LALC eNews 20th March 2026

This fortnightly newsletter is distributed to all our member councils. It can also be found on the LALC website under News (LALC News). Other important information which comes up in between eNews publication dates is also shared on the website under News (Our Blog).

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If any Clerks want to join the Clerks’ eGroup, or any councillors want to join the Councillor eGroup, please contact enquiries@lalc.co.uk.

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Training courses available via LALC

Our Training Bulletin is distributed monthly to all our member councils, and courses are available to book via the portal (login required). If there is any specific training which you feel would be valuable, and we don’t currently offer it, please let us know and we will investigate. Download the latest Training Bulletin.

Please ensure that the email address for your delegate is correct, otherwise they will not receive the booking confirmation or any joining instructions. If you have set up your councillors on the LALC portal, you will be able to select their correct email address from a drop-down list when booking the training.

Many councils are currently moving to a gov.uk (or org.uk) email address. If you already have training places booked, please let us know so that we can update the booking with the new email to ensure automatic reminders are correctly received.

If one of your councillors (or staff members) resigns, and they were booked on LALC training, please cancel their place, so that others can book on. Failure to do so may not only deprive other councils from attending but could result in a non-attendance charge (see below).

Please note our training cancellation policy:

For part day courses – please ensure we receive cancellations at least 48 hours in advance

For full day events – please ensure we receive cancellations at least 5 working days in advance, as we need to pre-order and pay for lunches

Due to persistent non-attendance at booked events, it is unfortunate that LALC have had to amend the way we impose our cancellation fees. All members are charged 50% of the training cost when insufficient notice is received (as above) for non-attendance at training events. No shows will be charged at 100% of the course fee. All charges are regardless of whether the council is a member of the ATS or not.

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Updated AI webinars provided by Breakthrough Communications

Breakthrough Communications are providing the following updated webinars (via Zoom) on AI, which LALC are hosting in conjunction with ERNLLCA.

Part 1 - Getting Started With AI In Your Council In 2026

20th May 2026, 10:00 – 11:30

A clear and practical introduction that combines the essentials of AI with the foundations of an effective AI strategy for councils. This session explains what has changed for 2026, highlights safe and useful tools for everyday tasks, and shows how clerks, officers and councillors can plan for responsible adoption across their council. Delegates leave with an informed starting point for both practical use and longer term strategic thinking. We'll also cover the fundamentals of AI bias, transparency and data protection issues.

Part 2 - AI For Community Engagement In 2026

10th June 2026, 13:00 – 14:30

A focused session on using AI to strengthen community engagement through improved and more efficient content creation, including social media, written materials and video content. The training shows how AI can help councils reach wider audiences, improve accessibility and analyse community insight, together with an introduction to simple automated interactions that support engagement without replacing human customer service.

Part 3 - AI For Council Operations In 2026

1st July 2026, 10:00 – 11:30

A practical look at how AI supports better internal organisation through improved meetings, action tracking and project management. The session explores realistic applications that reduce administrative load, increase accuracy and support smoother workflows, together with the safeguards required for responsible use.

This non-core training costs £40 plus VAT per event however if you sign up to all three events, you will only be invoiced for two (£80 plus VAT). Book now via the LALC portal!

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CiLCA congratulations!

Congratulations to the following delegates who have recently attained CiLCA:

Hazel Bell – Welton-by-Lincoln Parish Council

Emma Thorpe – Branston and Mere Parish Council

Danielle Onyskiw – Mablethorpe and Sutton Town Council

Hazel Fox – Willoughton Parish Council

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New CiLCA Portfolio

SLCC launched their new CILCA portfolio in February 2026. Due to these changes, LALC postponed their training delivery dates for 2026. We can now announce that the Introductory Day will be held on 28th April, in the LALC Office at Dunholme, starting at 10am. This will be a face to face, all day session.

Please register your interest on the portal. Further information will then be sent to all candidates prior to attending the Introductory Day. Moving forward, the team are working on a dedicated area on the website/portal for CILCA students to access. More information will also be added to the website in due course.

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New LALC event dates just released and open for bookings

End of year, AGAR and audit - 21 April (10:00 – 13:00, via Zoom)

Chair’s Workshop – 3 June (18:00 – 21:00, via Zoom)

LALC AGM featuring guest speaker, Cllr Sean Matthews, Leader of LCC - 9 July (18:30 – 20:30, via Zoom)

Councillor Induction & Refresher – 20 July (18:00 – 21:00, via Zoom)

A face-to-face Councillor Induction & Refresher date is also currently being organised – details to be released shortly.

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ACAS Free Neurodiversity Training Courses

ACAS are running two FREE neurodiversity training courses which have been funded by DWP.

Unlocking potential: Recruiting for neurodiversity

Afternoon session: 19 March, 13:30 - 16:30 View details or book here

Morning session: 19 March, 09:30 - 12:30 View details or book here

This event will cover:

what neurodiversity is.

the strategic benefits of a neurodiverse workforce, and how to take steps to attract, support and retain neurodivergent talent.

practical insights and strategies to create an onboarding process that is inclusive, effective, and empowering for all team members.

best practice when hiring neurodivergent talent.

ACAS provides general guidance about neurodiversity at Understanding neurodiversity - Neurodiversity at work.

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LALC Enquiries Desk

These recent enquiries raised with LALC may be of interest to other councils.

Q. Can a town/ parish councillor become the paid Clerk / RFO?

A. Once a town/parish councillor becomes an employee or officer of their Council they are disqualified as a councillor (S.80 Local Government Act 1972). Also, they cannot be paid for 12 months after they step down as a councillor (S.116 Local Government Act 1972).

Q. Can the Clerk / RFO be self-employed?

A. No. Due to HMRC rules under IR35 and their guidance ‘EIM67300 - Tax treatment of Parish and Community Council Clerks in England and Wales: assessment of payments to clerks’ pay must be subject to PAYE. All pay/salary of employees must be reported through HMRC Real Time Information.

Q. Does every procurement over £30,000 have to be a full tender exercise?

A. Every council adopts their Financial Regulations and decides what internal controls they wish to put in place. Members and officers are responsible for always obtaining value for money. Any officer procuring goods, services or works should ensure, as far as practicable, that the best available terms are obtained, usually by obtaining prices from several suppliers.

Most local council procurement will be below-threshold (amounts specified each year by the Government) but all procurement over £30,000 including VAT should be published (unless exempt). Councils are encouraged to use the website ‘Find a Tender’. Following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 a NALC Advice Note on Procurement is now available on our website in the Knowledgebase. We encourage councils to seek advice from LALC to discuss their options for procurement when considering their projects.

Q. The Chair of the Parish Council will be on holiday at the time of the Annual Parish Council Meeting in May when the election of Chair will be on the agenda. Can they still be elected as Chair?

A. Yes. Councillors present and voting at that meeting elect the Chair for the civic year ahead. Either the Vice chair (if present) or another parish councillor presides for that item. The newly-elected Chair does not take office until they sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office which should be at the meeting or by the start of the following meeting. If it is not signed, then the role becomes vacant and a new election must take place.

Q. Do we have to hold an Annual Parish Meeting (APM) as well as the Annual Parish Council Meeting (APCM)?

A. Yes. They are not the same. The APM is a meeting of the electors of the parish/ town NOT a meeting of the parish council. Invite a speaker, put on an event, make it interactive.

The APCM is the annual meeting of the parish/town council at which the Chair/ Mayor of the Council is elected, and other business is conducted as specified in the Standing Orders. It is the start of a new civic year.

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HR Support

As some of you may already be aware, Chris Moses of Personnel Advice & Solutions Ltd will be retiring on 31 March 2026. LALC, as part of EMYA (East Midlands and Yorkshire Associations), have a secured a new Service Level Agreement for retained Employment Law support with Wilkin, Chapman & Rollits LLP (WCR). Similar to the service Personnel Advice & Solutions provided, WCR will provide telephone and email advice on a specific HR/employment law issue via LALC. At that time, they would consider whether it is an ongoing matter and whether it would be appropriate for them to enter a direct engagement with the town or parish council.

They will provide practical advice on next steps, an assessment of any particular risk at that point in time or offer a second opinion/sounding board in relation to proposed courses of action. They will deal with general enquiries such as in relation to holiday entitlement and will prepare and check, one off letters/responses in relation any employment law issues that arise.

They will provide a monthly Employment Law bulletin as part of this service. They will also provide invitations to free seminars and webinars. These can be attended by the Chief Executives of the Associations and a representative of any town or parish council in membership.

Please see our Knowledge Base article (portal login required), which explains the new service and details the expected fees, should the Council need to engage directly with WCR following the initial free advice.

As a reminder – When Councils are renewing their insurance policy, they need to consider if they have Employment Practices Liability Insurance, that protects employers against claims including: settlement agreements; employment tribunal claims, wrongful or unfair dismissal, harassment or discrimination claims and breach of employment contract. Having this insurance in place, typically means that the insurers provide or appoint legal representation.

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LALC’S Webmaster

With regret, we need to inform members that Tony Shaw will be moving on to pastures new in April. LALC will be advertising the position very shortly. Should this position be of interest to you, please let us know.

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Internal audits and end of year accounts

It is a mandatory requirement for local councils to engage an internal auditor every year, and the auditor must complete their section of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR). As we approach year end, some of you will have already had an intermediate audit carried out and will now be preparing for the year end sign-off.

LALC offers an internal audit service, and the fees can be found on our website. LALC’s audit checklist is based on the Practitioners Guide, which is the definitive guidance to aid councils in completing the AGAR.

LALC has delivered two sessions on Year end, AGAR and audit so far. Andrew will be delivering a further session on 21st April (10:00 – 13:00, via Zoom). Please see website for details.

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AGAR (Annual Governance & Accountability Return)

Please note that the external auditor, PKF Littlejohn LLP have started to issue the AGAR form for Financial Year 2025/26 and they need to be informed if there have been changes to Parish/Town Council email addresses, phone numbers and the Clerk/ Chair to ensure they can contact you with the details about the External Audit and AGAR forms. These are due to be sent out imminently.

If the contact details are not up to date, this may delay the Council in receiving the forms.

Please refer to the Practitioners Guide (can be found on the LALC website) for guidance on completing the AGAR.

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Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) – consultation closing soon

I am sure that most of you are aware that the LGR consultation for Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire is now live, giving all local councils the opportunity to have their say.

It is imperative that you respond to the consultation in order to provide the Government with a clear steer. Decisions from Government are currently expected by mid-July.

Access the consultation here. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 26 March 2026.

LALC is currently preparing a survey, which should be ready for circulation within the next few weeks. We appreciate that this is a particularly busy time for Councils, but we would be grateful if you could complete and return the survey once it is issued. Your responses will help LALC gather important information relating to the sector and to Lincolnshire.

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Latest News

NALC news (NALC login may be required)

SLCC news (No SLCC login required)

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RSN Warns Rural Households Will Be Hit Hardest By Oil Price Surge

Source: Rural Services Network

The Rural Services Network (RSN) has warned that rural households and businesses are particularly exposed to rising oil prices as global energy markets react to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

A significant proportion of rural homes are not connected to the mains gas network and rely on alternative fuels such as heating oil, LPG or solid fuels to heat their homes. Around 25% of homes in rural areas – approximately 1.4 million properties – are off the gas grid, leaving them far more exposed to fluctuations in global oil prices than households connected to mains gas.

Many rural properties are older and harder to retrofit with alternative heating systems. At the same time, rural economies are heavily dependent on transport and fuel. Farms, tourism businesses, local manufacturers and service providers all rely on road transport to operate.

Unlike mains gas or electricity, off-grid heating fuels such as heating oil are not subject to a domestic energy price cap. This means rural households must often absorb sudden price spikes when they occur.