EMC POLICY BRIEF A weekly round up of local government news in the East Midlands brought to you by East Midlands Councils

18 NOVEMBER 2016

East Midlands Rail Franchise HS2 Announcements

Summit on Asylum & Refugee

Resettlement

EMC Events for Councillors

and Officers

Top items this week

HS2: BRING IT ON!

Council Leaders have strongly welcomed this weeks announcement confirming the route of the new high speed rail line linking Birmingham with Leeds via the East Midlands – including a Hub Station at Toton near Nottingham, a Maintenance Depot at Staveley in Derbyshire and provision for high speed trains serving Chesterfield.

The East Midlands will form part of the ‘Eastern Leg’ of HS2 which will also link Birmingham, Sheffield and Leeds with London, and via a link to the East Coast Main Line, the North East and Scotland – serving 15 million people including six of the UKs top ten cities and an economy worth over £320 billion.

The Government’s announcement confirms the majority of the route proposed in 2013. However a number of changes are proposed which will be subject to further consultation in Leicestershire (Measham and around East Midlands Airport) and in Derbyshire (Long Eaton and north Derbyshire)

East Midlands Hub will be the most connected HS2 station outside of London, with a minimum of 7 HS2 trains an hour (4 from London via Birmingham Interchange, 3 from Birmingham Curzon Street). It will also have 2 classic rail platforms that will connect to the existing rail network. Through the addition of a ‘classic compatible link’ there is the potential to run HS2 trains from Leicester via the Hub Station to Leeds and Manchester – although this will require an electrified Midland Mainline.

The Hub Station will have a direct connection to the A52 and to the Nottingham Tram system. There is potential to extend tram connectivity to Derby and Derbyshire.

In addition to the Hub Station, it is proposed that Chesterfield will have a ‘classic compatible’ HS2 service, and to build an HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance depot at Staveley.

As well as employment land at the Hub Station and at the Staveley Depot, there are also development opportunities in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Loughborough and at East Midlands Airport that could benefit from HS2 – plus major regeneration sites such as the former Stanton Iron Works, Chetwynd Barracks and the existing Enterprise Zones.

East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board - The East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board met earlier today and considered the implications of the Route Announcement, further work on skills and economic growth, and proposals to use the second tranche of growth strategy funding which was also confirmed this week.

Details of the Government announcement is available here.

For details of the EMC Press release visit here.

East Midlands Emerging HS2 Growth Strategy Launch - The announcement was followed today by the formal publication of the East Midlands Emerging HS2 Growth Strategy – which sets out proposals from local partners to use HS2 to create an additional 74,000 jobs in the East Midlands and give a £4 billion boost to our economy.

Planning for Economic Growth - A presentation on the East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy will be given by Andrew Pritchard, Director for Policy and Infrastructure, East Midlands Councils on 1 December at the Planning for Economic Growth, CPD event for Planners and Councillors. For more contact Kirsty.Lowe@emcouncils.gov.uk

East Midlands Rail Franchise

This week also saw the publication the Government’s prospectus for the East Midlands Rail Franchise [available here].

EMC is working with the Department for Transport on the Franchise Competition, and (with the support of Local Transport Authorities) has appointed David Young of SCP Transport to

work with the DfT Franchise Team over the next 18 months to represent the views of councils. Cllr Roger Blaney, Leader of Newark & Sherwood District Council, has been appointed to act as lead Member for this work on the EMC Executive Board.

Public consultation on key issues for the Franchise will start in December. EMC will be holding an information event for councils and key stakeholders in December (originally proposed for the 23 November 2016, details of the December date will follow).

EMC News EMC would like to wish the best of luck to all the teams in the East Midlands Local Authority Challenge next Thursday, 24 November. Full results in next weeks Policy Brief.

Boards Activity

East Midlands Strategic Migration Board - Chaired by Cllr Heather Smith, the Regional Migration Board met on Wednesday 16th November to discuss the continued response of councils to asylum and refugee resettlement. In discussion with senior Home Office officials, the obstacles of funding and sufficient placements were highlighted as two of the main concerns to the UASC resettlement programme– notwithstanding the positive response of a number of councils to date in already providing refuge for these vulnerable children. In particular, the need for Northamptonshire to be included as part of the National Transfer Scheme, given their disproportionately high numbers, was supported by members.

Local Authorities continue to make progress in identifying placements for Syrian refugees with approximately 100 people expected to arrive later this month. Councils in this region have demonstrated how effectively they are able to respond to these challenges, but continue to work with Government in highlighting the pressures that councils are already working under and the need for these schemes to be fully resourced by Government.

EMC Support Activity

East Midlands Scrutiny Network - The next meeting of the East Midlands Scrutiny Network meeting will take place on 9 December at North East Derbyshire District Council. The agenda will be circulated in the coming week, for further information contact Kirsty.Lowe@emcouncils.gov.uk

EMC Councillor Events

Planning for Economic Growth - Part of the CPD Programmes for Planners and Councillors, 1 Dec 2016 - This is a combined event with the Continuing Professional Development Programme for Planners, it will be an opportunity for Local Authority Planners and Councillors to learn together about the role of Planning in Economic Development and hear case studies where authorities are developing innovative and successful practice. For more visit here.

Resilience – Having Difficult Conversations and Delivering Bad News, 7 Dec 2016 - EMC is running a half day seminar for Councillors on having difficult conversations. For more information visit here.

East Midlands Summit on Asylum and Refugee Resettlement, 17 Jan 2017 - In January 2017 EMC will hold a Summit on Asylum and Refugee Resettlement, speakers include;

Cllr David Simmonds, Chair of the LGA Asylum, Refugee and Migration Task Group

John Robinson, Chief Executive of Gedling Borough Council and Chair of the East Midlands Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme Task Group

Colin Pettigrew, Director of Children's Services Nottinghamshire County Council and Regional ADCS lead for Unaccompanied Asylum seeking Children

Venue - Attenborough Hall, City Hall, Leicester City Council, 115 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FQ.

The agenda and further details will be available next week, with further information in the Policy Brief.

Infrastructure, Planning & Housing

DfT Executive Committee - Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire County Councils hosted the DfT Executive Committee, including Philip Rutnam the Permanent Secretary, on the visit to the area to enable officials to gain an understanding of the key transport priorities, and opportunities and challenges for economic growth in the region. This has included a visit to headline projects that include a tour of the Markham Vale Enterprise Zone and a meeting at the proposed HS2 Hub station

in Toton with key stakeholders from across the region.

East Midlands RTPI Regional Awards - Entries are now open for the Regional Awards. For further information including the categories visit here.

East Midlands Councils

First Floor Offices, South Annexe Pera Business Park Nottingham Road Melton Mowbray Leicestershire LE13 0PB

Click on our Twitter & YouTube accounts for further in-formation.

EMC Leadership

Chair: Cllr Martin Hill OBE Vice Chair: Cllr Jon Collins Vice Chair: Cllr Neil Clarke MBE Conservative Group: Cllr Roger Blaney Labour Group: Cllr Robert Parker . Lib Dem Group: Cllr David Bill MBE Independent Group: Mayor Kate Allsop

Executive Director: Stuart Young

Employers’ Information CEEP UK News Alert - 11 November 2016 - In this issue [available here]:

Annual meeting of CEDEFOP ‘s Governing body held in Thessalonki – 28-30 September 2016

CEEP Transport Task Force: Draft response to Gender Equality Consultation

Public Services Board Meeting on 15 November: Draft Agenda and Working Documents

Next SGI Task Force meeting: Draft agenda and meeting documents

European Commission Economic Forecasts

Local Government News Council Leader intends to say 'no' to a Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire - The Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Martin Hill, has announced that he intends to say ‘no’ to the setting up of a combined authority for Greater Lincolnshire, which would include a directly elected mayor, based on the current devolution deal on offer. On 20 October, county councillors voted against the deal by 43 to 17 with five abstentions.

Councillor Hill, who will make his formal decision on 21 November, said: “Since county councillors voted, I have discussed the issues again with the Government, but was told that a mayor is still regarded as a “must”. In considering my position on the deal, I have absolutely at the forefront of my mind the views of the 4,000-plus residents who took part in the recent consultation”. To read the full statement visit here. LGA responds to PAC report on financial sustainability of local authorities - Responding to a Public Accounts Committee report on the financial sustainability of local authorities. For the full press release visit here.

New funding to boost diverse communities during Inter Faith Week - £250,000 of ‘small grants funding’ is now available to boost diverse communities across the country. The ‘Common Good’ programme will give pots of funding to projects that bring together diverse communities and different faiths through a range of activities from cookery classes to teaching computer coding. For more information visit here.

MJ Local Government Achievement Awards 2017 - The 2017 awards are now open for entries. If you think your services and projects are at the cutting edge of innovation then this is the chance to prove it by entering one, or more, of the 14 categories in the 2017 awards. For more visit here. The closing date for submissions is Friday 3rd February 2017. Categories include Workforce Transformation and Excellence in Governance and Scrutiny.

Health & Social Care

LGA responds to Age UK report on older people not receiving help they need - Responding to new analysis by Age UK revealing the number of older people in England who struggle without the help they need to carry out essential everyday tasks. To read the full press release visit here.

Prioritising Prevention - Commissioning for Quality and Innovation indicators have been set for the next two years, with four of the 13 indicators focusing on prevention. These cover the NHS taking

action on smoking and alcohol consumption, reducing the impact of antimicrobial resistance and serious infections such as sepsis, improving staff health and wellbeing and paying greater attention to physical health problems experienced by people with a serious mental illness. [Available here]

Public Health England has published a ‘menu of interventions’ - setting out evidenced actions that can improve people’s health, support quality improvement and save money for the NHS and the wider system over five years [available here].

EMC Events Coaching and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - This informal session will provide an explanation of Myers Briggs type theory and help you self-select (in a fun and practical way) the preferences that describe you best. For more visit here.