Budget | LocalGov

Spring Statement: Chancellor banks on house building adding £6.8bn to economy

26/03/2025

The Spring Statement has highlighted the benefit of housebuilding for improving public finances and focused on defence investment for regional growth.

Woking approves ‘business as usual’ budget

04/03/2025

Cash-strapped Woking Borough Council has signed off on a budget aimed at ensuring the council ‘operates within its financial means.’

Council set to make £8.6m in savings

30/01/2025

Blackpool City Council is set to make £8.6m in savings but emphasises there will be no job losses at the current time.

'Budgetary pressures' force plea to Government

16/12/2024

Councillors at Labour-led Cheshire East Council have agreed to ask the Government for two more years of exceptional financial support.

LGA: National Insurance hit could be £1.7bn

05/12/2024

The impact of employer National Insurance Contribution increases on external providers and contractors could be up to £1.13bn, Local Government Association (LGA) analysis has shown.

Scottish Government pledges to scrap two-child benefit cap

05/12/2024

The Scottish Government has announced plans to scrap Westminster’s ‘pernicious’ two-child cap on benefits.

Fresh revenue raising powers promised for councils

04/12/2024

The Scottish Budget has pledged to ‘enhance the fiscal empowerment of local government through work on a fiscal framework'.

NIC hike ‘will be insurmountable’ for some care providers

27/11/2024

A social care leader has warned that the Government’s decision to increase employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be ‘catastrophic’ for millions of people who need care.

Social care providers ‘at risk of collapse’ amid £2.8bn costs rise

22/11/2024

England’s adult social care sector faces extra costs of £2.8bn next year due to changes announced in last month’s Budget, new research has revealed.

Social care and the alarming impact of the NIC rise

12/11/2024

The Budget leaves the social care sector alarmed about the rise in national insurance contributions, says Rachael Dodgson, chief executive of Dimensions.

NI rise threatens homelessness services

11/11/2024

The rise in national insurance announced in the Budget could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for many organisations providing homelessness services, charities say.

Council facing bankruptcy calls for ‘fairer’ funding

08/11/2024

North Somerset Council, which has warned it is at risk of serving a Section 114 notice, has launched a campaign calling for a ‘fairer’ funding deal.

Bury Council warns ‘tough decisions’ are needed to find £35m

01/11/2024

Bury Council has warned ‘tough decisions’ will have to be made to close its budget shortfall of £35m.

IFS: Budget may not prevent councils collapsing

31/10/2024

Councils could still face financial ruin despite a boost to funding in the Budget, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

DCN: Reorganisation risks ‘paralysing’ front line services

31/10/2024

Local government reorganisation poses a threat to front line services and represents the ‘opposite of devolution’, district council leaders have warned.

EXCLUSIVE: Care homes will close as a result of Budget, leader warns

31/10/2024

A leader has warned that care homes will close as a result of the hike in national insurance announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget.

Budget: Council chiefs call for ‘explicit clarity’ on NI increases

31/10/2024

Council leaders have welcomed the £1.3bn funding boost but called for clarity on protection from increases to employer National Insurance contributions.

Budget: £22.6bn rise in day-to-day spending for NHS

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £22.6bn rise in the day-to-day health budget, representing 4% average real terms growth.

Budget: Chancellor targets local growth with transport spend

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced extra transport cash for regional mayors, but departmental spending remains tight.

Budget: Reorganisation confirmed in high tax, high spend Budget

30/10/2024

Local government reorganisation – and the efficiency savings it will make – were confirmed in Budget documents today.

Budget: Reeves announces £500m for potholes

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced an extra £500m a year for local roads maintenance from next year and an ‘interim’ settlement for the national network to keep strategic projects moving.

Budget: Chancellor promises to permanently lower business rates

30/10/2024

The chancellor prioritised delivering permanently lower business rates from 2026-27 in the Budget by lowering multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties.

Budget: Minimum wage and National Insurance rises to hit councils

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed rises to the minimum wage and employers' National Insurance contributions, piling further pressure on council budgets.

Budget: Cash bonanza not expected for councils

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to plough cash into public services in today's Budget – but struggling councils are not expecting a cash bonanza to come their way.

Council proposes to save £1.6m with digital transformation

29/10/2024

Bradford Council is aiming to save £1.6m by transforming customer services and contact management with voice and robotic process automation.

How to manage the risk of stairs without spending £000s

28/10/2024

With social care budgets under pressure, AAT has put together a complete equipment management package of out-sourcing services to achieve best value.

More than £1bn to be invested in ‘crumbling’ schools

28/10/2024

The Government has confirmed that £1.4bn will be allocated in the Budget to rebuild ‘crumbling’ schools.

Chancellor to slash Right to Buy discount

28/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to dramatically reduce the Right to Buy discount offered to tenants purchasing their council house.

EXCLUSIVE: Government to launch full reorganisation

28/10/2024

Plans for full local government reorganisation could be mooted as soon as this week's Budget, The MJ understands.

Autumn Budget: Beacon of hope or empty promises?

25/10/2024

Max Camplin, executive director at Cavendish Consulting, discusses Labour's housing proposals and the potential challenges ahead.

Autumn Budget: What does local government need to hear?

22/10/2024

Joe Fyans, head of research at Localis, looks at what local government needs to hear from the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement.

Autumn Budget: Inadequate council funding hits the Government too

22/10/2024

Jeremy Newmark, finance spokesperson for District Councils’ Network (DCN), argues that properly funded councils are essential to ministers hitting their goals.

Reeves urged to promote prevention spending in Budget

21/10/2024

The chancellor has been urged to use next week’s Autumn Budget to amend fiscal rules to promote spending on prevention.

Rayner to be handed £1bn for council housing in Budget, reports suggest

21/10/2024

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will be handed £1bn in next week's Budget as she plans to double council house building, national newspapers have reported.

Councillors to consider selling Grade II listed power station

16/10/2024

Greenwich Council will today consider proposals to sell off a Grade II listed power station, car parks and toilet blocks to help find nearly £34m of savings.

Solace: Underfunding councils ‘ultimate false economy’

14/10/2024

Failing to properly fund councils is ‘the ultimate false economy’ because it forces them to make ‘repugnant’ cuts which lead to greater problems in the future.

Planning departments hit hardest by staff shortages

14/10/2024

Planning departments are facing the worst workforce shortages, with eight out of 10 experiencing recruitment and retention issues, new research has revealed.

Council faces ‘unprecedented’ £175m budget gap

11/10/2024

Newham council has requested emergency government funding to help close an unprecedented budget gap of £175m.

Council leaders call for Government approval of hospital plans

10/10/2024

Council leaders have called for Government approval of plans for a new hospital ahead of the Autumn Budget.

Charities call for £1bn to prevent homelessness surge

10/10/2024

Almost £1bn of funding is due to leave the homelessness sector in April, leaving services facing a funding cliff-edge, a group of charities has warned.

IFS highlights ‘unresolved’ social care issues

10/10/2024

A major new Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report has highlighted the ‘unresolved’ issues in social care funding and reform.

LGA: ‘Emergency cash injection’ needed to tackle child abuse

08/10/2024

Local authority leaders have called for emergency support for children’s social care as figures reveal councils investigate 600 child protection cases a day.

LGA calls for regeneration fund extension

04/10/2024

Council bosses have urged the Government to extend the ‘vital’ UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in the upcoming Autumn Budget.

'Scant' budget report criticised by peer review

02/10/2024

A finance peer review of East Hertfordshire DC has criticised the lack of information in a budget report.

Neath Port Talbot Council warns of £23m ‘black hole’

01/10/2024

Neath Port Talbot Council is forecasting a £23m gap in its budget on top of what is predicted to be a ‘seismic economic shock’ after the Tata Steel closure.

Supported housing ‘on a knife edge’

20/09/2024

The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the Government to boost spending on supported housing and consider a ring-fenced fund in next month’s Budget.

Council leaders call for sexual health investment

19/09/2024

Local authority leaders have urged the Government to use the upcoming Autumn Budget to invest in sexual and reproductive health services.

Government told to ‘level’ with councils over funding

16/09/2024

Leicestershire County Council has called on the Government to ‘level with us' on its local government funding plans.

Autumn Budget: Council chiefs warn against ‘disastrous’ cuts

13/09/2024

Council leaders have urged the Government not to make any further cuts in the Autumn Budget, warning that councils face ‘systemic financial failure’.

Birmingham commissioners cast doubt on budget

06/09/2024

Commissioners at Birmingham City Council have cast doubt on the authority's ability to balance its budget next year.

King's Speech: OBR handed beefed-up scrutiny role

17/07/2024

The Government has put fiscal stability in the form of a Budget Responsibility Bill at the heart of the King's Speech.

The elephant in the budget

12/03/2024

The budget provided support to strengthen growth, but bolder action is required to tackle finances, says Amanda Kelly, local government lead at PA Consulting.

Right to Buy lobbying fails as temporary boost ended

08/03/2024

The Treasury has confirmed councils will no longer keep 100% of Right to Buy (RTB) receipts after the current financial year despite lobbying by the sector.

Gove urged to ‘listen’ to Cambridge on housing plans

07/03/2024

Communities need ‘far more detail’ and to have their say on government plans for a major expansion of housing around Cambridge, local leaders have said.

Budget: Boost for preventative services 

06/03/2024

Funding for preventative services has been announced as part of the Spring Budget in an attempt to relieve local government’s demand pressures.

Budget: West Midlands to get £15m culture funding boost

06/03/2024

West Midlands Combined Authority is to get a £15m boost in funding for culture, heritage and investment projects in the region, the chancellor has announced.

Budget: What does it mean for local government?

06/03/2024

Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis looks at what the Spring budget means for local government.

Budget: Chancellor launches productivity push

06/03/2024

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled a Budget with little respite for local government but demands for increased public sector productivity.

Budget: Trailblazer devo deal for North East

06/03/2024

The North East has secured a trailblazer devolution deal that could provide a package of new funding potentially worth more than £100m, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced in his Budget.

'Scorched earth' Budget likely to offer little for local government

06/03/2024

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to unveil a ‘scorched earth’ Budget today, slashing National Insurance and leaving little left for public services.

Councils in crisis: time to stop the cycle of decline

04/03/2024

Claire Ward, partner and local government sector specialist at Anthony Collins, discusses the state of local government finances ahead of the Spring Budget.

A ‘united local government’ calls for Spring Budget funding boost

04/03/2024

Local government associations across the UK have taken the ‘unprecedented’ step of penning a joint letter to the chancellor with a plea for additional funding.

Call for ‘emergency action’ over rough sleeping spike

29/02/2024

A homelessness charity has called for ‘emergency action’ over ‘out of control’ levels of rough sleeping in England.

Chancellor urged to provide funding certainty for urban transport

27/02/2024

Transport authorities have called on the Government to prioritise long-term funding certainty for public transport and active travel in city regions in next week’s Spring Budget.

Majority on Universal Credit cannot afford enough food

20/02/2024

New research reveals the ‘devastating’ consequences of the inadequate Universal Credit system, according to anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust.

Warning over suicide prevention fund end

19/02/2024

The Local Government Association (LGA) is urging the Government to extend funding for suicide prevention projects in the Spring Budget.

Finance chiefs join Household Support Fund plea

14/02/2024

Senior finance officers across London have urged the Government to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) into the 2024-25 financial year.

Right to Buy must reform, council bosses warn

13/02/2024

The Right to Buy scheme is causing the significant loss of social housing and cannot continue in its current form, the Local Government Association has said today.

Council leaders call for housing subsidy uplift

07/02/2024

District council leaders have called on the Chancellor to increase the amount local authorities can claim for temporary accommodation.

Bradford increases request for support by £22m

31/01/2024

Bradford Council has increased its request for financial help from the Government by £22m as it struggles to avoid declaring effective bankruptcy.

Havering warns of S114 after ‘minuscule’ funding boost

26/01/2024

Havering Council will be forced to declare effective bankruptcy ‘by the end of February’ if the Government fails to provide more funding, leader warns.

Pupils leaving RAAC schools, heads warn

25/01/2024

Students are increasingly being taken out of schools that are affected by a crumbly form of concrete, headteachers have warned.

Oxfordshire CC budget proposals ‘£900,000 short’

19/01/2024

Oxfordshire County Council has published proposals to save over £9.8m but is still £900,000 short of what is required for a balanced budget.

Middlesbrough to ask for more support to avoid S114

12/01/2024

Middlesbrough Council is the latest local authority to consider requesting extra financial support as it tries to avoid having to issue a Section 114.

Somerset Council warns of ‘heart-breaking’ cuts

08/01/2024

Public toilets, theatres, and leisure services in Somerset are set to be hit by cuts as the unitary authority attempts to bridge a £100m budget gap.

Cash-strapped Derbyshire council to move from historic HQ

04/01/2024

Derbyshire County Council is planning to move from its headquarters in Matlock to a smaller office in a bid to tackle a £33m overspend.

Scottish budget ‘missed opportunity’ for reform

03/01/2024

The Scottish budget is a ‘missed opportunity’ for delivering on public service reform, local authority leaders in Scotland have told Holyrood.

Council tax freeze to cost £156m

02/01/2024

Scottish councils face a real terms cut of up to £156m next year as a result of the council tax freeze, new research has found.

Scottish councils get £14bn boost

19/12/2023

Local government in Scotland is set to benefit from a £14bn boost but council tax will be frozen despite criticisms of the plan by local authority leaders.

‘Very difficult year ahead’ for Welsh councils

19/12/2023

Council bosses say local authorities in Wales face a 'considerable' funding gap despite the devolved nation’s planned cuts in other departments to protect local services.

Council tax freeze costs Scottish Government £300m

15/12/2023

Fully funding local authorities for Scotland’s council tax freeze contributes significantly to the £1.5bn shortfall facing Holyrood, experts have warned.

COSLA ramps up Budget lobbying

04/12/2023

Well-funded councils are the key to unlocking the potential within Scotland’s communities, town hall leaders have claimed ahead of the country’s budget.

Autumn Statement: Level 4 devolution unveiled

22/11/2023

More powers will be offered to areas with a level 3 devolution deal, the Government has announced as part of the Autumn Statement.

Sector unites in plea to chancellor

22/11/2023

The local government sector in England has put out a call to Jeremy Hunt to ‘address the significant financial challenges faced by councils’.

WMCA trailblazer devolution deal ratified

16/10/2023

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has ratified a ‘deeper devolution deal’ worth an estimated £1.5bn.

Council suspends social media comments to stop ‘abuse’ after facility closures

03/10/2023

North Lanarkshire Council has suspended Twitter users’ ability to comment on its posts and said people’s anger over a decision to close 39 facilities ‘does not entitle them to post abuse’.

Council to shut 39 facilities

02/10/2023

North Lanarkshire Council has decided to close 39 community facilities in response to its financial shortfall.

Council injects £6m into former mining village after failed funding bid

20/09/2023

Durham County Council will spend £6m as part of plans to regenerate the village of Horden, where homes are on the market for just £5,000.

Derbyshire faces £46m overspend

15/09/2023

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet is set to consider a report that estimates the local authority’s overspend to be over £46m this financial year.

‘Levelling up? my a**e’: HS2 faces new axe threat

15/09/2023

Contractors have reacted furiously to reports that ministers are considering cancelling the second phase of HS2, which is due to take the high speed rail line to Manchester.

Cuts see ‘children’s services run like A&E’, charities warn

14/09/2023

Councils are spending more on crisis intervention in children’s services, a group of leading charities has warned today.

LGA: Section 114s show system is 'broken'

11/09/2023

The Local Government Association (LGA) will cite the number of section 114 notices issued by councils as evidence of a ‘broken’ system.

Suffolk’s essential service funding ‘not sustainable’

06/09/2023

Suffolk County Council has forecast it will spend £22.3m over its budget this year, with the costs of school transport and looking after children in care making up two thirds of the overspend.

Union issues safety warning as Glasgow ‘slashes’ number of CCTV staff

01/09/2023

Glasgow City Council has halved the number of staff it employs to monitor CCTV cameras in order to cut costs.

Guildford halts recruitment after S114 warning

01/09/2023

Guildford Borough Council has stopped hiring until at least October as it attempts to cover a multi-million pound financial shortfall.

BCP Council in bankruptcy warning

14/08/2023

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has warned tough budget decisions are needed if the council is to avoid bankruptcy.

Scottish councils reach participatory budgets target

12/07/2023

Scottish councils have achieved a target of spending 1% of their budgets through the participatory budgeting process.

Cash-strapped Thurrock to hike charges

08/06/2023

Beleaguered Thurrock Council is set to increase charges for its services to help deal with its cash crisis.

BREAKING: Woking's 'astonishing' financial crisis risks hitting Government borrowing

02/06/2023

Calamity-struck Woking BC may need to write off up to £1bn after a series of disastrous investments – a debt so big it would impact on Government borrowing.

County council chiefs issue ‘bleak’ finance warning

23/03/2023

County councils need to make £1bn worth of savings in order to cope with ‘unprecedented’ financial pressures, county council chiefs say.

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