Good afternoon. This week: responsible AI support for councils, community governance reviews to watch, a final chance to feed into the time-off debate, and four funding routes that councils can check.
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Responsible AI support for councils is moving into practical templates. MHCLG's Local AI team says it is funding the Local Government Association to co-deliver a local government AI playbook, standard assessment templates and an expanded AI community of practice. NALC has also launched an AI Network for parish and town councils. Why it matters: if councillors or staff are already experimenting with AI for minutes, correspondence, planning summaries or policy drafts, clerks should be steering the conversation towards data protection, transparency, procurement checks and clear local rules before tools become routine. Read the update.
Community governance reviews are becoming a transition task. Several councils are using community governance reviews to settle parish boundaries, warding and new council arrangements before wider local government reorganisation takes effect. Recent examples include Crawley agreeing next steps for a proposed town council, Stroud consulting on seven parish and town council areas until 9 September, and Hertsmere consulting on Potters Bar proposals until 23 August. Why it matters: where a review is live locally, clerks should check the terms of reference, proposed warding, precept implications, asset assumptions and election timing early. See the Crawley example.
Building on last week's time-off item: today is the NALC survey deadline. The government consultation on reasonable time off for public duties remains open until 11:59pm on 4 September 2026. NALC's shorter survey for parish and town councillors closes today, 30 July. Why it matters: if your council wants to attract working-age councillors, this is the quick route to share practical evidence on employer support, meeting times and the barriers that make service harder. Complete the survey.
Architectural Heritage Fund Heritage Revival Fund, up to £500,000. Parish and town councils are listed as eligible by the Architectural Heritage Fund. The England programme supports communities to rescue and reuse neglected historic buildings, with project viability grants up to £20,000, development grants up to £100,000 and capital grants up to £500,000. Expressions of interest can be submitted year-round through the funding finder. Check eligibility.
Mick George Community Fund, £10,000 to £30,000. Parish, community and town councils can apply for capital improvements to public amenities if the project is in an eligible area of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk or Rutland and meets the landfill-fund criteria. Typical projects include village halls, village greens, playgrounds, sports fields, nature reserves, community centres and cycle paths. The next deadline is midnight on 28 August 2026. Read the criteria.
National Archives Engagement Grants, up to £3,000. Public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations in England and Wales can apply where they work with archival collections and have access to archival or heritage professional support. The current round focuses on "Belonging" and can support exhibitions, events, digital engagement, materials, staff time and related delivery costs. Applications close on Friday 14 August 2026. View the guidance.
Augean Community Fund, up to £50,000. Parish, community and town councils, local authorities and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for community projects within 10 miles of the King's Cliffe landfill site in Northamptonshire or the Thornhaugh landfill site in Cambridgeshire. Projects must be capital improvements to public amenities and the applicant must own or lease the site. The next deadline is 11 November 2026. Check the fund.
ICO AI and data protection risk toolkit. The ICO's free AI toolkit helps organisations think through risks to people's rights and freedoms when developing or deploying AI systems. It is a useful starting point if your council is considering AI tools for administration, resident services, planning summaries or communications, especially before buying a product or putting personal data into a system. Open the toolkit page.
South Gloucestershire's Local Choice policy. South Gloucestershire Council has adopted a Local Choice policy that gives town and parish councils a phased route to manage, and in some cases own, more local assets such as parks, open spaces, public toilets, play areas and allotments. The useful lesson is the process: the principal council engaged all town and parish councils first, then set a three-year implementation period so each local council can decide what it is ready to take on and consult residents on service levels. For clerks elsewhere, it is a prompt to keep an asset list, cost assumptions, maintenance standards and resident priorities ready before any devolution conversation starts. Read the example.
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