Shared Chief Executives

Here's a link to an article by Mike Bennett On his new blog publicinteligence. See it here

Localism and the National Planning Policy Framework

The Government is making some significant changes to the planning system that will affect the responsibilities of all local planning authorities. The intention is to make the planning system one that better supports sustainable economic growth and jobs, underpinned with the principles of localism, with less ‘top-down’ prescription and more ‘bottom up’ involvement.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will set out the Government’s priorities for planning in England. It will replace the current raft of planning policy guidance notes and statements with one document of less than 60 pages. The final version will be published around the end of 2011 or early 2012.

SOLACE in partnership with the LGG and PAS have recently published a brief overview the changes and their implications to which I've contributed the foreword.

You can read and download the document here Localism and NPPF

CIWM conference

I'm speaking at the CIWM conference on Wednesday on what Localism and Big Society mean in the context of sustainable waste and resource management. I'm  part of a panel with CLG under Secretary of State Bob Neill. My few slides that I'm using can be viewed here

Moving on

Ancient words of wisdom say

" unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Sometimes one thing has to be ended in order that something new can be created for the new season. This is how I feel about the changes which are occurring in the management team. It's been great to work with a successful team of people under whose management South Holland moved from "fair" to "excellent". That team is now giving way so that a new team can be formed to take us through the challenges of the new season. Whilst there's a sadness to see the old team break up and people go their own ways it's only by doing so that we can be fruitful in the future.

Local Society

"Local Society - the role of Councillors and Councils in strong local communities" was an event held earlier this month bringing together thinkers who hold a view and have experience on localism and public sector reform. I came across the blog entry of one of the participants Sam Markey Head of Insight with the LB Barnet. Although I'm sure Sam's job job title would be described by Mr Pickles as a "none job" he did, as they say, 'do exactly what it says on the tin' and bring some insight into the day to someone who hadn't attended.
Here's the link to Sam's blog. To tempt you here are a couple of clips

"Both easyCouncil and Lambeth Coop were mentioned, but one new analogy caught my attention – the Apple iPhone council. In this analogy, the local authority becomes an enabling environment – a platform for hosting apps (services) that are created, run and rated by others. It’s essentially a commissioning role, except that Council simply defines the problem not the solution. Clearly, this model assumes a belief in the market, but it neatly illustrates the gross distance between Apple’s streamlined model and the current experience of most local authorities where providers, stakeholders, users and partners are all using different ‘operating systems’. "

"When it comes down to it, it’s all about courage.

Courage to embrace change.

Courage to open ourselves up to closer scrutiny and challenge.

Courage to our admit mistakes and move on.

Courage to listen to residents and act on what we hear.

Courage to keep going (even when it all seems uphill).

Courage to remember that we are only human."

Council tax consultation event.

South Holland's consultaion with the community on its proposal for Council Tax setting included, this year, a "question time" type event with representatives from the older persons forums, youth council, business, community sector, parish councils and other public sector bodies raising their questions and concerns. To make this accessible to more people in our rural community the event was web cast and web viewers were able to email in questions to the panel. The panel comprised the Leader and two deputy leaders of the Council. An archive version of the web cast can be viewed here http://www.sholland.public-i.tv/site/player/pl_compact.php?a=51469&t=0&m=wm&l=en_GB

Big Society Book

Alot of my reading, blog following and podcast listening of late has been around the "big society".  The Keystone Trust who are based in Breckland have just published a new book on Big Society. This can be downloaded from their website. Here's their release ...

The Big Society Challenge - please feel free to distribute to your colleagues and networks. I hope you find it of use. The book was launched at the RSA in London on Thursday; it has papers from 22 authors (practitioners as well as academics) tackling the issues of the Big Society from many perspectives.


Amid calls for a new localised state, a strengthened civil society, and communities made powerful, how do community practitioners foresee the implementation of the Big Society initiatives?


Keystone Development Trust’s new book, sponsored by Development Trusts Association (DTA), Lankelly Chase, bassac, and Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) investigates the intellectual roots and political context for the Big Society agenda, and challenges the detail of plans to empower communities, and for public sector reform, suggesting ways to implement the vision of Big Society successfully.

This collection of short and accessible papers, featuring case studies from DTA and bassac membership, addresses the perceived difficulties of accountability, the dichotomy of civil society and the state, the relationship between individual action and collective action, and points to the successful examples of the vision in action now. It also explores how the idea will affect key areas such as housing, poverty, inequality, rural communities, the environment, and how it sits alongside social enterprise and the new austerity.

The Big Society Challenge is available in PDF for free at www.keystonetrust.org.uk or £10 for a hard copy