Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (1)

Part 1 Matters affecting parish and town councils directly (including principal authority consultations etc.)

DORSET CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP (1)

The Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is our new organisation that has been set up to commission health services across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. We are a membership organisation of all GP practices from across the area who will work together to ensure that services are integrated and improved.

We are committed to ensuring that we reduce health inequalities and that we have the needs of our communities at the heart of how we plan health services. Our mission is “Supporting people in Dorset to lead healthier lives”. To do this we know that we must make sure people are clear about what they need to do to lead a healthier life, to be able to engage with us to let us know what else they need, and to be able to access health services when they need them.
We also recognise that people access services and need support in a range of different ways. Our challenge is to understand our communities by engaging effectively with them and ensuring we meet their needs. We have already listened to many people in order to develop the Equality Strategy and we now want to make sure we have developed the right objectives and actions so that we can deliver it. We welcome your feedback and input into this survey.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/DCCGequalitystrategy

www.surveymonkey.com/s/DCCGequalitystrategy

DORSET CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP(2)

Following an extensive selection assessment and process held on 9 January we are pleased to announce that Paul Vater, who is currently Acting Director of Finance and Performance for the PCT cluster, has been appointed as the Dorset CCG Chief Finance Officer. There was a considerable amount of national interest in this post with exceptional candidates short listed.

STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ON COUNTY COUNCIL PLANNING MATTERS – CONSULTATION DRAFT (JANUARY 2013)

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out how people and organisations with an interest in the area can play a part in the preparation of minerals and waste plans and in the consideration of planning applications that are dealt with by the county council. We have prepared this with the intention of replacing the current SCI because planning legislation has changed recently and we need to reflect the latest legal consultation requirements.

The Statement of Community Involvement highlights:

•  how people will be consulted on planning applications for minerals, waste and county council development (such as schools);

•  how the council will involve communities and organisations the preparation and revision of minerals and waste local plans; and

•  who will be consulted on county planning matters.

We would like your comments on the draft Statement of Community Involvement. The document can be viewed online at: www.dorsetforyou.com/mwdf.

You can comment between 18 January and 1 March 2013.

If you wish to comment, please complete the response form which is also available online, and send it to us by email to: or by post at:

Planning Policy, Dorset County Council

APPLYING FOR YOUR BUS PASS - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

From 1 April 2013 Dorset County Council will be taking over responsibility for bus pass applications from district and borough councils.

The new centralised service will provide a more consistent service across the county council area and give better value for money for tax payers.

Residents applying for an older persons or disabled persons bus pass for the first time will now be able to apply by phone, by downloading an application form online or by collecting a application form from their district or borough council, or from their local library.

Residents needing to renew their pass will be invited to reapply or automatically sent replacements through the post.

Anyone who has moved since their current pass was issued should contact their local district or borough council to update their address details before the end of February.

Councillor Peter Finney, Cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “The old system of paying district and borough councils to provide this service on behalf of the county council no longer represents the best value for money.

“Local councils will still be able to choose to fund any additional concessions, such as subsidising travel at peak times.

“There is no need for pass holders to take action now, we will provide further details about how to apply for a concessionary pass nearer the time.”

Dorset County Council concessionary fare applications will be processed by Euclid Ltd, a Hampshire-based company specialising in producing and issuing ID cards.

DORSET FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE (DFRS)

Dorset Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) has a vision to ‘work in partnership to make Dorset safer’. However, to make this a reality, they need to know more about residents, their needs, to listen to opinions and draw on local knowledge.

They also want to give parishes and towns more localised and up to date information about risks in their areas, news of local campaigns and introduce their Home Safety Advisors and local Volunteers who will be attached to every station to target risk and increase community safety.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service are sending a senior fire officer to each of the 5 DAPTC Area Meetings on a six monthly basis to give 10 minute 'Community Update Report' presentation starting in the Spring

REVISED LEGAL TOPIC NOTES

Revised LTN 22 - Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures – Issued January 2013

Appendix - Disciplinary & Grievance Arrangements Model Template

Part 2 Government and other statements, consultations, etc. which might have an impact on parish and town councils.

PLANNING MINISTER NICK BOLES ANNOUNCES NEW CASH INCENTIVES

Communities that tackle the legacy of inadequate house-building and choose to accept new housing will benefit directly from new generous cash incentives.

Neighbourhoods that take a proactive approach by drawing up a neighbourhood development plan, and securing the consent of local people in a referendum, will receive 25% of the revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the development that they choose to accept.

This cash boost will be paid directly to parish and town councils and can be used to back the community’s priorities for example to re-roof a village hall, refurbish a municipal pool or take over a community pub. Neighbourhoods without a neighbourhood development plan but where the levy is still charged will still receive a capped 15% share of the levy revenue arising from development in their area.

The regulations required to enable neighbourhood funding to commence are expected to be finalised in Spring.

COMMONS POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM COMMITTEE PUBLISHES CENTRAL / LOCAL REPORT

The House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee recently published its report on re-casting the relationship between central and local government. Prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government is the Committee’s Third Report of session 2012-13, Volume 1, available on the Committee’s website at www.parliament.uk/pcrc ;

The new report strongly suggests that independence for local government is a beginning, not an end, and that such freedom enables local public entities to engage with the process of grassroots devolution, which they and their electorates would take forward in their own way.

The National Association will track further developments following the publication of this report on 29 January, 2013 and communicate them to the local councils’ sector; but, overall, is encouraged by the fact that local councils are at least cited by the Committee in this latest publication.

CUTTING BACK RED TAPE FOR COMMUNITY ENTERTAINMENT

A change in rules, recently announced, will mean that community venues – including community centres, schools, village halls and hospitals – will be exempt from licensing restrictions on a range of entertainment and cultural events.

They will be free to put on events like dance displays and concerts without having to apply to the local council for a licence.

Under current rules, eligible organisers either have to apply for a Temporary Event Notice at least 10 days prior to putting on every event, or apply for an entertainment licence, which on average costs well over £200 for new applications.

Local businesses like bars and pubs, and cultural organisations will also benefit from the proposed changes. They will no longer have to fill in reams of paperwork and go through a costly process just to host a live music band or put on a play. It’s anticipated that the move will see thousands of extra events take place across the country.

The change – to the 2003 Licensing Act – has been brought about following a public consultation, and is part of the Red Tape Challenge, which aims at removing unnecessary bureaucracy from civil society organisations, charities and businesses.

Timetable

Following Parliamentary approval, it is expected that the measures will come into effect in England and Wales by April 2013. The remaining legislative measures for live and recorded music will be introduced to Parliament as soon as possible. It is also intended to consult next year on measures that examine community film screenings.

COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUILD – HOMES & COMMUNITIES AGENCY

Community groups in England (outside Greater London) are invited to apply for a share of the £17.5m fund which is being made available to provide seed corn funding to help groups to formally establish, build up their development proposals and submit a Community Right to Build Order.

The funding is available until the end of March 2015 or until funding is fully committed. It is unlikely that applications made after October 2014 will be successful. Any community group or parish council can seek to access the funding provided that they have constituted a formal organisation that meets certain basic standards. Community groups are encouraged to contact Locality in the first instance to discuss their application and development proposals.

http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/community-right-to-build

COMMUNITY RIGHTS GRANTS PROGRAMME – THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT BUSINESS GROUP

From 16 July 2012, community groups can apply for funding to help them use the new Community Right to Challenge in the Localism Act. The Right came into force on 27 June and will empower local community organisations to take over a local service that they can run more effectively.

Pre-Feasibility grants between £5,000 and £10,000 are on offer to help organisations build internal capacity. Organisations that can demonstrate a strong potential to compete for public service delivery contracts can apply for feasibility grants of up to £100,000 to help prepare an Expression of Interest or compete in a procurement process.

The Grant Programme is an integral part of the Community Right to Challenge Support Programme and will offer advice and funding to support organisations through the process of competing for local services and is particularly keen to help small local organisations build capacity to deliver public service contracts. Applications for pre-feasibility and feasibility grants from interested organisations will be accepted on a rolling basis.

A parallel Community Ownership and Management of Assets Grant Programme (including Right to Bid) opened on 30 July 2012 and also accepts applications for pre-feasibility and feasibility grants on a rolling basis.

http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/our-funds/communityrights/

BOLES UNVEILS NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING CASH

Local authorities will be able to claim up to £100,000 of new government funding towards the cost of helping community groups prepare neighbourhood plans, planning minister Nick Boles has announced.

Under the initiative, from 2 January 2013 local planning authorities will be able to claim up to a maximum of £50,000 (up from £20,000) for neighbourhood planning area designations this financial year, up to a maximum of ten. This will then be expanded on 1 April 2013, allowing local planning authorities to be able to claim up to £100,000 for up to 20 designations in the financial year 2013 to 2014, the Department for Communities and Local Government said in a statement.

The current limit for payments for designations is four. The money is on top of additional funding,

unveiled in August, which allows local planning authorities to claim up to £30,000 for each neighbourhood plan which successfully passes examination.

Boles said: "Communities across the country are showing real enthusiasm for neighbourhood planning and taking up the powers we gave them to get directly involved in making - this is in stark contrast to the top down only decisions we saw before. "The new financial support we are making available today to councils will enable them to open up neighbourhood planning so that even more communities can turn paper plans into the realities of prospering neighbourhoods that are growing and developing in the ways they want to see."

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT

The House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has recently received a memorandum from Communities and Local Government telling it to engage in post-legislative scrutiny of the Sustainable Communities Act, 2007. The Committee therefore invites written submissions on the operation of the Sustainable Communities Act, 2007.

The Committee wishes to focus on the effectiveness of the legislation, specifically, to examine whether the Act has met its policy objectives and is operating effectively. To assist those submitting memoranda the Committee has identified four specific policy areas which respondents may wish to address, though relevant submissions on all aspects of the 2007 Act are welcome;

The Committee asks targeted questions of respondents: -

Details of the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee scrutiny process can be downloaded from:-

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news/sustainable-communities---tor/ .

The National Association will be responding to the Call For Evidence in full support of the legislation being extended to local councils. Though Question 3 directly applies to our sector, the Association will further be responding to all questions asked.

Part 3 Training, job opportunities, marketplace offers, funding sources etc. potentially of interest to parish and town councils. – Note: - commercial advertisements passed on via this element of the circular do not imply that the organisations are recommended or preferred by DAPTC.