District councils are often seen as the unsung heroes of local government but they have a vital role to play in creating economically strong and vibrant communities, says Steve Atkinson, the new chairman of the District Chief Executives Network.

District councils have long been the unsung heroes of the local government family - there is nothing sexy about cleaning streets, collecting rubbish or dealing with planning applications.

Steve Atkinson is chief executive at Hinckley and Bosworth BC and chairman of the District Chief Executives Network

Over the last year, however, that has begun to change, with the emergence of the District Councils' Network (DCN), a special interest group within the Local Government Association, formed out of the District Councils' Sounding Board in November 2009 and led, until June this year, by Cllr Gary Porter, who has now been elected as Conservative group leader at the LGA, and by Nina Dawes chief executive of Lichfield DC.

In the last twelve months, the DCN has established strong credentials in influencing central government, and the DCLG in particular. Three notable achievements in that period have been: finally securing a commitment that planning fees should be set locally; securing additional funding for concessionary fares; and a recognition from government that the housing subsidy arrangements should be overhauled.

Supporting these achievements has been the assurance of long term funding (a six figure annual income for the next ten years) from the winding up of the former Association of District Councils. Whilst this is not untold wealth, it will add considerably to the £30,000 a year currently available from subscriptions from some 175 district councils in England.

The new chairman of the network, Cllr Neil Clarke leader of Rushcliffe BC acknowledged that the additional funds, whilst very welcome, must be used wisely. He also expressed confidence that the coming year would build on the work of the last eighteen months.

‘Our achievements since November 2009 show that we can be a force for good for district councils and what we do for local communities. We are fundamental to the delivery of the ‘localist’ agenda promoted by the secretary of state and by Greg Clark, who put so much time and effort into the recent LGA conference.

‘There are massive challenges ahead for us. The major priority is the forthcoming resource review, fundamental to our future, together with universal credits and council tax benefits, and housing and planning reforms. We will demonstrate to the Government that district councils are ready to deliver the localism agenda once the Bill is passed.’

Cllr Clarke has welcomed the fact that both Eric Pickles and Greg Clark attended and spoke at the DCN assembly in Birmingham, and said: ‘This was evidence of the growing recognition in Westminster that we can be effective partners in ensuring local people get what local people want. It is, after all, what districts have been doing for some time - not in isolation from other agencies, it is true - but we have shown that we are capable of doing what our communities want, working with our partners.

‘Partnership is part of district councils’ core business and being the real innovators who champion the cause of their communities. In my initial address at our assembly in Birmingham, in welcoming Eric Pickles on to the stage, I stressed our positive message to the Government that district councils are ready and able to deliver the localism agenda and that we can be trusted partners to deliver Government services.’

As the new chair of the District Chief Executives' Network, which supports the DCN, I believe that 2011/12 will be a critical period for all local government, as we plan for the future.

It is a particularly critical time for district councils, whose budgets were hit hardest by that settlement. However, we have responded very positively and constructively to that situation - challenging the way we do things, delivering efficiencies, improving how we work with our local partners and concentrating on what our communities say they want.

We cannot and do not deliver everything; but we continue to do what is important - and in most cases do that very well. Our collective job as districts is to ensure that the financial and policy environment in which we work enables us to continue in that vein. Over the next year, the DCN will aim to concentrate on a small number of big ticket targets and priorities and Cllr Clarke has already indicated that effective working now will help set the tone for the next ten years.

‘Government has started to listen and take us seriously. I want to build on those relationships with ministers and especially, to continue working closely with Greg Clark, minister for decentralisation leading the Localism Bill through Parliament,’ he has stressed.

And he adds: ‘By making constructive comment we can influence Government policy in delivering the localism agenda. We know this will last only if we continue to produce the goods when central government have given us the tools. Forging of these tools will be the difficult part. I am confident that district councils have the skills to use them to create stronger and more vibrant communities, socially and economically, for the future.’

The new chief executives' team is already in place; Neil Clarke's new team of executive members will be agreed at the next assembly meeting in September.

One thing is certain - the DCN is determined to step up to the plate and stamp its mark on local community services. If localism is the present and the future, and so are district councils determined to deliver the best for our communities.’