely on etc. The document makes one reference to ‘parishes’ noting that they are covered by the New Burdens Doctrine (see LAIS1323) which requires central Government in some circumstances to assess and properly fund any new burdens on local government which would have otherwise resulted in an increase in council tax.

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Business Rates - Questions

Responding to Government ConsultationsBusiness Rates – An opportunity or a Foregone Conclusion?

Should Parish and Town Councils receive a share of the NNDR?

What responsibilities/conditions could be imposed?

Should Parish and Town Council properties be exempt from NNDR?

How can parish and town councils support the local economy?

How should Town and Parish Councils respond to the consultation?

Responding to Government Consultations

Business RatesAn Opportunity or a

Foregone Conclusion?Yes, it probably is a foregone conclusion, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use this as

another opportunity to tell government about the value of local councils.