Creating one council for Northumberland

General Questions and Answers

Our administration team deal with a number of general enquiries from members of the public each month. Here are a selection of the most recent questions and our responses.

Planning and development

Q: Who will have planning policy and development control powers in the new authority? Are any consultants being used during the change to the new authority in relation to planning?

A: As part of the arrangements for establishing the new Northumberland Council, work is being undertaken on an extensive range of transition tasks. These include establishing a new planning service and will cover management and development plan activities. Government regulations on transitional arrangements, including town and county planning will be published on 28 November 2008 and this will have the effect of making the County Council the sole plan making authority until the new Council begins in April 2009. The District Councils will continue to determine planning applications until the end of March. With regard to consultants, we are receiving, along with other authorities going through Local Government Review, limited support from the Planning Advisory Service (PAS). Three small scale contracts have been commissioned, and completed, to facilitate specific pieces of work. It is possible that during the early months of 2009 that consultancy support may also be obtained to assist with the determination of expected windfarm applications in the north of Northumberland

Q: How will the planning process (town and country change when the seven councils become one? How would a future application be made? Will it be on form 1/4?

A: Government regulations on transitional arrangements including town and country planning will be published on 28 November. Tasks in relation to the development plan include the submission of the Local Development Scheme for the new council to the Secretary of State and the Annual Monitoring report by the end of December 2008, the approval of a Consolidated Existing Planning Policies document in December 2008 and the adoption of the Statement of Community Involvement by September 2009.


The tasks for Development Management include the designing of a single operational planning application process including enforcement and compliance during autumn 2008 and the preparation of a development Management Charter for the new service by December 2008. Decisions are still to be made on final governance arrangements but it is likely that there will be a main centrally based planning committee with area-based development management committees in each of the areas. With regard to the way planning applications would be made in the future each of the 3 areas will continue to handle the full range of planning applications with the exception of applications relating to minerals and waste and large scale physical infrastructure projects such as windfarms which will be dealt with by a Central Development Management team based in Morpeth.

These teams will continue to encourage pre-application discussions on most , other than very minor, development proposals Provisions will be in place for electronic submission of applications via the planning portal or via the new council’s website for 1/4/09. In respect of other methods of submitting applications, initially, because of IT software reasons, planning applications would best be made either direct to the area office or central office to which they relate. However once IT systems are streamlined the intention would be that applications could be made anywhere within the authority. All applications except minerals applications would be made on the standard 1APP form.


The vast majority of all applications will continue, as is currently the case in the districts, to be determined under delegated powers - in other words where the decision is delegated from the Council to designated officers. Information on all the new procedures and arrangements will be made available prior to 1 April 2009.

Q: Please could you let me know when consultation for the Northumberland County unitary authority Local Development Framework (LDF) core strategy is due to begin?

A: The only Local Development Framework document on which consultation dates are currently known is the Statement of Community Involvement for which consultation is due to begin in early December 2008. It is anticipated that a Local Development Scheme (LDS) for the new council will be submitted to the Secretary of State in December and it is hoped that it will be adopted by full Council in February 2009. The Local Development Scheme will include information on anticipated consultation dates for the various Local Development Framework documents and will be published on the council's web site.

Q: I understand that all the Northumberland local authorities are preparing a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) in accordance with the Northumberland Methodology what is the deadline for submitting sites? Could you provide me with details of the Northumberland-wide timescales for adoption of the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments?

A: Please find listed below hyperlinks to information listed on Northumberland County Council's website regarding Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments.
http://pscm.northumberland.gov.uk/pls/portal92/docs/22603

New council’s name

Q: Is it really necessary to spend any money on naming the council?

A: As from April 2009, there will be a new council providing services across Northumberland. The county council and the district councils will cease to exist and will be replaced by the new organisation with new vision, values, and behaviours. Given that the seven Northumberland councils will be replaced by a single unitary authority, it would be confusing to residents if we retained signage bearing the names of the abolished councils. It is therefore essential that we ensure the name of the new council is used consistently, however we will be doing this in a way that minimises the cost.

All capital items, e.g. vehicles and buildings, will not be replaced on 1 April 2009 . Instead, they will be replaced when they naturally expire – as they would if reorganisation was not happening. Vehicles and signage will be adapted using stickers to cover the old name until these items are ready for replacement. It is also expected that efficiencies of scale (ie. bulk purchasing) will create savings – we will now have one organisation buying one set of items as opposed to the current situation where we have seven organisations buying seven different versions.

Q: Who decided on the name of the new council?

A: As of 1 April 2009, all existing Northumberland councils will be abolished to make way for a brand new organisation, with new vision, values, and behaviours. In December, councillors for Northumberland’s new council decided to name the authority Northumberland County Council. The decision was made at a special full Council after a public consultation where the majority expressed a preference for this name.

Almost 2000 responses were received during the consultation, which included online polls and questionnaires to all 1,000 members of the Citizen’s panel. Employees of all seven councils due to be abolished could also take part through the council intranet. Overall, respondents voted to use the County Council name at a ratio of nearly 2: 1.

In a full Council meeting on 9 October 2008, Members agreed to seek the views of the public and staff before making a final decision on a name for the new unitary authority.

Q: Why bother consulting on the name at all?

A: It was decided at full Council that the County Council would conduct an in-house consultation on the name of the new council for Northumberland. Members decided to target Northumberland citizens and staff in Northumberland councils. As primary stakeholders who are served by or work for local authorities in the county, it was felt that they should be specifically asked for their views. However other stakeholders are able to have their say in the online survey as well, which is open to all.

Q: How much did all this cost?

A: Costs have been kept to a minimum, which is why the online and PR led campaign was selected. Surveys were also sent to the 1000 members of the People's Panel, which is representative of Northumberland's population. To send out surveys to the People's Panel costs around £322.

Councillors and elections

Q: Who are the councillors for the new unitary authority?
A: Please follow the link to view a list of councillors and a photograph of each person Councillors for Northumberland County Council http://www.northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk/new/members.asp

Q: In the Council Blueprint Design - Summary - February 2008 and in other documents the adjective ‘frontline’ is used to describe some councillors. What does it mean? How are such councillors different from those not so described? The inference is that non-frontline councillors are tucked away somewhere. The electorate should know what sort of councillor it is voting for.

A: The use of the adjective ‘frontline’ councillor is an attempt to emphasise the important role of all elected members as community champions working for their local area. All councillors will have a key role of being a frontline councillor for their patch first and foremost - regardless of other roles in the council such as members of area committees, Executive members, etc. In the past, Government and others have drawn the analogy of councillors who are not represented on the council Executive as backbench councillors (along the lines of backbench MPs). The use of the term ‘frontline’ is an attempt to get away from the use of the term backbench when referring to councillors as they should be seen as community leaders for their ward first and foremost, whilst of course still a vital part of the full council as a whole.

Q: I understand that the new council is established in April 2009. What will be the cycle of elections thereafter?

A: Following the election in May the current council will hold office for five years (normally four) with the next elections in 2013 and every 4 years thereafter. Following the boundary review there is a chance that elections may run early but there is no confirmation of this from Communities and Local Government (CLG).

Q: What are the new council’s electoral boundaries and parliamentary seats?
A: The parliamentary boundaries are taken from those used in the last general election .http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/all-reviews/north-east/northumberland

Finance and assets

Q: The projected combined deficits of the seven councils have now, according to your website, been reduced from £55 million to £37 million. The original NCC bid predicted savings of £17 million per year - has this figure been factored into the four-year budget projection?

A: The business case submitted to support the LGR process identified potential revenue savings of £17.4m. In addition, the level of efficiency savings/budget reductions reflecting the existing targets faced by the previous seven councils have now been modelled, as adversely affected by the economic "slow-down". This has resulted in a combination of increased costs, particularly energy costs, reduced revenue from a variety of charges, and reduced income from interest receivable as a consequence of reduced interest rates.

The 2009/10 savings target is now estimated as £25.4m, representing a combination of:

		£million
	County Council	8.5
	District Councils	9.8
	Impact of LGR	7.1
	Total	25.4

Q: Can you tell me exactly what assets are being sold off and/or what assets may be offered for sale/sold off?

A: No decisions have yet been made concerning which assets will be sold as part of local Government reorganisation. The baselining team has compiled a list of district and county assets and these are currently being mapped. An asset working group has been set up as part of the Joint Implementation Team and this will be considering the asset needs of the new authority, taking account of the blueprint design, the forthcoming component design and the views of the new council. Decisions on which assets are surplus to requirements will be made further down the line, when more detailed work has been undertaken on how services will be delivered.

As part of Northumberland County Council's WorkWell project county council assets are being reviewed and sold, where appropriate, to meet business needs and the process is also likely to be happening at district council level as part of business as usual.

Suppliers

Q: As a supplier to highways divisions of several district councils are there any steps that I should take in relation to the new council?

A: At the moment it is business as usual for all depots throughout the county, no decision has been made yet as to the structure for the new authority next year.

Communities

Q: At the moment Seaton Valley is served by a community assembly with a budget totalling, over the last four years, some £340,000. The residents and other organisations have considerable say and a stake in the spending of this money and several voices are concerned that this will not continue post 2009. Streetcare through the Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT) is already moving in to work through the assembly in the neighbourhood. There are many other examples of services and budgets being directed this way, the question is - what plans are there to continue this funding and local delivery of services from the 1st April 2009?

A: The new council plans to work closely with all communities at a much more local level. The new design will be based on joining up all local government services across county, area and local levels. As Seaton Valley is one of the 27 local communities it will play a role in influencing elected members at area level and shaping decisions and priorities being made by the council. If there is good practice in local service delivery, which is responsive to local issues and needs (such as Streetcare), the new council will be encouraged to sustain and build on these.

Q: I am the secretary of the North Northumberland Village Halls Consortium. Many of my members do not pay any rates while others have recently had discretionary rate relief withdrawn. What is the policy of the unitary authority?

A: As part of the programme of work preparing for the new council, the aim is to develop a consistent approach to charging and concessions across Northumberland. Work is underway with elected members and service managers in identifying the principles which are to be applied to service charges and concessions, and it is aimed that draft policies will be available for consultation in December 2008, with final agreement in March 2009 by elected members.

Q: What is the current population figure for the new Northumberland unitary council, along with the size of the geographical area?

A: The current population for the new Northumberland unitary council is 310,600 (source: Mid-year Population Estimates, 2007, Office of National Statistics). The area in square kilometres is 5013.01.

Council tax

Q: At present different council tax charges are made for properties in the same band in different districts of Northumberland. Will this difference be maintained after the unitary council comes into existence? If not, how long will the adjustment period be?

A: The Local Government Review bid stated that the county and district elements would be equalised in 2009/2010. Areas with parish councils will still vary depending upon the level of parish precept. The draft financial regulations permit equalisation over a five-year period. Councillors will make a final decision as part of the budget approval in February 2009.

Licensing

Q: How will applications for taxi licences be handled in the new unitary council?

A: Information is being collated by the baselining team on all taxi licences across the seven councils with a view to providing data to enable a decision on future charges and pricing structures etc. This will be used to determine the options available in making any future decisions in this area.

HR enquiries

Q: Have any protocols been developed between the new and existing authorities on how you they will work collaboratively together over the implementation?

A: No formal protocols have been entered into by the county and districts over and above the directions detailed in the SI (statutory instrument). Part of the programme governance structure includes the Joint Transition Forum, the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Programme Board (PB), which is made up of the senior management team of the county council and the district chief executives.

The Joint Implementation Team (JIT) in Northumberland was formed following a discussion at the county and district chief executive's meeting. Nominations were requested from district councils to put forward names of officers to work as part of the JIT to deliver the new council. Nominated officers were then invited to a launch event and asked to put their names forward to work on one of the service cluster areas identified on the attached list. Officers were also asked to become members of various work streams to deliver the new council.

Q: I will be taking maternity leave for a year and will not return to work before the creation of the new council in April 2009. At this stage I do not know whether I shall be returning to work and have left my options open. If I do wish to return, will someone have ‘placed’ me within a team and location or do I get some say over where I am and what I will be doing? If I do not want to be placed in a position which is offered to me if it is not appropriate or the location is not right for my situation is severance pay available or do I have to resign?

A: There is a general responsibility to keep in touch with employees who are not at work for whatever reason such as illness or maternity; you should raise this with your current line manager in general terms. Staffing structures have been drawn up and are subject to consultation with the unions, along with a protocol of how the structures will be populated. It is likely that there will be a mix of assimilations and appointments, so it may be the case that you are assimilated to a similar post to the one you already hold. However, whatever the case, you should be consulted upon the detailed arrangements before any final decisions are made. It is the intention that employees will be offered suitable alternative employment if their existing post does not exist in the new organisation. What is deemed as suitable alternative policy depends on a number of factors and each case will be considered on its merits.

Q: Will all staff be interviewed for their posts?

A: It is likely that all staff will transfer to the new council under TUPE. Work is ongoing to draw up some recruitment principles that will be applied and it is hoped that the majority of staff will be assimilated to similar, if not the same, posts as they hold now.

Q: Can district and county staff continue to hold second jobs after the transition to the new unitary council?

A: As long as there is no conflict of interest (e.g. working for a company that competes for council contracts) people can do a second job up to, and including, grade SO2. Principal officers can do the same but must get permission; this will be granted as long as there is no conflict of interest and the working time regulations are not broken.

Q: I believe that Morpeth Leisure Centre and Ashington Leisure Centre are offering discount rates to county council members. Does Blyth Valley Arts and Leisure intend to change its policy and offer a discount rate too? If so, when?

A: The review and harmonisation of fees and charges has been identified as a task in the day one transition plan. As this issue is complex and involves external providers it is likely that it will be sometime after 1 April 2009 before all charging policies are aligned.

General enquiries

Q: Is there any information relating to tree management for the new council? Between the seven districts and the old county all of the council owned tree stock, tree preservation orders, conservation areas, and highway trees will need to be inspected and managed. How does the new council plan to cope?

A: There is no unified tree management strategy for the new council, initially trees will be managed in the same way they are now; through a combination of different sections of the authority that are involved in the management of council owned land, the highways network or the planning function (in respect of tree preservation orders (TPOs) and conservation areas). Long term, there may be an argument for a unified tree management strategy but this has not been identified as a day one imperative and will be something for the new authority to consider in due course.