GALC

25/09/2026

💚 Free wellbeing sessions for clerks and councillors

Busy agendas, difficult meetings, growing workloads and high public expectations can make council life feel relentless. This autumn, Parish Online Wellbeing is offering three further free lunchtime webinars with practical tools to help:

📅 6 October – Stress Less
📅 3 November – Beating Burnout
📅 1 December – Bounce Back: Improve Your Resilience

The sessions are open to everyone working across the local council sector—you do not need to be a Parish Online customer. Participants will not be singled out, and questions can be submitted anonymously.

Sessions will not be recorded, so remember to register and attend live.

👉 Find out more and book: www.parish-online.co.uk/support/wellbeing

24/09/2026

📣 Another important consultation for parish and town councils

The Smaller Authorities Proper Practices Panel (SAPPP) is seeking views on proposed new codes covering governance, accounting and internal audit for Category 2 authorities in England.

The consultation includes proposed changes to:
• the Annual Governance Statement
• the treatment of reserves
• the presentation of accounts
• the approach to internal audit

The new framework is expected to take effect from the 2027/28 financial year, so this is an important opportunity to help ensure it is clear, practical and fit for purpose.

📅 Closing date: 31 October 2026
👉 Read the proposals and respond: https://www.cipfa.org/Policy%20and%20guidance/Consultations/Consultation%20on%20the%20Governance%20and%20Accountability%20of%20Category%202%20Authorities%20in%20England

23/09/2026

🚻 Does your council provide public toilets, or have no provision at all?

Researchers want to hear from you about your experiences. The findings will help inform discussions about how local councils can be better supported to deliver this vital public service.

The anonymous survey takes just 5–10 minutes and can be completed by a clerk or councillor with relevant knowledge.

📅 Closing date: 31 October 2026
👉 Take part: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/de-montfort/town-and-parish-councils-public-toilets-survey

22/09/2026

📣 Final reminder: Neighbourhood Plan survey

Has your parish or town council completed, designated or made a Neighbourhood Plan?
NALC is asking councils to complete its short national survey to help build a strong evidence base about neighbourhood planning and inform its future work.

⏰ Deadline: 23:45, Friday 25 September
🔗 https://forms.office.com/e/4Pyn1PpHVv

Please share with councillors and colleagues involved in your Neighbourhood Plan.

21/09/2026

📷 ONE PHOTO. ONE SENTENCE. ONE GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

Today is —and we want to celebrate the difference parish and town councils make across our county every day.

In the comments, share one photograph and complete this sentence:

“Our council makes Gloucestershire a better place by…”

It could be a place you look after, a service you provide, a project you support or something that captures the spirit of your community.

Please include the name of your council—and don’t forget to tag it!

Let’s fill the comments with the people, places and projects that make Gloucestershire’s communities so special.

09/09/2026

Communities across England are gaining a stronger local voice as more parish and town councils are created or move closer to being established. The growth marks significant progress for a key campaign, helping extend the benefits of parish and town councils to more communities and giving local people greater influence over the places where they live.

Read the full NALC article https://www.nalc.gov.uk/resource/new-wave-of-parish-and-town-councils-brings-power-closer-to-people.html

08/09/2026

Plans for a major shake-up of local government are on hold, after the government launched a review in light of new legal advice.

What will happen in Gloucestershire?

This announcement was made by The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner MP yesterday. While we await the full details,we are disappointed that the position on local government reorganisation has now become unclear, particularly given the significant time and effort member councils have already invested in engaging with the process. While we recognise the government's desire to ensure the process is legally robust and aligned with its ambitions for devolution, NALC will be urging ministers to conclude the review swiftly and provide certainty for communities, member councils and county associations.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-of-local-government-reorganisation-launched

Proposals to merge smaller councils to form larger authorities have been paused or withdrawn in a number of areas.

07/09/2026

With Gloucestershire County Council’s new Community Climate Adaptation Fund open again, this may interest your council.
Rainharvesting Systems Ltd is offering a free assessment to help establish whether a practical rainwater harvesting project could be suitable for the fund.

Find out more and apply to the fund https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/greener-gloucestershire-dashboard/community-climate-change-fund-2026/

04/09/2026

Helping communities prepare for flooding

Flooding can have a significant impact on communities, and parish and town councils can play an important role in local preparedness and resilience.

Useful resources are available.

💧 Explore the NALC/ACRE project: https://acre.org.uk/helping-rural-communities-prepare-for-flooding/
🗺️ Check the Environment Agency flood maps: https://flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/

03/09/2026

NALC welcomes the direction of the government's new National Planning Policy Framework while stressing that communities must have a meaningful voice in shaping development and that new homes must be supported by proper infrastructure.

Read the full response https://www.nalc.gov.uk/e/t/c/1B1E3B70-2B41-4E5C-9A831C7E651A67FD/?link=DBA7BCDF-9984-4180-9E9E09A1EDCDE9CF