District Councils' Network

District Councils' Network
Named after District councils
Predecessor Association of District Councils
Formation April 1974 (1974-04)
Type Special interest group
Purpose To “act as an informed and representative advocate for districts to government and other national bodies, based on their unique position to deliver for ‘local’ people.”
Headquarters Westminster, London
Region
United Kingdom
Membership
200

The District Councils' Network (DCN) is a special interest group which sits within the Local Government Association.[1] It represents 200 out of 201 non-metropolitan district councils in England;[2] (South Ribble district council being the non-member), representing over 40%[3] of the population and 90% of the land, funded through membership subscriptions. The network’s purpose is to “act as an informed and representative advocate for districts to government and other national bodies, based on their unique position to deliver for ‘local’ people.”

The District Councils’ Network shares offices with the Local Government Association in Westminster, London.

History

District Councils were created in 1974 following the restructure of local government in England.[4] District Councils were created as two-tier authorities alongside County Councils. Districts are responsible to run services such as housing, economic development, waste collection, planning and community services.

Following the re-organisation of local government the Association of District Councils (ADC) was set up in April 1974. This replaced the Rural District Councils Association and Urban District Councils Association as the representative body of non-metropolitan district councils in England.[5][6] In March 1997, the ADC was wound up and merged with other local authority organisations to form the Local Government Association (LGA).[7]

The District Councils’ Network was formed as a special interest group of the LGA to give a distinct voice for District Councils. In 2011, the DCN inherited funds from the defunct ADC.

DCN Executive and Chief Executives’ Network

The DCN has an Executive consisting of 22 councillors representing the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and independent groups from all areas of the country. This is chaired by Cllr Neil Clarke MBE, Leader of Rushcliffe.[8] The previous Chairman was Cllr Gary Porter, Leader of South Holland, Lincolnshire.

Alongside the DCN Executive sits the Chief Executives’ Network (DCEN) made up of District Chief Executives from across the country. The current chair of the DCEN is Sandra Dinneen, Chief Executive at South Norfolk. The previous chairman was David Buckle, Chief Executive of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.[9]

In September 2015, former Cannock Chase chief executive, Stephen Brown, became the inaugural director of the DCN.[10]

The DCN Assembly meets four times a year; recent keynote speakers include Greg Clark MP,[11] Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government,[12] and Brandon Lewis MP, Minister for Local Government.

About

The DCN provides a voice for district councils to the Local Government Association, Central Government and other national bodies. This work includes informing and influencing national and local stakeholders. The DCN has worked on a variety of issues; including local government finance, welfare reform, planning, housing, economic regeneration and health and wellbeing.

The DCN has released a number of publications on issues affecting district councils in England. In 2015 the DCN commissioned renowned health think-tank The Kings Fund to explore the scope for districts playing a greater preventative role in the public health agenda[13] in a groundbreaking study 'A time of challenge and opportunity' [14] and academics from the University of Birmingham's Inlogov to investigate the best way districts should adapt to the English devolution agenda [15] in a report entitled 'Building Better Collaboration'.[16]

Previous publications have included a joint research project with the independent think tank New Local Government Network on new ways of working;[17][18] a publication on District Councils involvement in City Deals,[19] and Districts actions on the Public Health agenda.[20] The DCN also provide evidence on behalf of District Councils to central government to help shape the direction of policy towards local government. This has included evidence on Community Budgets,[21] Local Enterprise Partnerships, Localisation of Council Tax,[22] Business Rates, Public Health,[23] Welfare Reform[24] and Private Rented Sector Housing.[25] The DCN also host a number of events each year on topics affecting District Councils such as public health and private sector housing.

List of counties and districts

This is a list of non-metropolitan counties and their districts in membership of the District Councils’ Network. The list excludes the non-member authority.

Non-metropolitan county Non-metropolitan districts (excluding unitary authorities) Number
BuckinghamshireSouth Bucks - Chiltern - Wycombe - Aylesbury Vale 4
CambridgeshireCambridge - South Cambridgeshire - Huntingdonshire - Fenland - East Cambridgeshire 5
CumbriaBarrow-in-Furness - South Lakeland - Copeland - Allerdale - Eden - Carlisle 6
DerbyshireHigh Peak - Derbyshire Dales - South Derbyshire - Erewash - Amber Valley - North East Derbyshire - Chesterfield - Bolsover 8
DevonExeter - East Devon - Mid Devon - North Devon - Torridge - West Devon - South Hams - Teignbridge 8
DorsetWeymouth and Portland - West Dorset - North Dorset - Purbeck - East Dorset - Christchurch 6
East SussexHastings - Rother - Wealden - Eastbourne - Lewes 5
EssexHarlow - Epping Forest - Brentwood - Basildon - Castle Point - Rochford - Maldon - Chelmsford - Uttlesford - Braintree - Colchester - Tendring 12
GloucestershireGloucester - Tewkesbury - Cheltenham - Cotswold - Stroud - Forest of Dean 6
HampshireGosport - Fareham - Winchester - Havant - East Hampshire - Hart - Rushmoor - Basingstoke and Deane - Test Valley - Eastleigh - New Forest 11
HertfordshireThree Rivers - Watford - Hertsmere - Welwyn Hatfield - Broxbourne - East Hertfordshire - Stevenage - North Hertfordshire - St Albans - Dacorum 10
KentDartford - Gravesham - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge and Malling - Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - Swale - Ashford - Shepway - Canterbury - Dover - Thanet 12
LancashireWest Lancashire - Chorley - Fylde - Preston - Wyre - Lancaster - Ribble Valley - Pendle - Burnley - Rossendale- Hyndburn 11
LeicestershireCharnwood - Melton - Harborough - Oadby and Wigston - Blaby - Hinckley and Bosworth - North West Leicestershire 7
LincolnshireLincoln - North Kesteven - South Kesteven - South Holland - Boston - East Lindsey - West Lindsey 7
NorfolkNorwich - South Norfolk - Great Yarmouth - Broadland - North Norfolk - King's Lynn and West Norfolk - Breckland 7
NorthamptonshireSouth Northamptonshire - Northampton - Daventry - Wellingborough - Kettering - Corby - East Northamptonshire 7
North YorkshireSelby - Harrogate - Craven - Richmondshire - Hambleton - Ryedale - Scarborough 7
NottinghamshireRushcliffe - Broxtowe - Ashfield - Gedling - Newark and Sherwood - Mansfield - Bassetlaw 7
OxfordshireOxford - Cherwell - South Oxfordshire - Vale of White Horse - West Oxfordshire 5
SomersetSouth Somerset - Taunton Deane - West Somerset - Sedgemoor - Mendip 5
StaffordshireTamworth - Lichfield - Cannock Chase - South Staffordshire - Stafford - Newcastle-under-Lyme - Staffordshire Moorlands - East Staffordshire 8
SuffolkIpswich - Suffolk Coastal - Waveney - Mid Suffolk - Babergh - St Edmundsbury - Forest Heath 7
SurreySpelthorne - Runnymede - Surrey Heath - Woking - Elmbridge - Guildford - Waverley - Mole Valley - Epsom and Ewell - Reigate and Banstead - Tandridge 11
WarwickshireNorth Warwickshire - Nuneaton and Bedworth - Rugby - Stratford-on-Avon - Warwick 5
West SussexWorthing - Arun - Chichester - Horsham - Crawley - Mid Sussex - Adur 7
WorcestershireWorcester - Malvern Hills - Wyre Forest - Bromsgrove - Redditch - Wychavon 6
Total 200

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Special interest groups | Local Government Association". Local.gov.uk. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  2. ↑ "Members | District Councils' Network". Districtcouncils.info. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  3. ↑ "Table 8a Mid-2011 Population Estimates: Selected age groups for local authorities in England and Wales; estimated resident population; Population Estimates for England and Wales, Mid 2011". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  5. ↑ >Chris Cook, ed. (2006). Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945. p. 232. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Janice Morphet (2008). Modern Local Government. p. 35. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  7. ↑ Michael Chisholm (2000). Structural Reform of British local government: Rhetoric and Reality. p. ix. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "New officer team at the District Councils Network". The MJ. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Chairman appointed at District Chief Executives Network". The MJ. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  10. ↑ http://districtcouncils.info/2015/07/01/stephen-brown-appointed-next-district-councils-network-director/
  11. ↑ Dan Peters (1 July 2015). "LGA 2015: Clark hails big moment for local government". The MJ. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Jonathan Werran (11 July 2013). "Pickles under fire over NHB cut". The MJ. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  13. ↑ name=LGOV191115>William Eichler (19 November 2015). "District councils 'sleeping giants of public health' says report". LocalGov.co.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  14. ↑ http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_publication_file/district-council-contribution-to-public-health-nov15.pdf
  15. ↑ Richard Johnstone (October 8, 2015). "Give districts key devolution role, INLOGOV suggests". Public Finance. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  16. ↑ http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/government-society/inlogov/research/building-better-collaboration.pdf
  17. ↑ Jamie Hailstone (March 6, 2013). "District councils 'must lead from the front'". The MJ. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Vivienne Russell (March 8, 2013). "District councils 'central cog in growth drive'". Public Finance. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  19. ↑ >Jonathan Werran (13 June 2013). "District councils role in supporting City Deals promoted". LocalGov.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  20. ↑ >"Districts make public health case". Environmental Health News. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  21. ↑ >"Community Budgets Third Report of Session 2013-14" (PDF). House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. 9 October 2013. pp. 121–126. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  22. ↑ >Wendy Wilson (21 June 2013). "Localising support for Council Tax- background" (PDF). House of Commons Library. pp. 12 and 15. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "The role of local authorities in health issues Eight Report of Session 2012-13 Volume I" (PDF). House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. 27 March 2013. pp. 185–190. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Implementation of welfare reform by local authorities Ninth Report of Session 2012-13 Volume II Additional Written Evidence" (PDF). House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. 26 March 2013. pp. 37–39. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "The Private Rented Sector First Report of Session 2013-14 Volume II Oral and Written Evidence" (PDF). House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. 8 July 2013. pp. 295–297. Retrieved 21 January 2014.

External links

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