Welcome to the new BALC website! |
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Welcome to our new web site - we hope you find it informative! The Association represents the Parish and Town Councils in the County of Berkshire, and and we provide a valuable network of support and guidance for our member councils.
BALC is one of 50 county associations in England constituting the National Association of Local Councils (NALC). |
| Read more about BALC here... |
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 A new 16-page pamphlet and website pathway full of examples and reasons to buy locally produced foods has been launched by Common Ground, the environment charity. Both were produced with help from Defra's Environmental Action Fund.
Entitled 'Producing the Goods 1', the pamphlet challenges producers and consumers to think more creatively about locality as they grow and eat.
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Defra has given the go-ahead for £1.2 million in funding to encourage landowners to voluntarily dedicate land for public access.
While it is widely understood that the Countryside and Rights of Way Act gives a statutory right of access on foot to 935,000 of hectares of mapped open country and common land in England, it is less well-known that the law also means willing landowners can voluntarily dedicate their land for public access.
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 A new report published today, which examines the general election campaigns and media coverage, finds that the concentration of campaign activity in marginal seats had a significant impact on public engagement with the campaigns during the 2005 election.
Research shows that if you lived in a marginal seat, you were around five times more likely to be contacted by parties in person or by phone, than if you lived in a safe seat.
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Only 33% of people living in villages and smaller settlements in England have the choice of more than one secondary school within 5kms of their homes. When it comes to having more than one GP surgery, only 52% of people have this option within 5kms, indeed, 19% have no GP surgery at all. These figures present stark evidence about the lack of choice for many people living in rural England.
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