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| w www.eelga.gov.uk| e info@eelga.gov.uk |
| EU Connects is open for business!
EU Connects is a new and dedicated resource for local authorities, the voluntary sector and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to improve access to and take up of EU funds in the East of England.
EU Connects provides hands on assistance for project development and applying for EU funding, whilst at the same time building capacity within the public and voluntary sectors to bid for further EU funding in the future.
EU Connects is delivered by 4 Project Associates:
The Associates work closely together to ensure comprehensive coverage of the key EU funding programmes and of the region. Each of the key EU programmes and each geographical area has its own dedicated Associate contact, who will be pleased to provide support and assistance to the relevant partners. Associates can provide one to one support, or liaison with relevant officer groups, strategic bodies etc. as appropriate.
The contacts for each of the EU programmes will shortly be listed on our web pages hosted at www.eelga.gov.uk. The geographical responsibilities of the Associates are:
- Nick Burfield: Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Suffolk and Thurrock;
- Alan Corbett: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Luton; and
- Matt Jones: Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Peterborough.
Read More...
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| LATEST NEWS: |
Localisation of business rates
Leaders have recently been briefed on the emerging model for relocalising business rates, and identified a number of issues that needed to be explored.
The Association has arranged a further event on the 11th October for Resources Portfolio holders to look in more detail at some of these concerns. A briefing paper is being produced for that event, but it is worth flagging up some headline points now:
- The impact on the 'incentive for growth' if more of the Business Rates are retained/diverted by the Treasury (as seems likely under the current proposals)
- Comparing between the two consultation options for the Baseline figures (for 13/14 and 14/15), Option 2 is more favourable for at least 35 of the councils in the East of England, but negatively affects 13 councils. Option 2 would provide an additional £44.6m overall to the East compared to Option 1. Both Options continue the position whereby the East of England makes a net contribution of business rates to other regions (we estimate between 20-25% of all business rates collected in the East, although we don't have enough data to confirm this).
- Authorities will require larger reserves to balance the additional risk
- How to cope with 'bumpy growth' and the need to smooth out profiles to avoid what Govt defines as "excessive growth" being top-sliced.
- Impact of rebasing
- Treatment of inflation
There are still a few places left at the event which will be held on 11th October, 3.00pm - 5.30pm at St John's Innovation Centre, Cambridge, CB4 0WS. If you would like to attend please email jonathan.skinner@eelga.gov.uk.
Read More...
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Regional Contract Register - 1,500 contracts and rising...
The Improvement East Regional Contracts Register now numbers in excess of 1,500 contracts covering 23 of the 52 local authorities in the East of England, as well as a host of national and regional framework contracts. If you are looking for collaborative procurement opportunities, whether to buy off existing frameworks or to identify working with neighbours, the Regional Contracts Register provides a wealth of valuable information.
The Regional Contracts Register sits within the Improvement East Procurement Hub and is FREE to access for anyone working in the public sector by logging on to:
www.improvementeast.gov.uk/procurementhub/
If you do not have a Procurement Hub account, please click on the link above and select the option to "Register" or you can go to the registration form directly at: http://www.improvementeast.gov.uk/register/
Read More...
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Showcasing best practice at Open Days 2011
The Open Days series of events is the key annual event for Europe's cities and regions and will take place in Brussels from 11th/13th October 2011.
Since 2003, Open Days has become an annual key event at which cities and regions showcase their capacity for creating growth and jobs, implementing European Union cohesion policy, and proving the importance of the local level for good European governance.
Investing in Europe's Future: Regions and Cities delivering smart sustainable and inclusive growth is the Open Days 2011 theme and will include approximately 100 sessions - workshops, debates and exhibitions - for circa 6,000 participants in total. Open Days is organised by the European Commission in partnership with regions and cities from all over Europe, and includes contributions from companies, financial institutions, international associations and academic organisations.
Highlights include:
- Professor Terry Mughan, Anglia Rushkin University, will be speaking about improving access to the care market for SMEs and describing early findings from the CURA B project (ERDF, 2 Seas cross border co-operation programme)
- A workshop will showcase of the ERDF funded EValu8 project - the East of England's contribution to the UK Plugged in Places electric vehicle charging network.
- a conference hosted by Suffolk County Council's ANSWER Project - A North Sea Way to Energy-efficient Regions - will highlight its groundbreaking inter European collaboration.
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E-learning platforms go live!
The e-learning project is delivering free e-learning platforms to each local authority across the East of England. The project aims to incorporate professional networking opportunities and e-learning in an innovative way. The overall aim is to develop a 'self-sufficiency' model for e-learning within each local authority, giving the end users the ability to manage their own learning in ways and at times that suit them best.
The first 10 platforms are due to go live in October and further platforms will go live in January. There are over 60 courses available at launch and these will be added to regularly, with a further 80 courses expected by the end of January.
For further information get in touch with Michelle Kirk, Head of Employers' Services at michelle.kirk@eelga.gov.uk. |
Pensions and pay update
The Local Government Group has submitted its proposals for reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme to ministers.
The letter to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, sets out the LG Group's proposals on how the required 3.2 per cent savings on the cost of the LGPS can be achieved in a way which is fair to employees and affordable for the taxpayer. The key elements of the LG Group proposals are:
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No increase in employee contributions for staff earning less than £15,000, a moderate increase for those earning between £15,000 and £21,000 of 1.5% and an increase of between 2 and 2.5% for those earning over £21,000
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Choice for employees by giving, for those who feel they cannot afford an increase in contributions, the option of taking a reduced pension accrual rate instead for future service from April 2014.
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Raising the normal pension age from 65 to 66 from April 2014, but only for benefits built up from April 2014. Benefits built up prior to then would retain a normal pension age of 65.
National Employers expect to get get a pay claim from the Trade Unions at their scheduled meeting on 25th October. We will keep you informed of the outcome through this e-bulletin.
For further information get in touch with Michelle Kirk, Head of Employers' Services at michelle.kirk@eelga.gov.uk. |
EACH project launch
The Embedding Ambassadors in Community Health (EACH) European Integration funded project from the Strategic Migration Partnership is beginning to take shape. The EACH Project is a collaboration between the East of England Strategic Migration Partnership (hosted by the East of England LGA), the Health Service and community groups run by and for minority ethnic women in the eastern region. The project aims to bring representatives from the community groups together with health professionals to improve outcomes for both, now and in the future.
It will be launched event at Homerton College, Cambridge on 18 October and will be the first step in introducing community groups to the health service professionals they will be working with. As well as launching the project, this will be an opportunity for 'speedy networking', encouraging delegates to share the good practice that exists around the region in engaging and meeting the health needs of women settling in the UK from outside Europe.
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EU funding to suport Gypsy/Roma health issues
The East of England Brussels Office is working with Dr. Pauline Lane, Reader in Mental Health at Anglia Rushkin University, to instigate and develop a European Research Centre for Roma/Gypsy Health which would develop an international public health research organisation with the Roma/Gypsy communities across Europe, as well as other academic/health organisations working to improve the health of Roma and Gypsy people across Europe.
Read More... |
| EVENTS & LEARNING: |
Evaluating the impact of events inspired by the Games
Nations and Regions East are running a free workshop on Friday 4th November 2011 at the Cambridge FA centre from 11.30am to 2.00pm including refreshments and lunch.
The workshop is open to Local Authorities and organisations that are currently or planning to deliver events inspired by the London 2012 Games and will demonstrate a free online application that has been developed in the West Midlands. The online tool can provide a standard and robust mechanism for the measurement of the economic and social impacts of events and activity for 2012 programmes including Cultural Olympiad events, sporting events and Torch relay events, although the tool has a much wider application beyond 2012.
The tool has now been rubber stamped by economic impact research organisation Sheffield Hallam University for methodological quality assurance and has been developed and trialled with organisations across the West Midlands. This is a free online tool and Lauren Amery, who has led on the development of the work will deliver a workshop to show you how it the toolkit operates and how it can be applied by partners and for activities within your own areas. The link to the Toolkit is as follows: http://www.eitoolkit.org.uk/
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Registration deadline is Friday 21st October 2011. Click here to register to attend this workshop: http://www.risingtothechallengeeast.co.uk/register/5JTP256515/
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Climate change skills training for planners
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) are delivering climate change skills training for local authority planners and elected members in the East of England. The project is being developed as part of the Climate Change Skills Fund programme, managed by Sustainability East on behalf of Improvement East.
The programme covers a wide range of topics as listed below. Over the Autumn there will be 27 sessions taking place in locations in Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
- Introduction to planning and climate change
- Evidence base and policy development
- Delivery and planning application determination
- Climate change mitigation solutions for individual buildings
- Climate change mitigation solutions for whole developments,
- Climate change risk and adaptation,
- Stand-alone technologies for mitigation and adaptation
- Study Visit - Rackheath eco-community development
- Train the Trainers session
The training is open to Local Authority planners (policy, development and building control) and elected members in the East of England, tasked with deliveringsustainable places and communities through the planning system. Other officers with strategically linked agendas, such as those working in climate change,sustainability, regeneration, housing and transport are also welcome.
To register for one of the events or to find out more information visit the Sustainability East website. |
Portfolio-Holder Networks
The Portfolio-Holder Networks enable councils, through their political leadership, the opportunity to collaborate on a number of important areas of policy. Further details on the range, purpose and operation of these network can be found here.
These meetings are exclusively for councillors with a responsibility for the particular area of focus and there is no charge for attendance.
Dates and details of future network events can be found here. |
Training
We run a range of training opportunities for elected members and for officers on key skills and issues, such as change management, performance management, equalities, member appeal panels and bullying and harassment.
Our regular training programme can be found here.
We are also currently offering training on mediation skills which will be delivered across various dates in October 2011. Further information can be found here. |
| USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EAST OF ENGLAND LGA: |
East of England Brussels Office
The European Team, based in Brussels, helps councils and other partners engage with Europe, signposting potential partnership opportunities, providing key information and obtaining increased access to European funding. To find out more visit: www.east-of-england.eu
Employers' Services
Employers' Services provides a range of tailored human resources, learning and development and organisational development support to local councils and the wider public and voluntary sector. To find out more visit: www.eelga.gov.uk or contact: valerie.seaman@eelga.gov.uk
Improvement East
Improvement East is the Improvement and Efficiency Partnership for all 58 local and fire and rescue authorities in the East of England to help deliver better services for local people as efficiently as possible. To find out more visit: www.improvementeast.gov.uk
Strategic Support
Strategic Support works to maintain and improve the liaison between member councils and Government Departments/agencies and facilitates engagement in the transition processes of key policy areas (for example sector self regulation, economic development or public health). There are also a range of externally funded campaigns and projects which sit within this function of the Association. To find out more visit: www.eelga.gov.uk
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Feedback
The East of England LGA would like to hear from you. Please contact info@eelga.gov.uk with comments or suggestions on any aspect of our work.
The East of England LGA is firmly committed to respecting your privacy. We do not share your information with any third party. If you feel you have received this email in error or wish to unsubscribe from receiving these updates Click here.
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