Local Authority round-up 29/05/20

Brexit

“Constructive engagement by the UK” needed in Brexit talks says Barnier

EU chief negotiator Michael Barnier has said that a “new dynamism” is needed in EU-UK Brexit talks in order for things to progress. Following a letter from David Frost to Mr Barnier which criticised the EU’s approach to the negotiations, Mr Barnier said the UK “cannot expect high-quality access to the EU single market if it is not prepared to accept guarantees to ensure that competition remains open and fair.” The fourth round of talks will take place from 1 June and Mr Barnier said “The next round must bring this new dynamism in order to avoid a stalemate. I remain convinced that with mutual respect and constructive engagement by the UK across the board, on all issues on the negotiating table, we can move forward in the limited available time.”

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Brexit advantage for Northern Ireland

DUP agriculture minister Edwin Poots has said that Northern Ireland could benefit from Brexit as it will be able to access both the EU market and the UK single market which could make it an attractive place for investment, provided that it can minimise new checks with the rest of the UK post Brexit. He said “We would have the advantage of actually having access to the Single Market and to the UK market, and make NI an attractive place for inward investment. So we need to be very sure that we can actually maximise that advantage, whilst at the other side minimising the disadvantage.”

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Government wants to change Human Rights Act

The EU have requested that as a condition of any deal the UK remain a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights but UK negotiators have refused saying it is an issue of “sovereignty.” This week Michel Gove has said that the UK does not want to commit to human rights in writing as a condition of the trade deal with the EU after the transition period as it wants to retain the option to change the Human Rights Act. He said that the Government might want to “enhance” legislation on human rights “in all sorts of ways.” He told the future relationship with the EU select committee “It is a question of sovereignty: to say that one particular legislative mechanism is pristine perfect and cannot be changed unless you secure the permission of another sovereign entity is I think an infringement of sovereignty. Some people might argue that it was justified but it is nevertheless an infringement.”

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Commercial

£50 million funding to safely reopen high streets

High Streets Minister Simon Clarke has announced £50m of funding under the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which will be provided to councils across England to prepare for the safe reopening of high streets and other retail spaces. The funding will be used to introduce a range of safety measures so that high streets, city centres and beachfronts can reopen as quickly as possible once allowed to do so and will fund new signs, street markings and temporary barriers together with funding to develop local marketing campaigns to assure the public that they are safe to use. The funding is being provided under the European Regional Development Fund and the money will be allocated to councils on a per capita basis and will be ready to spend from 1 June 2020. Mr Clarke said “we are providing an extra £50m for councils to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.”

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£300 million funding for councils for new test and trace service

The Government has announced £300m in funding for councils across England to work with the Government to support test and trace services in their local communities. Each council will be given funding to develop tailored outbreak control plans which focus on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in places such as workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools. Councils will be required to work with local NHS services and other partners including local hospitals, GP practices, businesses, religious groups, schools and charities to develop the plans and will be given data on the virus’s spread to help them put measures in place to prevent further spreading. Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, Nadine Dorries, said “Local authorities will be vital in the effort to contain COVID-19 at a community level. The pandemic requires a national effort but that will only be effective as a result of local authorities, working hand in hand with Public Health England and contact tracers to focus on the containment of local outbreaks, in order to control the transmission and the spread of the virus.”

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Regulatory

Council lockdown powers are still unclear

Following an announcement that the NHS’ test and trace system has now been launched, councils are unclear of their powers in enforcing this as lockdown powers currently sit with ministers. Under the system anyone who has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus will be informed and asked to voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days. Interventions are expected to take place at council level whereby they can close down streets or towns as required but currently councils powers to enforce this are not yet known but it is expected that talks on councils powers are expected to take place in June. Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Ian Hudspeth said “It is good Government has recognised the importance of directors of public health within councils, who need to have the necessary powers and authority to lead the response locally and tackle outbreaks early and aggressively.”

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Planning and housing

Homes England agrees a £61 million investment with developer

Homes England has agreed a £61m investment by way of an infrastructure loan from the agency’s Home Building Fund with developer Urban&Civic to begin the delivery of 6,500 homes in Cambridgeshire. Urban&Civic, in partnership with landowner the MOD, has already secured outline planning permission to build the homes together with five schools as well as commercial, retail, leisure and community facilities at the site. The first £15m of contracts are already underway with local contractors and will be awarded within the next 6 months. Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said “Building the homes we need is central to the mission of this Government, which is why we have safely reopened the housing market. This £61m investment from Homes England, the Government’s housing accelerator, will deliver the building blocks of a community that people will be proud to call home, including a new primary school, health centre and community centre.”

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Call to help rough sleepers remain off the streets

Dame Louise Casey, the head of the COVID-19 rough sleeping taskforce, is calling for society to help to keep rough sleepers from ending up back on the streets. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, nearly 15,000 rough sleepers have been housed in emergency accommodation and Dame Louise Casey is now calling on all parts of society, including communities, businesses, charities and faith groups, to join forces and help new Rough Sleeping Taskforce to prevent those people ending up back on the streets. She said “While Government, councils and frontline charities are all doing what they can, it’s clear that we will need the whole of society to help too, whether that is youth hostels offering rooms, businesses providing employment opportunities, or faith and community groups reaching out the hand of friendship.”

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6,000 homes planned for rough sleepers

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has announced a further £160m in funding this year to provide 6,000 homes to keep rough sleepers from ending up back on the streets. Following on from the Rough Sleeping Initiative launched by the Government which provided £38m in funding, the additional funding will be provided in order to support many of the thousands of rough sleepers currently housed in emergency accommodation to move on to more sustainable, long-term housing. 3,300 of the planned houses are expected to be available in the next 12 months with the Government working in partnership with councils and the property sector to ensure it can be delivered as quickly as possible whilst also being cost effective. Mr Jenrick said “This Government wants to end rough sleeping for good, and we now have a real opportunity to deliver on this moral mission. I’m backing this effort with £433m to fast-track the longer-term and safe accommodation needed to ensure as few rough sleepers as possible return to the streets. This is an unprecedented commitment – the most ambitious of its kind and the single biggest injection of specialist accommodation since the rough sleepers initiative began.”

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