A Guidance note has been produced by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) – Service Delegations to Parish and Town Councils.

• LAIS1278 CRC: Service Delegations (PDF, 387 Kb)

Parish and Town Councils (local councils) will wish to be aware that the third version of the Governance Toolkit for Parish and Town Councils has been launched.

• LAIS1279 Governance Toolkit (PDF, 48 Kb)

Parish and Town Councils (local councils) will wish to be aware of a consultation on the preapplication and application planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), such as nuclear plants and airports.

• LAIS1280 Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (PDF, 467 Kb)

Born of his experience of the 'cancerous growth' of unbridled, out of touch, centralising government and the 'destructive nature of bureaucracy', Antony Jay (co-writer of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister) writes of the attractiveness of town and parish councils (local councils) as units of power and decision-making. His writing, A New Great Reform Act, will appeal to those local councils and communities that are disenchanted with party politics and the remoteness of government.

• LAIS1281 A New Great Reform Act (PDF, 352 Kb)

Parish and Town Councils (local councils) will wish to be aware of the revised guidance note, Probity in Planning, for councillors and officers dealing with planning matters at principal authority level. Although this guidance is not aimed at local councils, it is helpful to be aware of the guidance being given to those making planning decisions, particularly given the important role of local councils in commenting on and making communities aware of planning applications.

• LAIS1282 Probity in Planning (PDF, 403 Kb)

'The engagement of local councillors as leaders and representatives of the community is vital in the delivery of positive outcomes from the planning process.'

• LAIS1282 Probity in Planning Guidance (PDF, 155 Kb)

Building Britain's Future is the Government's plan to tackle the recession and build on existing reforms to strengthen Britain for the future.

• LAIS1283 Building Britains Future (PDF, 493 Kb)

Following on from the Prime Minister's commitment in Building Britain's Future, a consultation document has been launched, Strengthening Local Democracy.

• LAIS1284 Strengthening Local Democracy (PDF, 603 Kb)

This consultation is on four documents relating to new regional governance arrangements as part of the move away from Regional Assembly to Regional Development Agency-centred power.

• LAIS1285 RS Leaders Boards (PDF, 608 Kb)

The Department for Transport (DfT) is the policy lead on lorry parking and associated rest areas.

• LAIS1286 DFT Doc Lorry Parking Baseline Report (PDF, 3.2 Mb)

DfT understands that the provision of lorry parking facilities is a vital service that supports the national and international road freight operations which help facilitate the UK economy and its growth.

• LAIS1286 DFT Doc Lorry Parking Strategy (PDF, 141 Kb)

Town and parish councils (local councils) often raise lorry-related concerns, including the impact of lorries on road safety, their use on unsuitable roads, misdirection by sat nav systems and overnight parking issues.

• LAIS1286 Lorry Parking Strategy (PDF, 377 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be interested in the statistics on local government finances from the UK Statistics Authority published by Communities and Local Government.

• LAIS1287 LG Financial Statistics (PDF, 443 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be interested in the decision of the Payments Council on whether to abolish the use of cheques as a method of payment.

• LAIS1288 Abolition of Cheques (PDF, 377 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will wish to be aware of the Government's decision to remove the stranglehold of the current cheque-based system of local council payments.

• LAIS1288.1 Modernisation of Payments (PDF, 433 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be aware that the issue of abolition of cheques by 2018 had brought to the fore concerns that the only lawful way for local councils to authorise and make payments is under s.150 Local Government Act 1972 Expenses of parish and community councils which states at s.150(5): 'Every cheque or other the order for payment of money by a parish or community council shall be signed by two members of the council'.

• LAIS1288.2 Modernisation of Payments (PDF, 592 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will wish to be aware that statements on national policy which inform decisions by local planning authorities are being set out in new-style Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), which are gradually replacing Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs).

• LAIS1289 PPS and NPS Programme (PDF, 413 Kb)

Consultation on changes to exemptions from public performance rights in sound recordings and performers' rights

• LAIS1290 Consultation (PDF, 1.2 Mb)

This is the government response to the consultation on changes to exemptions from public performance rights in sound recordings and performers' rights.

• LAIS1290 Government Response (PDF, 452 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will wish to be aware of Government's announcement of its decision that, with effect from 1 April 2010, the existing exemptions for the third sector whereby they do not have to obtain licences from Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) for the playing of recorded music in public will be repealed.

• LAIS1290 Public Performance Rights (PDF, 443 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will wish to be aware of Government's consultation on developing the banking and financial services available through the Post Office as this could impact on a rural service that has been in considerable decline.

• LAIS1291 Post Office Banking (PDF, 475 Kb)

This consultation is relevant to all users of Post Ofices; those who work for or on behalf of the Post Ofice; and stakeholders with an interest in the Post Ofice, banking and inancial services or inancial inclusion.

• LAIS1291 Post Office Consultation (PDF, 1.9 Mb)

A report on the Government's Vetting and Barring Scheme.

• LAIS1292 Drawing the Line (PDF, 1.3 Mb)

The Vetting and Barring Scheme aims to prevent unsuitable people from undertaking certain paid or volunteer work with children or vulnerable adults ('regulated activity').

• LAIS1292 VBS Guidance (PDF, 1.5 Mb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be aware that there has been considerable media attention around the introduction of new measures aimed at safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

• LAIS1292 Vetting and Barring (PDF, 504 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be aware from LAIS 1292 that the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), which aims to protect children and vulnerable adults by requiring relevant staff and volunteers to register to be checked by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), had been reviewed to address the controversy surrounding the breadth of its coverage.

• LAIS1292.1 Vetting and Barring Update (PDF, 337 Kb)

Comprehensive list of nationally defined consultees in the planning application process.

• LAIS1293 Consultation Document (PDF, 195 Kb)

Parish and town councils (local councils) will be interested in an information document which is currently out for consultation on a draft list of planning application consultees.

• LAIS1293 Planning Consultees (PDF, 468 Kb)