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LOCALISM: A LOCAL AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE Cllr ROGER BLANEY

LOCALISM: A LOCAL AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE Cllr ROGER BLANEY Leader, Newark & Sherwood District Council. Newark and Sherwood Area: 65sq m: largest DA in Nottinghamshire Population: 114,800: 2 nd largest BUT fastest growing 9.7% increase in households (2001-11)

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LOCALISM: A LOCAL AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE Cllr ROGER BLANEY

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  1. LOCALISM: A LOCAL AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE Cllr ROGER BLANEY Leader, Newark & Sherwood District Council

  2. Newark and Sherwood Area: 65sq m: largest DA in Nottinghamshire Population: 114,800: 2nd largest BUT fastest growing 9.7% increase in households (2001-11) “A district of three thirds”

  3. Newark and Sherwood Conservative/Independent administration Executive Leader and Cabinet BUT Commitment to Committee-based governance from May 2013

  4. Newark and Sherwood 3 Town Councils 51 Parish Councils 22 Parish Meetings 76 Total

  5. Community Right to Bid • Due to start in July. Now delayed until 12th October • LAs required to draw up and maintain list of “Community Assets”: buildings and land (but not services) • Identified by LA • Nominated by PC or “locally connected” voluntary/community body • Moratorium on sale of “community assets” until community have had: • Opportunity to express interest in buying (6 weeks) • Subsequent opportunity to raise funding for purchase (6 months)

  6. Community Right To Bid • “Right to Bid” NOT “Right to Buy” • Does not force sale • Only applies to freehold sale/leases over 25 years • No right of 1st refusal to PC/community group (as Scotland) • Owner free to sell to any bidder • Protected period of 18 months to dissuade against repeated attempts to block sale

  7. Community Right To Bid • Open to appeal against listing by owner • LAs responsible for paying compensation to owners for “real costs” incurred in going through CRtB process (funded through government’s “New Burdens Assessment”?) But: • Legal/admin costs of handling appeals borne by LA • Liability for commercial losses from unprofitable shops/pubs? • Listing last 5 years. Process repeated “Potential to be expensive, bureaucratic nightmare”

  8. Community Right To Bid • NSDC: Drawing up list of Community Assets – liaise with PCs etc • Concern about resource implications • Ambition of CRtB absolutely right. BUT Beware “Law of Unintended Consequences” • Delay in sale of Community Assets may be counter productive • “A Tale of Two Pubs”

  9. Community Right to Challenge • In place since 27th June • Opportunity for “relevant bodies” to submit “expressions of interest” (EoI) to run LA services • If EoI accepted, LA must run procurement exercise • Can consider social economic and environmental well-being of area in tender selection process: (Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012) NB: Delegation of function NOT of responsibility

  10. Community Right to Challenge • Only includes services which LA currently provides – less relevant to “lean and mean” councils • “Relevant body” does not have to be local - from other parts of the county, even country • “dog eats dog” • Potential to over-ride rigidities of LA boundaries • could help charities serving ‘virtual communities’ (e.g. people with disabilities)

  11. Community Right to Challenge • Duty of Best Value (September 2011) “secure continuous improvement in way functions are exercised, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness” • Same service at lower cost; or • Enhanced service at same cost

  12. CommunityRight to Challenge • Procurement exercise triggered by “relevant body” BUT, thereafter, open to all • Serco? Capita? • Wolves in sheep’s clothing? • “Chicken carcase council”

  13. Community Right to Challenge • EoIs for easier to deliver parts of a service • LA left to provide remainder at higher unit cost (c.f. Royal Mail Universal Service Obligation) - TC’s v PC’s? - Cluster solution? • Note: LA can seek bids for larger or more complex service than EoI proposed

  14. Community Right to Challenge NSDC • Be proactive, not reactive • Engage with “relevant bodies” • Establish clear time-lines for EoI’s • Schedule of services • Specify periods for submission

  15. Community Right to Challenge 2013March – April: Submission of EoI’s March – August: officer assessment and analysis September: recommendation to Cabinet/Committee Oct – Dec: preparation of tender documents and procurement process • Jan – Sept: procurement / OJEU process Oct – Dec: transition management, TUPE contract performance and risk management frameworks • April: go live *Assumes minimum 3 year contract of c£170k (to fall within OJEU)

  16. Community Right to Challenge • Strategic commissioning: - “getting the right things done, in the right way, at the right time, for the right price” • NSDC:- • Considering each priority service in turn • Engaging with providers/potential providers • Commission services to meet the key outcomes for the community

  17. Community Right to Challenge • Strategic Commissioning:- • Initial 4 pilots • Mandatory service • Food Hygiene inspections • Discretionary services • Tourism • Palace Theatre • New Service • Growth Investment Fund

  18. Community Right to Bid and Right to Challenge “ A victory for democracy over bureaucracy” Eric Pickles

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