District Councils' Network

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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 excecutive, 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
Buckinghamshire South Bucks - Chiltern - Wycombe - Aylesbury Vale 4
Cambridgeshire Cambridge - South Cambridgeshire - Huntingdonshire - Fenland - East Cambridgeshire 5
Cumbria Barrow-in-Furness - South Lakeland - Copeland - Allerdale - Eden - Carlisle 6
Derbyshire High Peak - Derbyshire Dales - South Derbyshire - Erewash - Amber Valley - North East Derbyshire - Chesterfield - Bolsover 8
Devon Exeter - East Devon - Mid Devon - North Devon - Torridge - West Devon - South Hams - Teignbridge 8
Dorset Weymouth and Portland - West Dorset - North Dorset - Purbeck - East Dorset - Christchurch 6
East Sussex Hastings - Rother - Wealden - Eastbourne - Lewes 5
Essex Harlow - Epping Forest - Brentwood - Basildon - Castle Point - Rochford - Maldon - Chelmsford - Uttlesford - Braintree - Colchester - Tendring 12
Gloucestershire Gloucester - Tewkesbury - Cheltenham - Cotswold - Stroud - Forest of Dean 6
Hampshire Gosport - Fareham - Winchester - Havant - East Hampshire - Hart - Rushmoor - Basingstoke and Deane - Test Valley - Eastleigh - New Forest 11
Hertfordshire Three Rivers - Watford - Hertsmere - Welwyn Hatfield - Broxbourne - East Hertfordshire - Stevenage - North Hertfordshire - St Albans - Dacorum 10
Kent Dartford - Gravesham - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge and Malling - Tunbridge Wells - Maidstone - Swale - Ashford - Shepway - Canterbury - Dover - Thanet 12
Lancashire West Lancashire - Chorley - Fylde - Preston - Wyre - Lancaster - Ribble Valley - Pendle - Burnley - Rossendale- Hyndburn 11
Leicestershire Charnwood - Melton - Harborough - Oadby and Wigston - Blaby - Hinckley and Bosworth - North West Leicestershire 7
Lincolnshire Lincoln - North Kesteven - South Kesteven - South Holland - Boston - East Lindsey - West Lindsey 7
Norfolk Norwich - South Norfolk - Great Yarmouth - Broadland - North Norfolk - King's Lynn and West Norfolk - Breckland 7
Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire - Northampton - Daventry - Wellingborough - Kettering - Corby - East Northamptonshire 7
North Yorkshire Selby - Harrogate - Craven - Richmondshire - Hambleton - Ryedale - Scarborough 7
Nottinghamshire Rushcliffe - Broxtowe - Ashfield - Gedling - Newark and Sherwood - Mansfield - Bassetlaw 7
Oxfordshire Oxford - Cherwell - South Oxfordshire - Vale of White Horse - West Oxfordshire 5
Somerset South Somerset - Taunton Deane - West Somerset - Sedgemoor - Mendip 5
Staffordshire Tamworth - Lichfield - Cannock Chase - South Staffordshire - Stafford - Newcastle-under-Lyme - Staffordshire Moorlands - East Staffordshire 8
Suffolk Ipswich - Suffolk Coastal - Waveney - Mid Suffolk - Babergh - St Edmundsbury - Forest Heath 7
Surrey Spelthorne - Runnymede - Surrey Heath - Woking - Elmbridge - Guildford - Waverley - Mole Valley - Epsom and Ewell - Reigate and Banstead - Tandridge 11
Warwickshire North Warwickshire - Nuneaton and Bedworth - Rugby - Stratford-on-Avon - Warwick 5
West Sussex Worthing - Arun - Chichester - Horsham - Crawley - Mid Sussex - Adur 7
Worcestershire Worcester - Malvern Hills - Wyre Forest - Bromsgrove - Redditch - Wychavon 6
Total 200

See also

References

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  10. ↑ http://districtcouncils.info/2015/07/01/stephen-brown-appointed-next-district-councils-network-director/
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ name=LGOV191115>Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_publication_file/district-council-contribution-to-public-health-nov15.pdf
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/government-society/inlogov/research/building-better-collaboration.pdf
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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