Local Authority round-up 31/01/20

Brexit

European Parliament ratifies Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

On 29 January the European Parliament ratified the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement which agrees the terms of the UK’s department from the EU on 31 January. The Parliament’s president, David Sassoli, signed the letter confirming the EU’s consent and said “You are leaving the EU but you will always be part of Europe…It is very hard to say goodbye. That is why, like my colleagues, I will say arrivederci.”  President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said ratification of the withdrawal deal was “only a first step” towards a new partnership between the EU and the UK.  The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc would approach talks on the future relationship with “patience” and “objectivity” while defending its members’ interests.

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EEA EFTA Separation Agreement signed

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay has signed the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement on behalf of the UK together with representatives from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.  The agreement protects the rights of 17,000 UK nationals living in the EEA EFTA States and 15,000 EEA EFTA nationals living in the UK, ensuring that at the end of the Transition Period they will be able to enjoy broadly the same rights as they do now.  The Brexit Secretary said “This agreement underlines the importance of our relationships with our close friends and allies in the EEA EFTA states.  It will protect the rights of citizens and provide certainty to business as the UK leaves the EU, ensuring an orderly withdrawal and smooth transition as we put in place new arrangements for our future relationship with the EEA EFTA States.”

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Government aiming for zero tariff, zero quota trade deal

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said that the government’s objectives for trade talks will be published after Brexit on 31 January but he said that the government is aiming to secure a “zero tariff, zero quota” free trade deal with the EU.  After Brexit, the UK will enter into an agreed transition period with the EU until 31 December 2020 but will need to agree a free trade deal with the EU in that timeframe to ensure UK goods are not subject to trade barriers such as tariffs.  He said “The key issue is that we will have control of our rules, we will not be a rule-taker, we will not diverge for the sake of diverging.  We start from a position of alignment but the key opportunity is that we will be able to set our standards, high standards, on worker’s rights, on the environment, on state aid as part of that trade policy.”

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US-UK trade deal plans for this year

Once the UK leaves the EU on 31 January, the UK will be free to negotiate and sign new trade deals with countries who do not have existing EU deals, such as the US.  Secretary of the Treasury for the US Steve Mnuchin has said that US wants to agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK this year and that the US was “prepared to dedicate a lot of resources” to do so.  He said that President Donald Trump had previously said the UK would “be at the top of the list” for a deal and said “If the UK and US have very similar economies with a big focus on services, and I think this will be a very important relationship.”

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Commercial

Transforming Towns package announced

Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn, has announced The Transforming Towns package for Wales.  The £90 million investment aims to transform town centres and will be used to fund a variety of projects including £36 million for town centre regeneration projects, £13.6 million to tackle empty buildings and land, £2 million to support coastal town projects, £10 million in additional funding for the Town Centre Loans scheme and £5 million for Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity within town centres.  Councillor Rob Stewart, WLGA Spokesperson for Regeneration said “I welcome the Town Centre First approach, which will ensure that their strategic importance is considered in any new planning and investment decisions. Local authorities recognise the value of town centres for whole communities, which is why many councils have decided to open new civic offices, public sector offices, one stop shops, or schools in their local town centres.”

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Safer Streets Fund launched

Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse, has announced the Safer Streets Fund which will provide £25 million to tackle burglary and theft in crime hotspots.  The fund is now open for bids of up to £550,000 from police and crime commissioners to fund initiatives to prevent acquisitive crimes.  The funding can be used to improve neighbourhoods by increasing street lighting, installing better locks and gating alleyways and also to prevent crime by training community wardens and delivering local crime prevention advice to residents or Neighbourhood Watch schemes.  Association of Police and Crime Commissioners lead for prevention, Roger Hirst said “I welcome the launch of this fund which will help to tackle acquisitive crime by investing in a more preventative approach.”

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Pubs to benefit from business rates discount

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid has announced that pubs across the UK are to benefit from a business rates discount of £1,000 under a new Pubs Relief which will be introduced in April.  £1,000 will be taken off business rates bills for small pubs which qualify together with an extended retail discount which smaller pubs are also eligible for which would provide relief of up to £13,500 together off annual bills.  Community Pubs Minister Luke Hall said “Pubs are front and centre of communities around the country, the key to thousands of jobs and providing a meeting point for local residents to get together and enjoy a pint.  Today’s business rates cut continues our firm commitment to support pub owners, helping to keep the pints pouring and the locals happy.”

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Regulatory

Brighton could be car free by 2023

Brighton & Hove City’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee has requested a report that explores the feasibility and costs of developing a car-free city.  The report is expected to be presented to the committee in October 2020 in order to consider whether it is possible to become a car free city which could help them achieve their pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030. Committee chair Anne Pissaridou said “We were elected on a manifesto pledge to make our city carbon neutral by 2030. We have declared a climate emergency and are making progress on decarbonisation.  But, we must take major steps to reach our ambitious target, so we are proud to work cross-party and champion a car free city centre.”

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Planning and housing

Boost for Rough Sleeping Initiative

Councils are set to receive an increase in funding for the Rough Sleeping Initiative to enable them to deliver up to 6,000 new bed spaces in a bid to tackle the number of people sleeping rough.  The £115 million funding boost will also enable councils to create 2,500 support staff to help people access specialist mental health or addiction services.  Housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, said “We are focusing relentlessly on this issue and our efforts have already led to the first nationwide fall in rough sleeping in a decade – and the areas funded by our Rough Sleeping Initiative have seen rough sleeping numbers fall around a third more than they would be without this vital programme, but we need to go further.  That is why we are providing this funding so vital work can continue as we set out to end rough sleeping once and for all.”

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LGA warns homelessness services are at breaking point

New analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed that nearly 7 in 10 homelessness services are having to spend more than they planned which is causing more than two-thirds of all council homelessness services to be pushed to breaking point.  Due to a rise in demand and a severe shortage of affordable social housing, councils are having to place more families into temporary accommodation.  Figures reveal that last year council spending on placing families in bed and breakfast accommodation rose to £114.9 million, up from £93.3 million in 2017/18.  The LGA is urging the government to use the Budget to provide councils with sustainable, long-term funding to prevent homelessness in the first place and to give councils the powers to provide affordable social homes.  Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesman, said “Councils want to work with government to be able to prevent homelessness before it happens, but as a result of unprecedented funding pressures, they are becoming increasingly limited in what they can do.  We desperately need to be able to build more social housing to reduce the number of families being placed in temporary accommodation and bed and breakfasts.  With adequate funding and powers, councils can boost efforts to prevent homelessness and get back to building the affordable homes the country needs.”

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Government announces £1 billion finance for smaller builders

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that the government together with the UK finance industry will be partnering in order to provide £1 billion in new loans to support small and medium sized builders to deliver new homes in areas across England under the British Business Bank’s ENABLE Build Programme.  The programme will enable local builders to secure loans from participating backs to help the government to deliver its commitment of at least a million new homes in the next five years.  Applications from lenders to be part of the scheme opened in 2019 and it is hoped the scheme will shortly begin guaranteeing millions of new loans for local builders.

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If you have any questions about the issues raised in this update, please do not hesitate to get in touch.