Building Healthier Communities: The Case for Investing in Public Health
Explore how targeted, community-based public health strategies can improve lives, reduce NHS pressure, and deliver cost savings for local authorities.
Yusuf rules out council tax cuts at Reform-led local authorities
21/07/2025 The head of Reform UK’s Doge unit Zia Yusuf has said local authorities the party controls will not be able to reduce council tax, contradicting earlier claims of potential cuts by its local leaders. |
Call for proactive social care to support pensioners
27/06/2025 Researchers have recommended proactive social care to support pensioners’ ‘right[s] to live and age well’. |
Highway Maintenance Budgets: The Long View
23/05/2025 Mark Stevens, ADEPT, talks about local authority highway maintenance budgets, looking at how they have been impacted over the years by funding cuts. |
Council chiefs warn Chancellor of ‘devastating’ financial pressures
24/03/2025 Nearly three quarters of local authorities in England have warned it will be very or fairly difficult to set a balanced budget this financial year. |
Councillor barred from budget vote over unpaid tax
20/02/2025 A borough councillor in Lancashire owes almost £4,000 in council tax, making him unable to vote on the authority’s budget. |
Funding boost helps council avoid cuts
18/02/2025 Coventry City Council has dropped proposed cuts to charity-run adult services, street cleaning and council tax support due to an increase in funding. |
Special educational needs statutory override is 'abomination'
10/01/2025 Accountancy alone will not be enough to end the ‘abomination' of statutory overrides for special educational needs (SEN) budgets, a minister has said. |
£2bn finance settlement boost announced
18/12/2024 Councils in England will receive a share of £2bn additional funding next year under the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement announced on Wednesday. |
Cornwall Council proposes job cuts ahead of Christmas
17/12/2024 More than 100 employees at Cornwall Council could be made redundant in the run up to Christmas because of ‘chronic underfunding’ by the central government, a trade union has said. |
Council considers cutting hundreds of jobs
14/10/2024 Leeds City Council is considering cutting over 260 jobs over the next four years to help combat its ‘unprecedented’ £273m financial shortfall. |
APSE: Parks under threat from cuts
14/10/2024 Parks and green spaces across the country are under threat from council funding cuts, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) has warned. |
CCN: Two-thirds of council budgets spent on care
18/03/2024 Council chiefs have called for an ‘honest discussion’ about services as new research reveals local authorities spend two-thirds of their budgets on care. |
Woking BC approves 10% council tax hike
06/03/2024 Woking BC councillors have approved a nearly 10% council tax hike authorised by the Government after the council's issuing of a Section 114 notice. |
Brum members approve £300m of cuts
06/03/2024 Councillors at Birmingham City Council have signed off on £300m of cuts over two years and dramatic council tax increases. |
Basic efficiency savings all ‘long gone’, Chancellor told
05/03/2024 No more 'basic efficiencies' left to make, leaders tell Chancellor in response to reports he will call for consultants and diversity schemes to be cut. |
Tax cuts could drive 55,000 into poverty
05/03/2024 Tax cuts reportedly being considered by the Chancellor in tomorrow's Budget could result in tens of thousands of people being driven into poverty. |
Chancellor needs to show compassion to most vulnerable
05/03/2024 Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, leader, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, urges the Chancellor to renew the Household Support Fund. |
Council rejects tax freeze offer
23/02/2024 Argyll and Bute Council has become the first to reject the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze. |
Newcastle signs off on £15m spending cuts
21/02/2024 Newcastle City Council’s cabinet has approved budget proposals that will see spending cut by £15m over the next year. |
Bristol councillors fail to approve budget
21/02/2024 Councillors have failed to agree on Bristol City Council’s proposed budget, which included a 4.99% council tax increase and more than £24m of cuts. |
Brum set to sell off £750m of assets
20/02/2024 Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council is set to sell off £750m of assets and cut spending on services by £300m in an effort to balance the books. |
Plymouth told to 'hold its nerve' on budget
19/02/2024 Plymouth City Council’s budget for the forthcoming year hinges on a request to the Government for a capitalisation direction. |
Suffolk council leaders warn of ‘catastrophic’ HRS proposals
13/02/2024 Suffolk council leaders have warned of ‘a catastrophic effect’ on vulnerable residents should Suffolk CC agree proposed Housing Related Support changes. |
Council leaders cautiously welcome £600m boost
24/01/2024 Council leaders have welcomed the announcement of a £500m boost to social care budgets but caution they still face ‘difficult decisions’. |
Notts council seeks ‘exceptional financial support’
16/01/2024 Nottingham City Council has joined the list of local authorities who have requested ‘exceptional financial support’ from the Government. |
Auditor's 'significant concerns' over Dudley finances
15/01/2024 Dudley MBC has received a withering verdict on its finances from external auditor Grant Thornton as it attempts to stave off a section 114 notice. |
North Northants leader warns of ‘robust action’ to stem budget crisis
12/01/2024 The leader of North Northamptonshire Council has banned all but essential spending in an urgent bid to solve the authority’s budget pressures. |
Thurrock avoids 10% council tax hike
12/01/2024 Cash-strapped Thurrock Council has pledged residents will not face a 10% council tax rise – but still needs to confirm how much extra they must pay. |
Somerset in capitalisation request amid ‘financial emergency’
10/01/2024 Somerset Council is to seek a capitalisation direction and permission to raise council tax by up to 10% as it attempts to stave off a section 114 notice. |
Birmingham faces 10% council tax hike
10/01/2024 Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council could raise council tax by 10% if the Government gives its finance plan the go-ahead. |
Nottingham commissioners would 'undermine senior officers'
04/01/2024 Nottingham City Council has urged the Government not to send in commissioners to oversee the running of the authority. |
Leeds councillors to discuss axing 750 employees
06/12/2023 Senior councillors in Leeds are set to discuss plans to reduce staffing levels by 750 by the end of the 2024/25 financial year. |
Brighton’s finances in ‘perilous position’
04/12/2023 Brighton & Hove City Council’s finances are in an ‘extremely perilous position’, the local authority’s leader has warned. |
Town halls still battling cost hikes
24/11/2023 Councils are continuing to battle with the impact of cost increases on budgets despite consumer inflation falling, says leader of England’s county treasurers. |
Middlesbrough set to sell off buildings to avoid bankruptcy
16/11/2023 Middlesbrough Council is considering selling off several of its buildings in an effort to avoid having to issue a bankruptcy notice. |
London councils face £400m shortfall
11/10/2023 The capital’s boroughs face a £400m funding gap this year, set to rise to £500m in 2024-25, new analysis from London Councils reveals. |
Hampshire County Council on ‘financial cliff edge’
05/10/2023 Hampshire CC has warned that cuts to services and job losses are inevitable as the council is facing ‘one of the biggest budget shortfalls in its history’. |
Council U-turns on decision to close 39 facilities
04/10/2023 North Lanarkshire Council has reversed its plan to close 39 community facilities after Scotland’s First Minister blasted the decision as ‘short sighted’. |
Havering Council facing insolvency, warns leader
03/10/2023 The leader of Havering Council has warned that the London borough was facing insolvency due to increases in social care and homelessness costs. |
Council's ‘low-risk approach’ questioned
02/10/2023 A council has been urged by Local Government Association (LGA) peers to take more risks to improve its financial outlook. |
Councils face record £3.5bn shortfall
28/09/2023 Research has uncovered a £3.5bn shortfall facing councils over the next financial year, revealing ‘true scale of the dire state of local government funding’. |
Cumberland working to reduce ‘escalating costs’
26/09/2023 Cumberland Council says it is working hard to control ‘escalating costs’, but it is facing a potential overspend of £17.5m. |
Medway Council bankruptcy ‘very likely’, report warns
22/09/2023 It is ‘very likely’ that Medway Council will be forced to issue a section 114, a financial report has warned. |
Derbyshire agrees measures to close £46m budget gap
22/09/2023 Councillors at Derbyshire County Council have signed off on a series of cost control measures to address a £46m budget gap. |
Kirklees in fair funding call
21/09/2023 Kirklees MBC councillors called for a fair funding review to be carried out urgently as they discussed measures to avoid a section 114 notice. |
Cash-strapped councils forced to sell £15bn of assets
21/09/2023 About 75,000 public assets worth £15bn have been sold by cash-strapped English councils since 2010, according to Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). |
Gove announces emergency measures for Birmingham
19/09/2023 The Government has announced emergency measures to help run Birmingham City Council during its financial crisis. |
Woking entered s114 territory in 2018
13/09/2023 Woking BC may have faced a section 114 notice at least four years before it declared effective bankruptcy, senior councillors have been told. |
Somerset in section 114 warning
31/08/2023 Somerset Council is the latest authority to raise the prospect of a possible section 114 notice. |
Coventry faces issuing s114
25/08/2023 Coventry is at risk of having to issue a section 114 notice, the city council has warned Michael Gove. |
Service costs ‘unmanageable’, city council warns
21/08/2023 Coventry City Council has projected a £12.1m overspend in its budget and warned that service costs are becoming ‘unmanageable’. |
Reserves 'critical' at Middlesbrough
16/08/2023 ‘Critically low’ levels of reserves have left Middlesbrough Council in danger of issuing a section 114 notice. |
Auditor finds ‘significant weaknesses’ in Bristol's finances
10/08/2023 ‘Significant weaknesses’ in reducing overspends are threatening Bristol City Council’s financial sustainability, according to its external auditor. |
Alarm over Welsh budget warnings
10/08/2023 The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has warned a return to austerity would be ‘devastating’ following budget warnings from the devolved Government. |
Kirklees spending controls to avert s114
09/08/2023 Senior councillors will be asked to implement a series of cost-cutting measures to combat in-year overspending. |
Gauke calls for new Office for Spending Evaluation
31/07/2023 Former Treasury minister David Gauke has called for a new Office for Spending Evaluation to prioritise ‘productive’ spending on public services. |
COSLA and Holyrood strike 'landmark' deal
03/07/2023 A pledge for greater fiscal control for councils has been made in a ‘landmark agreement’ between national and local government in Scotland. |
Kent faces £50m overspend
03/04/2023 Past failures to deliver on savings targets cannot be repeated if Kent CC is to avoid a section 114 scenario, the council has been warned. |
New Lake District authority doubles tax on second homes
08/03/2023 The new Westmorland and Furness Council has agreed to introduce a 100% council tax premium on second homes. |
Over 50% of councils set to cut spending on services
07/03/2023 Half of councils are planning to cut spending on services, increase commercial investments or spend their reserves to make ends meet this year, poll reveals. |
Woking Borough Council warns of possible S114
22/02/2023 Woking Borough Council has warned that it is ‘in the territory’ of effective bankruptcy as it struggles with over £2bn of debt. |
Auditor sounded alarm over BCP budget
15/02/2023 Grave warnings were issued about 11th hour changes to BCP Council’s budget before frustrated leader Drew Mellor resigned, it has emerged. |
Majority of councils opt for 5% council tax rises
14/02/2023 Three quarters of councils will increase their council tax by the maximum allowed without a referendum in April. |
West Midlands Combined Authority sets out £1.1bn budget
13/02/2023 The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has set out a £1.1bn budget which it says includes major investments to cut carbon while delivering growth. |
Lancashire County Council is set to pass its first £1bn budget
10/02/2023 Members have been told that the current financial outlook was ‘generally positive thanks to careful management’. |
Westminster council unveils cost-of-living crisis budget
07/02/2023 Westminster City Council has unveiled a budget aimed at helping residents hit by the cost-of-living crisis. |
Councils ‘in the dark’ about public health funding
06/02/2023 Vital frontline services, such as drug and alcohol treatment, are at risk of being cut unless Government announces public health funding for next year. |
'Progress falls short' at Nottingham
02/02/2023 Nottingham City Council has been too slow in turning around its finances, according to the team charged with overseeing its recovery. |
Commissioner ‘optimistic’ about council’s future
27/01/2023 A Government-appointed commissioner says he is optimistic about Liverpool City Council's future despite warnings of ‘considerable uncertainty’ ahead. |
Cash-strapped council seeks to sell number plate to popstar
19/01/2023 East Renfrewshire Council hopes to sell a rare number plate to the global pop superstar Harry Styles in an attempt to reduce its £30m budget gap. |
Council chiefs ‘concerned’ by energy prices despite discount
10/01/2023 Local authority leaders ‘deeply concerned’ about high energy prices despite the Government’s announcement of a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme. |
Wakefield Council to cut jobs to close £24m budget gap
10/01/2023 Wakefield Council has warned that the council will have to cut jobs to close its £24.7m budget gap and accused Government of ‘kicking the can down the road’. |
Nottingham bids to close £11m budget gap
21/12/2022 Nottingham City Council has introduced spending controls as the authority attempts to rein in an overspend of more than £11m. |
Bradford Council faces £58m extra costs
15/12/2022 A combination of inflation and rises in the national living wage means that Bradford Council is facing an extra £58m of costs next year. |
Leicestershire County Council to cut 250 jobs
15/12/2022 Leicestershire County Council has warned that it will have to cut around 250 posts over the next four years if it is to balance its budget. |
Nottingham council considers cutting 110 jobs
14/12/2022 Nottingham City Council has warned that it may be forced to cut 110 jobs in order to balance its budget. |
Derby council warns of impending job cuts
14/12/2022 Derby City Council has warned that it may have to cut 162 jobs in order to plug a £34m funding gap. |
Scottish council chiefs issue SOS call
05/12/2022 Local authority leaders in Scotland today launched a campaign ahead of the Scottish budget calling on Holyrood to Save our Services. |
Croydon issues S114 notice
22/11/2022 Croydon Council has put a halt to all non-statutory spending as it tries to find £130m of savings in the next financial year. |
Council leader warns of cuts to close £22m budget gap
22/11/2022 Herefordshire Council leader yesterday wrote to the PM warning the local authority will have to make ‘difficult decisions’ to close a £22m budget gap. |
Counties in bankruptcy warning
14/11/2022 Hampshire and Kent CC leaders have said they will be forced to issue Section 114 notices within two years without immediate financial assistance from the Government. |
Council chiefs warn of impending cuts
11/11/2022 Council chiefs warn ‘everything on the table’ when it comes to cuts as poll reveals only one in five county councils are confident of balancing their budgets. |
Devon council leader warns of ‘deep cuts’
02/11/2022 Devon County Council’s leader has warned the council will have to make ‘deep cuts’ to the county’s local services unless the Government provides more help. |
Cornwall Council warns of cuts to fill £62m hole
02/11/2022 Cornwall Council has warned that it may be forced to cut spending on discretionary services as it seeks to fill a budget gap of £62m. |
Chancellor warned local services ‘on a cliff-edge’
01/11/2022 Local authority leaders have urged the PM ahead of the upcoming autumn statement to ensure that councils have the funding necessary to protect services. |
Council chiefs warn against ‘devastating’ cuts
27/10/2022 Further cuts to local government funding will mean that councils will only be able to offer the ‘bare minimum’ of local services, county council leaders warn. |
Public health budget slashed by a quarter, charity reveals
26/10/2022 A charity has warned against cuts to public health as an analysis reveals that austerity under Conservative governments has hit the poorest the hardest. |
Oxfordshire County Council warns of £50m budget shortfall
12/10/2022 Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet are set to meet next week to agree next year’s budget as the council estimates it needs to make savings of around £50m. |
One in six councils at risk of running out of money next year
06/10/2022 One in six councils in England could run out of money as early as next year without further budget cuts or additional income, new research has warned today. |
Council faces up to £70m of unbudgeted costs
05/10/2022 Kent County Council has warned of ‘extremely tough choices’ ahead as the local authority faces £50m to £70m of unbudgeted inflationary costs this year. |
Councils warn of multi-million-pound budget gaps
04/10/2022 South Gloucestershire and Wirral councils have warned of multi-million-pound budget gaps next year due to inflation and rising demand on services. |
Council offers all staff volutary redundancy
16/09/2022 Northumberland Council has offered all of its staff the option of voluntary redundancy as it attempts to rein in a predicted £12m budget overspend. |
Councils face ‘battle to balance budgets’
09/09/2022 PM Liz Truss should use any emergency budget to address the inflation cost pressures facing council budgets and the social care crisis, council chiefs say. |
Ministers share 'significant concerns' over council's finances
07/09/2022 The Government is expected to grant Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council a £20m capitalisation direction despite raising concerns over its finances. |
£7m overspend looms for York
22/08/2022 York City Council is facing ‘difficult decisions’ with an in-year budget overspend of almost £7m looming and limited reserves to call upon. |
Councils face record £2.4bn deficits in SEN this year
29/07/2022 Local authority deficits in special educational needs (SEN) have reached an ‘unmanageable’ £2.4bn this year, new research has uncovered. |
Uncertain future for Scottish councils' finances
10/03/2022 The Accounts Commission found councils were grappling with funding reductions and restrictions as they prepare to meet significant challenges. |
'Underfunded' adult social care reforms put services at risk, warn councils
25/02/2022 The underfunding of social care reforms will put the quality and availability of services at risk, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Council reverses decision to scrap all arts funding
14/02/2022 The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has decided against plans to cut arts funding by 100% following a public consultation. |
Scottish settlement ‘worst seen’ by leaders
23/12/2021 Council leaders in Scotland are demanding a meeting with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over funding for next year. |
