Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
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. |
Welsh councils win £750m funding boost
20/12/2021 The Welsh Government has included a £743m increase in funding for councils in its latest budget. |
Cornwall plans to cut 400 jobs
03/12/2021 The cuts are part of plans to save £55m in order to balance the council’s budget in 2022-23. |
Bexley withdraws capitalisation request
13/10/2021 The council said ‘sound financial planning’ meant it would not need the extra funds to balance its books. |
