Links to useful Govenment websites
ACTVaR is the sub-regional local government association for Berkshire, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire . This three-County grouping comprises the Thames Valley administrative area.
The Berkshire Association of Local Councils (BALC) is one of 52 county associations in England and Wales constituting the National Association of Local Councils (NALC). It is administered by an Executive Committee which:
The Countryside Agency is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). With an annual budget of around £100 million, we have over 600 countryside specialists and support staff in our Cheltenham and London headquarters and offices in every region.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England is an organisation which campaigns to protect and enhance the countryside for the benefit of all. As well as highlighting problems and threats to the countryside, we carry out careful research, canvass opinion and advocate solutions. Through reasoned argument, we seek to influence decision makers at every level - from individual landowners, developers and parish councils to Number 10 Downing Street. We also try to influence opinion formers at every level - from local weekly newspapers to national broadcasters. We often work in partnership with other bodies at local and national level.
Sustainable development, which means a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come, including:
The Department for Transport's objective is to oversee the delivery of a reliable, safe and secure transport system that responds efficiently to the needs of individuals and business whilst safeguarding our environment.
The Environment Agency provides high quality environmental protection and improvement in England and Wales through an emphasis on prevention and education, and then vigorous enforcement where necessary.
It is our job at English Heritage to make sure that the historic environment of England is properly maintained and cared for. By employing some of the country's very best architects, archaeologists and historians, we aim to help people understand and appreciate why the historic buildings and landscapes around them matter. From the first traces of civilisation, to the most significant buildings of the 20th century, we want every important historic site to get the care and attention it deserves.
English Nature champions the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places in England. We are a Government agency set up by the Environment Protection Act 1990 and are funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
This is the UK's home of official statistics, reflecting Britain's economy, population and society at national and local level. Summary stories and detailed data releases are published here free of charge.
The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) represents central government in the South East, particularly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; the Departments for Education and Skills; Trade and Industry; Transport; Culture, Media and Sport; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Home Office. GOSE works to influence contract and develop government programmes and initiatives at a regional and local level, by working in partnership with relevant organisations to meet local needs.
The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), and is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. We have a major role in delivering the Government's Ten Year Plan for Transport. We also fulfil an international role by building good working relationships and sharing experience and expertise with other overseas road administrations. This helps promote the value of UK knowledge, expertise and best practice across the world to support UK industry.
This site provides the first one-stop portal for local authorities to get quick and easy access to information they need on the web sites of central government departments, agencies and public bodies.
The Local Government Association (LGA) was formed on 1 April 1997 and represents the local authorities of England and Wales – a total of just under 500 authorities. These local authorities represent over 50 million people and spend around £65 billion pounds per annum.
The LGA exists to promote better local government. We work with and for our member authorities to realise a shared vision of local government that enables local people to shape a distinctive and better future for their locality and its communities. The LGA aims to put local councils at the heart of the drive to improve public services and to work with government to ensure that the policy, legislative and financial context in which they operate, supports that objective.
The National Association of Local Councils is a powerful body, speaking for some 10,000 Parish and Town Councils in England and Community Councils in Wales. NALC is committed to making this primary level of local government more effective, more democratic and better able to take a leadership role in local communities.
ODPM was created as a central department in its own right in May 2002. It is responsible for policy on housing, planning, devolution, regional and local government and the fire service. It also takes responsibility for the Social Exclusion Unit, the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and the Government Offices for the Regions.
http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-advice/pa-paid.html
Planning Aid is a voluntary service offering free, independent and professional advice on town planning matters to community groups and individuals who cannot afford to employ a planning consultant. It aims to give people the confidence to help themselves and to become involved in planning issues.
http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk
Our main work is the processing of planning and enforcement appeals and holding inquiries into local development plans. We also deal with a wide variety of other planning related casework including listed building consent appeals, advertisement appeals, and reporting on planning applications.