If any Clerks want to join the Clerks’ eGroup, or any councillors want to join the Councillor eGroup, contact enquiries@lalc.co.uk.
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This fortnightly newsletter is provided to member councils through the clerk and chair and should be circulated to all councillors. This eNews 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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Training courses are available to book via the portal (login required)
The Training Bulletin is issued monthly, and courses are available to book via the portal. 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. The Training Bulletin can be found on the LALC website here.
Clerks – when booking training for your councillors, please ensure that their email address is correct. If not, 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.
If you update your council email and are already booked on training, please let us know so that we can update your booking to ensure you receive the automatic reminders.
If one of your councillors 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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Vacancy advertising
|
Position |
Closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Cadney cum Howsham Parish Council (North Lincs) |
Clerk/RFO |
No closing date |
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Clerk/RFO |
5th December 2025 |
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Clerk/RFO |
8th December 2025 |
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Clerk/RFO |
12th December 2025 |
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Chief Officer |
12th December 2025 |
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Local Councils Advisory and Training Officer |
12th December 2025 |
LALC can advertise your vacancy on our website and in the fortnightly eNews. This is a free service. If you do not have a pre-prepared advert to send us, please complete our Vacancy Template, which can be found in the Members Portal under Document Templates.
We also offer a paid advertising service, which ensures that your advert also appears on Lincolnshire County Council’s website, Facebook, and LinkedIn (in addition to the LALC website and eNews). The current fee for this is £80. Please complete the Vacancy Template (as above), ensuring that all requested information is completed, and then contact us at enquiries@lalc.co.uk. You will be invoiced for this service.
Please note that Lincolnshire County Council require a closing date on their advert, as well as salary information (these are mandatory fields). LCC will remove your advert once the closing date has passed, so please consider the date carefully as you will have to pay again to re-advertise if your vacancy hasn’t been filled by then.
We recommend all councils advertise their vacancy, job details, method of application and up to date contact details on their own website too.
Please let us know when the vacancy has been filled, so that we can remove it from our website/eNews. If your vacancy has not yet been filled and you are continuing to advertise, please let us know of any revised closing date. If you no longer specify a closing date, please let us know so that we can update the vacancy adverts.
The NALC Recruitment Manual (developed as part of the Civility & Respect project) is now available via the portal. Go into Knowledgebase and click on 'Recruitment Manual' in the 'Employment' menu area.
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Sign up to the LCC Town and Parishes newsletter – email:
lcctownandparishnews@lincolnshire.gov.uk
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Latest News
The latest NALC news can be found here (NALC login required)
The latest SLCC news can be found here (No SLCC login required)
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BRAMM Autumn Newsletter
The British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) has issued its latest newsletter.
This edition features:
Winners of the Cemetery of the Year Awards 2025
How to enter for the 2026 award
Upcoming Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) training courses
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Lincolnshire Show 2026
The Lincolnshire Show 2026 takes place on Wednesday and Thursday 17 Jun 2026, 08:00 – 18 Jun 2026, 19:00.
LALC had a marquee at the Show in 2025 and is considering its plans for 2026 if there is enough interest from member councils to support it.
If any Parish or Town Council in Lincolnshire might be interested in having a stand within a LALC marquee we would like to hear from you.
Likely commitment is expected to be a fee of £300-£500 (amount to be confirmed) and one or two persons to be present over the two days to man their stand. Each stand will probably need a display, leaflets and free gifts / prizes to give away. Set up must be completed on site Tuesday 16th June 2026 during the day. Exit from the site can take place after 7pm on Thursday 18th June. The fee would include entry fee for up to two persons per day to the show.
Early notice is being given in case you need to include this in your budgets and also LALC need to consider if the event is feasible early in 2026 when we finalise orders/booking.
If interested, please get in touch by email: enquiries@lalc.co.uk
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View the latest LCC Town and Parish Council Update
View the latest Gallagher Community Matters newsletter
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Local Government Finance Policy Statement 2026-27 to 2028-29
The government has published its local government finance policy statement, setting out proposals for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement. It confirmed it will consult in December 2025 on a three-year provisional local government finance settlement, something NALC have been lobbying for several years.
Although the bulk of the statement relates to the funding of principal councils, it is worth noting, that the government says it will consult on whether there should be ‘no council tax referendum principles for mayoral combined authorities or town and parish councils’ (para 85).
The government will publish further information on these proposals, including local authority allocations, at the upcoming provisional Settlement in December 2025. These proposals are subject to ongoing consultation and change, followed by debate and a vote in the House of Commons in the usual way.
Read the Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29
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Increase in the National Minimum Wage
Government has announced that the national minimum wage will increase by 4.1% (for those over 21) from 1 April 2026.
The new rates will be:
21 and over – from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour
18-20 – from £10 to £10.85 per hour
16-17 and apprentices – from £7.55 to £8 per hour
Please check that you are paying at least these rates and the dates of birth of any employees who may now fall into a different age grouping.
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SLCC: NJC Pay Awards 2018–2025: Local Council Pay Settlements for England and Wales
A history of pay settlements
The National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government determine the pay and terms of conditions of employment for over 1.4 million local government services’ workers, including local council clerks, and council workers. Every year, the NJC reviews pay and conditions, negotiating any changes that will apply to local council staff in the following year.
In this article we thought it would be useful to provide a clear overview of the history of the pay settlements, in regard to the National Joint Council (NJC) agreement, going back several years to the 2018/9 settlement.
It is easy to forget how much the increase was and what happened when in the notes, so the table below contains a summary showing each NJC pay settlement from 2018 to 2025, with percentage increases, flat-rate awards, and changes to leave entitlements.
All the increases are with effect from 1 April in the respective year.
Annual Pay Awards at a Glance (2018–2025)
| Year | Percentage increase | Notes |
| 2018 | 2% two-year deal | “Bottom loading” for lower grades with increases up to 9.2% up to point 20 |
| 2019 | 2% second year of deal | New pay spine introduced |
| 2020 | 2.75% | Additional days leave to 22 days for staff with less than 5 years’ service |
| 2021 | 1.75% | |
| 2022 | See next column | Flat rate increase of £1,925. An additional day’s leave to all staff from 1 April 2023. |
| 2023 | 3.88% for point 44 and above | Flat rate increase of £1,925 to points 2 – 43. Increased annual leave to 23 days and 26 days comes into effect. |
| 2024 | 2.5% for point 44 and above | Flat rate increase of £1,290 to points 2 – 43. |
| 2025 | 3.2% |
Implementation
While each of the awards were effective from the 1 April, some of the increases were heavily delayed and not implemented until November. In one case it was not implemented until February of the following year.
There was one two-year deal in this time, in 2018/19.
Future pay awards
The next pay award will be from 1 April 2026 covering the year to 31 March 2027, or longer if agreed. Details of the offer and agreement will be published once negotiations between employers and unions are concluded.
FAQs
When do NJC pay awards take effect?
NJC pay awards are effective from 1 April each year, even if implementation is delayed.
Who negotiates NJC pay awards?
They are agreed by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services, representing employers and trade unions.
Where can I find details of the pay awards?
Details can be found on the LALC website.
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LCC extends Woodland Trust partnership
The move means thousands more trees and hedgerow plants in Lincolnshire soil.
Lincolnshire County Council has renewed its partnership with the Woodland Trust for 2026-28 in a move that will mean thousands more trees being planted across Lincolnshire.
The renewal will support the planting of 217,900 more trees, a figure up from the 207,000 that went in the ground during the last team-up which ran from 2024-26. That’s a huge amount of trees going into Lincolnshire soil that would cover the equivalent of more than 60 football fields.
12 extra miles of hedgerow will be planted too, in total that will mean tree cover for the equivalent of around 2,000 double-decker buses end-to-end.
The news is particularly important given that canopy cover provided by trees and hedgerows in the county is currently only 4%.
Read more details on LCC’s website.
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SLCC: API Welcomes New Government Investment in Playgrounds and Calls for Councils to Prioritise Accredited, Accountable Suppliers
The Association of Play Industries (API) welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement of an £18 million investment in playgrounds across the UK. This funding represents a timely opportunity to reverse the long-term decline in local play provision and restore high-quality spaces that support children’s physical, social and emotional development.
To ensure this investment delivers lasting value for communities, the API urges local authorities to commission only reputable, accountable, and financially robust suppliers. API members are independently vetted and adhere to strict professional standards designed to safeguard both public money and children’s safety.
Read the article in full on the SLCC website (no SLCC login required) or visit API website.
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NALC launches data protection roadmap for parish and town councils
NALC have launched a major new resource to help parish and town councils build confidence in data protection and prepare for the introduction of Assertion 10 in the Annual Governance and Accountability Return from 2025/26. Designed to cut through complexity and empower parish and town councils of all sizes, the new Data Protection Roadmap marks a significant step in supporting the sector's governance, professionalism, and commitment to public trust. The roadmap is packed with practical tools, including checklists, reflective questions, and real-world examples that help councils apply each stage to their own context. We have developed the roadmap in partnership with Breakthrough Communications, our specialist provider for data protection and information compliance support.
Read more on the NALC website. (NALC login required to access the roadmap).
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SLCC: Government Digital Service (GDS) – New Local Unit Announced
On 22 November, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Government Digital Service (GDS) launched GDS Local – a new specialist team designed to strengthen collaboration between central and local government and improve digital public services for communities in the UK.
GDS Local aims to help councils make local public services used everyday by people simpler, faster, and more accessible. GDS will work with councils to help scale innovation, share best practice and joined-up across national and local systems.
GDS Local will work with councils on:
enabling residents to use GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK App to access both national and local services through a single, secure account
reforming how councils buy technology, giving them more choice, flexibility and interoperability
supporting councils to share anonymised data on issues like homelessness trends or service demand through the Government Digital and Data Hub, facilitating sector-wide learning and the ability to scale innovations that work – whilst maintaining strict privacy protections
As part of this, DSIT and GDS also announced the rollout of the Government Digital and Data Hub – an online space providing training, networking and career resources for public sector digital and data professionals.
New NALC event: Beyond the Precept: Funding solutions for smaller parish and town councils
After a sold-out, record-breaking event earlier this year, NALC have announced a brand-new follow-up event to help smaller parish and town councils navigate today's growing financial pressures. Beyond the Precept: Funding solutions for smaller parish and town councils will take place on 11 February 2026, offering councils practical guidance and real-world examples of how to secure vital funding beyond the precept. With financial resilience becoming increasingly essential, this event provides timely insight and much-needed support for councils determined to continue delivering for their residents.
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NALC supports over 1,000 parish and town councils to move to .gov.uk domains
The Government Digital Service has celebrated a significant step forward in strengthening digital security, as more than 1,000 parish and town councils have now moved to their own .gov.uk domain. The achievement reflects our close collaboration between the Parish Council Domains Helper Service, which has played a pivotal role in championing the importance of secure, trusted digital practice across the sector.
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SLCC: Day One Unfair Dismissal Rights
The government has backed down on its manifesto commitment to introduce the right to claim unfair dismissal from “day one” following discussions with businesses and trade unions. The need to break the logjam in the Houses of Parliament has also brought about the change and the Bill can now proceed.
The law will now be amended to apply after six months, rather than from day one. However, the government will be making the change as primary legislation meaning it will be difficult for a future government to change it without bringing primary legislation itself.
The change to a six month qualification period is expected to be implemented in late 2026 or early 2027.
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SLCC: The Switch from Unmetered Supplies to Half-Hourly Settlement: What it Means for Your Organisation
Utility Aid explain a major change that is coming to how electricity gets measured and billed.
In 2017, energy regulator Ofgem started examining whether all electricity users should switch to half-hourly settlement – a system that records and bills electricity use every 30 minutes. This change will replace the current unmetered supplies approach and affects organisations across the UK, particularly local councils and public bodies.
The shift supports two important goals: helping customers use electricity more efficiently to save money and playing a crucial role in reaching the UK’s net zero carbon targets.
Examples of unmetered supplies:
Street lights
Traffic signals
Bus stops and advertising boards
CCTV cameras
Telecom cabinets
Rather than measuring actual consumption, these devices have their electricity use estimated based on equipment power ratings, operating hours (such as dusk to dawn for street lighting), and agreed usage profiles.
Read the full article (no login required) for details of how this may impact you, how the new system works, the benefits of the change, and what you need to do.
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NALC Launches Assertion 10 hub
NALC have launched a brand-new Assertion 10 Hub, providing parish and town councils with a comprehensive collection of tools, guidance and policies to help strengthen governance and compliance with the new Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance Statement. The hub brings together several new and existing resources, including a refreshed IT Policy, a Data Protection Roadmap, and the upcoming The Good Councillors Guide to Website Accessibility, which will be added next year.
NALC login is required to access the Hub.
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NALC demands new parish and town councils from day one in every new town
NALC have urged the government to establish parish and town councils in every new town from the moment the first residents arrive. In our response to the House of Lords Built Environment Committee inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements, we argued that without strong local democratic governance at the outset, new towns risk becoming little more than housing estates lacking identity, cohesion and long-term stewardship.
We emphasised that parish and town councils deliver both the social glue and the practical management that turn houses into thriving places. They organise events, run community facilities, maintain green spaces and play areas, and give residents a permanent voice in decisions that affect daily life.
Read the full article (no NALC login required).
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Key takeaways from the Autumn budget
There were no rises in income tax, national insurance or VAT.
A new High Value Council Tax Surcharge on properties worth £2 million or more from April 2028.
Mayors to gain a new tourist levy power on overnight stays.
Minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds rises to £10.85, and National Living Wage increases to £12.71.
0.5% reduction in departmental budgets in 2028/29 compared with the 2025 Spending Review baseline.
£2 billion a year for road maintenance by 2029/30.
£48 million to increase planning system capacity.
£18 million over two years to renew up to 200 playgrounds.
£13 billion flexible funding for seven Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs).
New Local Growth Fund of £902 million over four years for 11 MSAs.
Five place-based budget pilots to test pooling public service budgets.
Considering allocating MSAs a direct share of business rates from across their region to support mayors in driving growth.
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SLCC: Local Government Pay Claim 2026/27
The NJC unions have now presented their claim to the National Local Government Employers. This is for the anniversary date of 1 April 2026.
For a one-year deal, the claim seeks:
An increase of at least £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) across all NJC spinal column points
A minimum pay rate of £15 an hour for the NJC pay spine
A two-hour reduction in the working week
An increase of one day annual leave
In the event of a multi-year deal being proposed they seek the following structure of a three-year agreement:
Year 1: £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) on all spinal column points, alongside the introduction of a £15 minimum hourly rate
Year 2: An increase of RPI + 3 per cent
Year 3: An increase of RPI + 2 per cent
The next steps
Employers will be consulted on the NJC unions’ claim at online regional pay briefings scheduled to take place between mid-December to late January. The National Employers will then consider all consultation feedback before deciding how best to respond to the pay claim(s).
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NALC Blog: Where climate action meets community spirit
Oswestry Town Council shares its inspiring journey to plant 17,000 trees, one for each resident, as part of its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030. What began as a free tree scheme grew into a community-wide movement, with residents, schools, sports clubs and volunteers transforming green spaces and creating biodiversity corridors. From hedging at Gatacre Playing Field to rewilding canal routes, the project has strengthened connections between people and nature while delivering lasting environmental benefits.
NALC login is required to read the blog here.
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SLCC: North Somerset MP Calls for Dedicated Local Council Standards Bill
Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset, has written to the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, regarding the government’s announcement on new powers to suspend councillors for up to six months for serious misconduct and repeated rule breaches, and the introduction of a mandatory code of conduct across local authorities in England.
Whereas he commends the announcement, he urges the government to go further by introducing a dedicated Local Council Standards Bill that addresses the full breadth of accountability challenges facing town and parish councils. He notes that ‘while the proposed suspension powers and mandatory code of conduct are crucial, comprehensive reform of local council standards requires separate, focused legislation that gives this critical issue the detailed attention it deserves.’
He suggests a dedicated Local Council Standards Bill could establish a complete framework, including professional regulation for councillors, properly funded monitoring officers, a compliance scoring system, national internal audit parameters, proper officer audit declaration, and a comprehensive enforcement framework.
The letter can be read in full here.
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SLCC: New Age-Friendly Town and Parish Guide
The Centre for Ageing Better has produced a new guide highlighting the vital role town and parish councils play in creating age-friendly communities. Local councils are experiencing demographic ageing at a faster rate than the rest of the country, making it essential that the significant powers of local councils, and their reach into communities, is utilised to make them better places to age.
Endorsed by SLCC and the National Association for Local Councils (NALC), the guide breaks down the World Health Organisation’s age-friendly framework for a local council context, including practical steps, templates, and examples from councils who are demonstrating best practice in age-friendly work.
The Guide can be downloaded from the Centre for Ageing Better here.
꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰ ꙰꙰
SLCC: Clerks Asked to Support Research – Can a Parish Council be too Small?
Parish and town clerks in England are being invited to take part in new academic research. The study forms part of Louise Bareham FSLCC’s Master’s dissertation in Public Leadership ‘Can a Parish Council Be Too Small?’ which aims to investigate whether small parish councils have the capacity to function as effective and democratically relevant entities within the proposed local government reorganisation in England.
Clerks are asked to complete a short, 10-minute online questionnaire before 12 December. The survey can be accessed here.
The questionnaire is open to clerks, councillors, and other officers involved with local government. Louise is particularly interested in hearing from more councils with precepts of less than £10,000 and would be grateful if you could share the link to your councillors too.
Contact details for Louise Bareham are available via SLCC News.
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