Budgets


South Yorkshire devolution deadlock broken 25/03/2019 The years-long devolution stalemate in south Yorkshire has finally been resolved.
Spending review: Councils braced for further austerity 01/03/2019 Councils are under financial pressure as never before and will need all the optimism they can muster to deal with it, says Mark Whitehead.
Holyrood passes £42.5bn budget but warns of Brexit recession 22/02/2019 Holyrood has approved the 2019-20 budget which will see billions invested into public services — but warned Brexit could push Scotland into recession.
Tax reforms and £90m secured in Scottish budget deal 31/01/2019 A £90m windfall for local authorities and moves to reform council tax have been pledged by the Scottish Government.
Crime prevention budgets ‘slashed’ under Tories 21/01/2019 Crime prevention budgets have been cut by more than a half since 2010, an analysis from Labour has revealed.
Councils warn of impact of public health funding cuts 21/12/2018 Councils have reacted angrily to ‘short-sighted’ cuts to public health funding next year by the Government.
Pressure on Scottish councils ‘shows no signs of easing’ 29/11/2018 Scottish councils are managing in the face of cuts and rising demands on services but they ‘face a difficult time ahead’, a financial watchdog has warned.
MHCLG ‘not expecting another Northamptonshire situation’ 26/11/2018 Local government finances are sustainable and the collapse of another authority is not expected, the ministry’s top civil servant has insisted.
Shropshire Council staff told to work from home ‘one day a month’ 09/11/2018 Staff at Shropshire Council have been told they must work from home one day a month as the authority struggles to get a grip on its finances.
Calls to increase council funding in Scotland by 2.5% 05/11/2018 Councils in Scotland are pressing for a 2.5% increase in local government funding, saying they have no options left to save money.
Former Northants leader admits ‘mistakes’ over PFI deal 04/10/2018 Former leader of Northamptonshire County Council has admitted mistakes were made in a PFI deal which has meant up to £2m a year being paid for empty care beds.
Surrey’s A team starts its plan B 04/10/2018 Counties across the country are grappling with tighter budgets. Heather Jameson talks to Surrey CC's Joanna Killian about the authority's financial woes.
Cash-strapped county faces £94m funding gap 18/09/2018 Surrey CC faces a funding gap of £94m by March 2021 unless it takes drastic action to change its finances, a report by accountancy experts has warned.
Unitary council stops all non-urgent spending in face of £2.8m overspend 16/08/2018 Torbay Council has been forced to announce an ‘immediate moratorium’ on all non-urgent expenditure.
Warning that more councils could cut services to bare minimum 07/08/2018 An increasing number of councils could be forced to cut services to the legal minimum, financial experts have warned.
Council warns services will be cut to legal minimum 06/08/2018 East Sussex CC has warned it may not even be able to provide basic statutory services in less than three years unless the government provides extra help.
What future for our parks? 02/07/2018 A survey has revealed 85% of councils expect to cut budgets for parks in the next five years. Mark Whitehead finds out what impact this will have on council-owned green spaces.
Councils slash £15m from parks budgets 21/06/2018 Parks and green spaces are falling into ‘disrepair’ because of budget cuts, freedom of information requests reveal.
Cuts putting ‘impossible squeeze’ on care services 01/06/2018 Continuing budget cuts are putting ' an impossible squeeze' on councils' ability to provide care services, local government leaders have warned.
Holyrood cuts cost residents over £130 each 04/04/2018 Local government spending in Scotland has been cut by over £130 per head over the last five years, new research reveals.
Council tax increases not enough to stop cuts to services, warn town hall chiefs 26/02/2018 Services will continue to be cut back despite proposed council tax increases, council chiefs warn.
Auditors warn Northamptonshire CC budget could be ‘illegal’ 21/02/2018 Auditors have warned cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council that its proposed budget could be breaking the law.
Northamptonshire County Council agrees to sell new £53m headquarters 14/02/2018 Cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council has agreed a raft of cuts in an attempt to find £111m in savings by 2021.
Road maintenance spending at ‘lowest level’ in a decade 19/01/2018 Newly released Government figures show that road maintenance spending by councils is at the lowest level it has been in 10 years.
Council tax has risen by 57% in past 20 years, research shows 15/01/2018 Local authorities have been urged to curb council tax increases after new research found rates have risen by 57% over the past 20 years.
Budget 2017: Devolution and housing key planks in speech 22/11/2017 Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Budget has seen the chancellor unveil a raft of new devolution deals, measures to boost housing and changes to resolve issues with controversial Universal Credit.
Welsh local government bearing ‘heaviest burden of austerity’, councillors warn 11/10/2017 Local government is still bearing the ‘heaviest burden of austerity’, council leaders say in response to the Welsh government’s draft local government settlement.
Austerity ‘devastating’ communities, Welsh local government leaders say 04/10/2017 Austerity is having a 'devastating' effect on communities and services, Welsh local government leaders have warned.
Council to save money by closing ‘little-used’ buildings 03/10/2017 Norfolk County Council has outlined plans to save money by delivering services from fewer buildings.
Nine out of ten councils have maintained services in past year 14/09/2017 Nine out of ten councils said they have maintained service quality in the last year, but only one in six councils think this will continue over the next five years, new research has found.
Councils should have right to more cash in wake of DUP deal, finds survey 10/07/2017 Local authorities should have the right to ask for more funding in their own region following the government’s £1bn DUP deal, a new survey has revealed.
Councils best placed to set school budgets, council chiefs tell Whitehall 29/06/2017 Council chiefs have called on the Government to allow councils and schools to retain an element of flexibility over how schools funding is distributed.
Bristol Council unveils new austerity proposals 14/06/2017 Bristol City Council has unveiled plans to save £4.7m by closing libraries and street toilets, cutting school patrols and making changes to services for people with disabilities.
Watchdog warns Welsh councils at risk from 'over-ambitious' targets 14/06/2017 Most councils in Wales have improved their medium-term financial plans and their ability to forecast the savings they need to make, according to financial watchdogs.
Tory manifesto proposals could see school budgets cut, think tank says 26/05/2017 School spending plans outlined in the Conservative Party manifesto could see school budgets cut by 7%, financial experts say.
Liverpool feeling council cuts harder than other big cities, says survey 02/05/2017 Liverpudlians are more likely to be aware of local council cuts than residents in three other major cities, a new survey has revealed.
Scottish councils slash spending by 11% 28/02/2017 Scottish councils have slashed their spending by 11% over five years, new figures have shown.
Scotland’s Budget ‘simply’ reduced local gov cut, councils say 24/02/2017 Scottish councils have criticised new Budget as ‘simply a reduction’ in the local government cuts that were already planned.
Scottish councils warn of crisis despite £160m 'climb down' 03/02/2017 Council leaders have warned of a funding crisis despite a last-minute announcement to hand back £160m to local authorities.
Scotland’s finance minister should quit over ‘budget of doom’ 02/02/2017 Scottish councils have told Holyrood the finance chief should quit if MSPs reject what they describe as his ‘budget of doom’.
Councils facing £5.8bn funding gap by 2020 warn town hall chiefs 27/01/2017 The financial settlement will leave two-thirds of councils millions of pounds worse off in 2017/18 - with 201 districts pushed towards ‘financial tipping point’ - council leaders have warned today.
Manchester City Council announces £30m of cuts 04/01/2017 Manchester City Council has announced cuts of £30m over the next three years despite last Autumn’s warning they would have a budget shortfall of between £40m and £75m.
Welsh councils get 'robust' financial settlement 21/12/2016 Welsh councils have been given a ‘good' financial settlement, according to local government secretary Mark Drakeford.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2016 16/12/2016 See our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2016, with council pensions, the impact of Brexit and election fiascos dominating the headlines.
Scottish councils warn of threat to jobs and services 12/12/2016 Further cuts in government funding on the same scale as last year would have a 'disastrous' effect on services, Scottish council leaders have warned.
Scottish council considers cutting workforce 12/12/2016 The Highland Council is this week considering a plan to cut its workforce to cope with spending cuts, with a final decision to be made in February.
Brighton announces cuts to save £24m 02/12/2016 Brighton and Hove has revealed plans to cut 140 jobs and raise council tax by nearly 4% in an attempt to save £24m.
Scottish councils facing financial shortfalls warns watchdog 29/11/2016 Councils in Scotland have managed their finances well but face big challenges ahead, spending watchdogs have warned.
Reading BC to sign off further £10.5m in cuts 28/11/2016 Reading BC is set to sign off another £10.5m in efficiency savings as the local authority aims to fill a £42m funding gap.
Birmingham Council to face 'mammoth' task of balancing £49m overspend 09/11/2016 A £49m budget overspend by Birmingham City Council will mean balancing the books next year will be a ‘mammoth’ task, its improvement panel have warned.
Hundreds of jobs at risk as councils publish budget plans 12/10/2016 Councils have warned that hundreds of additional jobs are at risk, as they publish plans to save millions over the next four years.
Aberdeen City Council first in Scotland to secure credit rating 10/10/2016 Aberdeen has become the first council in Scotland to be given an official credit rating, allowing it to access new funding mechanisms.
Derbyshire under spends budget, despite cuts 27/07/2016 The leader of Derbyshire CC has warned of further cuts in the future, despite a planned underspend of more than £32m this year.
Councils’ spending hits new low 06/07/2016 Councils’ spending in England will fall by 1% in 2016-17 (£0.9bn) according to official figures, raising concerns over the financial resilience of local authorities.
More schools using pupil premium to plug budget holes 17/06/2016 New research has shown a growing number of schools are using funding for disadvantaged pupils to offset budget cuts elsewhere.
Council spending being squeezed by debt payments 15/06/2016 The cost of paying off historic debts is putting pressure on council’s ‘dwindling’ revenue resources, the National Audit Office has warned today.
Bristol cuts because of ‘crippling burden’ of austerity, warns mayor 10/06/2016 Bristol City Council must find £44m in savings by next year, in order to address a £60m budget gap, mayor says.
Budget cuts wiping out public toilets 31/05/2016 Nearly two thousand council-run public toilets have closed in the last decade, leaving many areas with no facilities at all, a new investigation has revealed.
Labour blasts 'disgraceful' cuts to deprived councils 26/04/2016 Labour has accused the Government of making the smallest budget cuts to councils in the constituencies of key cabinet members.
Research warns of 'grim' outlook for council spending 26/04/2016 Councils may be unable to fund services such as parks, highways and refuse collections by the end of the decade, under concerns unveiled in a new report.
Councils defend 'difficult' service spending cuts 04/04/2016 Spending on services such as pest control and public toilets has been cut by as much as 40% by councils since 2010, according to new research.
Councils issue warning over closure of local pharmacies 14/03/2016 A £170m reduction in NHS funding could force hundreds of community pharmacies to close down, according to warnings from town hall chiefs.
Glasgow to lose 1,500 council jobs because of ‘double whammy’ in cuts 11/03/2016 Glasgow City Council will be radically reducing their workforce over the next financial year in an attempt to close a multi-million pound spending gap.
All Scottish councils accept funding deal 10/02/2016 Council leaders in Scotland have ‘reluctantly’ accepted the £350m funding cut from the Scottish Government.
Frontline services threatened by ‘radical shake-up’ in council funding 01/02/2016 Funding changes will push councils to breaking point and place existence of local services under threat, the Local Government Association (LGA) is warning.
Cuts are 'not realistic' and show 'misunderstanding' among ministers, council tells PM 21/01/2016 Political leaders from all sides at East Sussex Council have joined forces to issue a plea to David Cameron over latest cuts, warning they are unrealistic and betray a lack of understanding about local government.
Isle of Wight Council warns cuts are pushing it to the brink 20/01/2016 Isle of Wight Council has warned the Government it may not ‘be viable in the very near future’ if planned budget cuts go ahead.
County cuts could signal end of services, say council leaders 19/01/2016 County council leaders have urged the Government to either postpone cutbacks or provide emergency transitional funding – or else risk the end of non-statutory services.
North Yorkshire to criticise Government over ‘unfair’ funding settlement 12/01/2016 North Yorkshire County Council is to make urgent representations to the Government about what they claim is an unfair local authority funding settlement.
Four-year finance deal for local government 18/12/2015 Councils have been given a four-year funding settlement to give them financial certainty up to 2020.
Councils handed more power over homelessness budgets 18/12/2015 Councils have been handed more control of homelessness budgets after the Government devolved funding for managing temporary accommodation.
‘Catastrophic’ budget will cost 15,000 council jobs 17/12/2015 Council leaders in Scotland have warned that funding cuts of £350m – announced in yesterday’s budget – will lead to 15,000 job cuts and significant service reductions.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2015 16/12/2015 See our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2015, with jobs cuts, Pickles squeezing cash from councils and that infamous bake sale dominating the headlines.
Welsh Government’s local authority settlement 'as good as it gets in the current climate' 10/12/2015 The Welsh Government’s local authority settlement represents a slowing down of the cuts faced by local councils and is 'as good as it gets in the current climate', according to the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
Birmingham Council could cut 1,200 jobs 10/12/2015 Birmingham City Council has warned 1,200 jobs will be lost as it tries to find savings of £250m over the next four years.
Councils at risk from service failure warns report 07/12/2015 A small number of councils are at risk of financial or service failure, according to a new report from accountancy firm Grant Thornton.
Nearly 200 jobs at risk at Nottinghamshire County Council 02/12/2015 More than 180 jobs are at risk as a result of saving at least £62m over the next three years, Nottinghamshire County Council has warned.
Newcastle Council warns of job and service cuts 02/12/2015 Vital services such as social care will have to be cut and 250 jobs axed to make savings, Newcastle City Council has announced.
Councils announce ‘heartbreaking’ job cuts 27/11/2015 Two councils have warned of job and service cuts, following the spending review earlier this week.
Labour hits out at 'intolerable' local government cuts 19/11/2015 The Government has been accused of 'closing their eyes' to the damage caused by funding cuts, by Labour local government leaders.
Portsmouth warns of 100 job cuts 18/11/2015 Residents of Portsmouth have backed a rise in council tax to help protect services as part proposals which will also see 100 job cuts at the council.
County to cut hundreds of jobs in plans to save £65m 17/11/2015 Lancashire County Council’s plans to save £65m in the next two years will result in the loss of 367 jobs.
David Cameron involved in row with local council over cuts 12/11/2015 Prime minister David Cameron has come under fire after complaining about cuts to frontline services by his Conservative-run local council.
County announces freeze on non-essential spending 11/11/2015 A spending freeze on all non-essential services until the end of the financial year has been announced by Buckinghamshire County Council.
Councils cutting 11,766 jobs warns union 10/11/2015 Councils have announced plans to cut nearly 12,000 jobs to meet 2016/17 budget plans, according to new research from GMB.
Southampton warns 182 jobs could be cut 10/11/2015 Southampton City Council has warned 182 jobs are at risk as it tries to plug a funding shortfall of £39.1m by 2016/17.
Four departments agree 30% spending cuts 09/11/2015 Four government departments - including the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) - have provisionally agreed to cut spending by up to 30% over the next four years.
'Unpalatable' cuts dropped by Norfolk CC 27/10/2015 Norfolk County Council has promised that the county’s libraries and children’s centres will remain open despite future cuts.
Scottish council could axe over 1,000 jobs 23/10/2015 North Lanarkshire Council could axe more than 1,000 full-time jobs in a bid to find savings of £45m in the next three years.
Increase in local government borrowing causing 'considerable uncertainty' 22/10/2015 Local authorities borrowed £1.6bn more in the first half of this year compared to 2014, according to figures published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics.
How to be pitch perfect 15/10/2015 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s street scene department is making impressive efficiency savings of £18,090 each year in the cost and time of line marking its football pitches after switching to a new paint and line marking machines. Darren Bisby reports.
Falkirk faces £45m budget shortfall 08/10/2015 Falkirk Council needs to make massive savings of £45m over the next three years, according to a report presented to the council yesterday.
Camden calls for rethink over ‘disproportionate cuts’ 22/09/2015 Camden Council has urged ministers to implement fairer local government funding, warning planned cutbacks are ‘unsustainable’.
Edinburgh warns of 2,000 job losses 18/09/2015 Edinburgh city council has warned it may cut 2,000 jobs over the next two years to cope with a budget shortfall.
Councils issue warning about using cash reserves 11/09/2015 If councils use their cash reserves to plug gaps in government funding, all the money will be spent within three years warn town hall chiefs.
Councils warn of reaching financial ‘tipping point’ 04/09/2015 Councils across the country have warned they must make savings ‘significantly’ more than originally planned, and are bracing themselves for further cuts following the upcoming spending review.
Finance figures bring mixed news 27/08/2015 There is good news and bad news in the latest public finance figures, writes Michael Burton.
Warrington Council issues £150m bond deal 26/08/2015 Warrington Council has issued a £150m bond deal to help finance its town centre regeneration plans.
Spending review will put 'everyday transport' at risk say campaigners 20/08/2015 Local transport will face disproportionate levels of cuts in the upcoming spending review, according to warnings from transport groups.
Oldham consults on £30m budget cuts 07/08/2015 Oldham Council has launched a consultation on its proposals to save £30m during 2016/17.

Neuroscience and knife crime

Gifford Sutherland, knife crime expert at The Training Hub, provides some insight into neuroscience, young people and knife crime.

Don’t play the hokey-cokey with health

Local government has turned public health around despite funding cuts. Now it not the time to think about returning the service to the NHS, argues Nathan Elvery.

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Local Government News

The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.

This issue also has a special highways and street lighting section exploring how councils can use lighting to embark on their smart city journey and using IoT technology to weather the storm.