Welcome to the Eastern Region of LLG
We cover local authorities in:
Here you will find information on what is happening in the Eastern area.
To join any of the regions go to "My LLG" hub and "My regions" tab where you can also see the regions that you are a member of.
Dear Eastern Members
The next Governance SIG, PLP Board and LLG Eastern meeting will be on Friday 19th April at 9:30am.
The Governance SIG, will be followed by the PLP & Eastern meeting.
Please see the agenda below
Governance Special Interest Group Items
1. National update from LLG
2. Further discussion
3. Any other business
PLP Board & Eastern region meeting
1. Notes from the previous meeting
2. Training and SIGs update
3. Seminar 2024 planning
4. LLG Eastern general update
5. Any other business LLG Eastern
If you wish to attend, please email plp.justina@gmail.com by Friday 12th April.
Similarly, if you have any additional agenda items for discussion please do inform Justina and she will include this within the agenda.
We hope to see you there!
Dear All
Eastern Regional Update
Here’s my update from the LLG Board meeting on 23 February.
The meeting received the quarter end finance report for 2023 together with the budget update.
Following on from the previous Board meeting in December 2023, the finalised version of the strategic plan for 2024-2027 was shared, which was supported by the Board. The five agreed strategic objectives are as follows:
LLG’s CEO, Deborah Evans, reported progress against these strategic objectives along with an operational update which was welcomed by the Board. The operational update covered further work on the role and responsibilities of the Monitoring Officer following on from the LGIU & Browne Jacobson research paper on the changing role of the MO, guidance published to members within LLG’s position statement on practicing certificates, publication of the Members Planning Code of Good Practice , the launch of Work Experience Week 2024 and LLG’s upcoming LLG Awards.
We considered a report about progress with LLG becoming a professional body. That’s certainly a lot of work and we have now set up a sub-committee to consider it.
Leadership Conference
LLG will be hosting their Leadership Conference on 19th April 2024. This interactive event will run from 9:30-4pm and you will hear from leading speakers who delve into what good leadership needs to look like and current issues faced by those currently in senior and leadership roles in local authorities, as well as more.
For more information and booking, click here.
LLG Board update
There will be a vote for next year’s Deputy Vice President and I would encourage you all to exercise your vote to make sure you get the people you want to represent you on LLG.
I’d also encourage you to attend the LLG AGM which will be held online 12 Noon on 17 April which you can register for here. It would be good to have as many of our members as possible there.
Finally, I am writing to say that (subject to governance) I will become LLG Vice President at the AGM. This means that, to give someone else an opportunity I will be stepping down as Eastern Region Director. Only one person put their name forward to replace me and I am delighted to say that Emma Duncan at Cambridgeshire CC will (also subject to governance) be taking over from me at the LLG AGM.
Kind Regards
Paul Turner
Eastern Regional Director
Scheduled meetings for Eastern region:
Calling the Eastern region!
Your next LLG Eastern region meeting is this Friday 26/1/2024 at 9:30am via zoom.
The Governance SIG is followed by the PIP and LLG Eastern Region joint meeting using the same joining link below.
Please see agenda below
Governance and Special Interest Group items
1. National update from LLG
2. Further discussion
3. Any other business
PLP Board & LLG Eastern region meeting agenda
Joint items
1. Notes of the last meeting (13/10/23)
2. Training and SIGs update
3. LLG ER update
4. Any other business LLG ER
PLP items
5. Review - Management Group update 30/11/23 and PLP Board 13/10/23 (PLP items)
6. Reporting - Finance report, seminar 2023 feedback and projects summary
7. Website upgrade project
8. Arrangements for Chair, Vice Chair and management group 2024/25
9. Budget and costs, subscription levels for 2024/25
10. Arrangements for year 3 of Thomson Reuters services
11. Any other business PLP
Meeting details:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88982206243?pwd=TklXOExTRXFzMitTK3k2L3RXSFMxdz09
Meeting ID: 889 8220 6243
Passcode: 264974
We hope to see you there!
Regional Communications from LLG's latest Board Meeting
Dear All
I thought I would update you following the LLG Board meeting last week in the heart of London.
The Board adopted LLG’s 2024-2027 strategy and workstreams, emphasising our commitment to promoting exemplary governance, building a sustainable profession, fostering an inclusive and welcoming community, encouraging regional engagement, and using our voice to shape national debate.
We also the LLG budget for 2024. Finding the right balance between maintaining affordability for our members amidst challenging financial times for councils, and ensuring LLG’s long-term viability to continue delivering the benefits of membership and a strong national voice was a key focus of the discussion.
We also had a discussion about whether LLG should seek to expand its offering to become some form of professional body for monitoring officers. This was generally supported by the Board and it is a really exciting idea, but it will need a lot of work to see how it will develop - if you have any ideas, please let me know. This comes out of the LGIU research which LLG commissioned and which was published last month. The role of the monitoring officer - LGiU. I recommend you read it if you haven’t already - it is quite thought provoking.
Like many of our members, elections at LLG happen every year and I can hardly believe it’s a year since I had to stand for election as the Eastern Regional Director. 2024 will see elections held for:
Whilst I am able to stay on as Eastern Regional director, next year I will be Vice-President and it seems right to allow someone else from the East to take over the regional role. If you’re interested in exploring any of these roles, please feel free to contact Helen McGrath, LLG Executive Director of Policy & Governance, for an informal and confidential discussion. Helen@llg.org.uk
I’m also happy to speak to anyone as the current Deputy vice President and Eastern Regional Director! Please do consider standing.
I’ve also been to the two LLG conferences this year. It was lovely to speak to so many people from across the region and beyond. Both conferences were well received by those attending. The conferences are one day in person (with a remote option) and one day fully remote the following week. Although it was quite a way to travel I was really pleased to go in person. Next year’s spring conference will be in Leeds and we are looking at options for the 2024 Governance Conference which will be in Leeds. I hadn’t been to either conferences for ages and I really enjoyed them this year.
The Board meeting was held in the same place as the LLG Juniors Day and it was great to meet colleagues, including someone I hadn’t met from Basildon BC. The Junior day was well attended and seemed to have quite a buzz – so please do look out for this year if you are eligible to attend (apparently I’m not ☹).
LLG would like to extend our thanks to Womble Bond Dickinson for hosting both events, especially in such spectacular offices with a view of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
Anyway, it only remains for me, on behalf of everyone at LLG, to wish you a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to reconnecting with you in the new year. I hope you have a good break!
Best wishes
Paul
Regional director - Eastern
Paul Turner as the Eastern Regional Director
