AI and the Pothole Crisis: Learning from 'Down Under’
Leo Hanna, executive vice president UK at TechnologyOne, looks at what the UK can learn from Australia when it comes to using AI to identify potholes.
High street businesses brace for business rates hike
21/01/2025 Thousands of high street businesses are set to see their rates bill more than double this year, financial experts warn. |
37 shops lost each day in 2024, data suggests
02/01/2025 Almost 13,500 retail stores in the UK closed for good last year, equivalent to about 37 shops a day, new data has found. |
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. |
Localis: Counterproductive ‘tax landscape’ threatens pubs
23/09/2024 A think tank has warned that a ‘counterproductive regulatory and tax landscape’ threatens the future of local pubs. |
Councillors advised to write off £1.25m of debts
06/08/2024 Officers have recommended that Peterborough City Council writes off £1.25m of ‘irrecoverable’ debts. |
Will increasing council tax on second homes help?
30/07/2024 John Webber, head of Business Rates, Colliers, discusses why he thinks taxing second homeowners more won’t alleviate the shortfall in local authority finance. |
Council tax hikes on second homes backfiring
25/07/2024 Councils in the south west of England that have increased council tax on second homes are missing out on £55m of income due to the business rates system. |
Pubs ‘vanishing’ at alarming rate, study reveals
17/06/2024 The number of pubs forced to call last orders for the final time increased at an alarming rate during the first quarter of the year, study reveals. |
Labour set out plan to ‘breathe new life’ into high streets
10/04/2024 Labour has announced a five-point plan that it argues could ‘breathe new life’ into high streets. |
Lib Dems pledge to scrap business rates
09/04/2024 The Liberal Democrats would deliver tax reforms to ‘revive struggling high streets’, leader Ed Davey will announce today. |
Levelling up requires ‘meaningful’ devolution, business group says
20/02/2024 Business leaders have called for ‘meaningful decision-making powers’ to be devolved to local authorities to help boost left-behind regions. |
Council referrals to bailiffs up 20%
24/01/2024 Referrals to bailiffs in England and Wales to recover council debts have risen by nearly 20%, a BBC investigation has found. |
Call to end £250m business rate loophole
11/01/2024 A campaign to end a loophole which is estimated could cost councils a massive £250m in lost business rates revenue has been backed by senior politicians. |
‘Growth zones’ for West Midlands in UK first
22/12/2023 The West Midlands is to become the first UK region to receive new ‘growth zone’ powers, which the combined authority said could generate £1.7bn. |
Autumn Statement: Business rates measures to be fully funded
22/11/2023 Plans to extend business rates relief will be fully funded for local authorities, the small print of the Autumn Statement has confirmed. |
Land value tax could redistribute billions
09/11/2023 A plan to reform business rates could lead to billions of pounds being redistributed from high land value areas to other parts of the country. |
Oflog moves to expand remit
30/10/2023 The new Office for Local Government (Oflog) watchdog has proposed to widen its scope to five new service areas. |
‘Candy store’ numbers drop as council crackdown continues
04/10/2023 Westminster City Council has seen some success in its clampdown on Oxford Street's US-style ‘candy stores’, with the number dropping to 21 from 29. |
Tired of empty shops? It’s time to ban box shifting
29/09/2023 Sian Berry AM, Green London Assembly Member and Camden councillor, calls for an end to the use of the tax evasion technique known as ‘box shifting’. |
Call for pubs minister
28/09/2023 The Government should offer pubs tax rebates and appoint a minister responsible for a long term-strategy for the sector, report by think-tank Localis argues. |
‘Box shifting’ loophole costing councils £250m a year
26/09/2023 Councils in England could save £250m annually if a legal loophole that enables landlords to avoid business rates was closed, campaigners say. |
Pubs 'vanishing' at alarming rate as closures jump 50%
18/09/2023 The number of pubs that have been demolished or converted into other types of use has risen dramatically, with over 380 ‘vanishing’ this year. |
Councils need ‘cohesive plan’ after loss of 6,000 stores
28/07/2023 British Retail Consortium found that Britain lost 6,000 shops in five years and warned that councils must make a ‘cohesive plan’ to revive shopping areas. |
Government heads off business rates review
21/07/2023 A bid to secure a review of business rates in the House of Lords has failed. |
Councils call for more radical thinking on short-term lets
20/06/2023 Whitehall proposals to regulate short-term holiday lets fail to deliver what is needed to tackle housing shortages and ministers should think ‘more radically,’ councils have said. |
Westminster council takes on tax avoiding candy stores
25/05/2023 Westminster City Council has declared war on US-style candy and souvenir stores that are failing to pay business rates or selling illegal or unsafe goods. |
Urban councils call for redistributive funding model
02/05/2023 A network of urban councils has launched a manifesto calling on the Government to end competitive bidding and return to a redistributive council funding model. |
Labour pledges to revitalise high streets
12/04/2023 Labour will today promote its plan to revitalise ailing high streets through a £700m fund to help small businesses with soaring energy bills. |
Budget 2023: Hunt to boost mayors' financial autonomy
15/03/2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the Government will ‘boost mayors’ financial autonomy’ in his Budget. |
COVID business relief fund ‘carnage’, says report
13/02/2023 Less than a quarter of local authorities have paid out their full grants from the COVID relief fund for local businesses, new research reveals. |
Gove unveils 'blueprint' for council spending
12/12/2022 All councils will see a 3% increase in spending for the next financial year, a central government ‘blueprint’ for spending has revealed. |
Mini-Budget: Government in 'early discussions' on Investment Zones
23/09/2022 The Government is in ‘early discussions with nearly 40 places’ including Tees Valley and the West Midlands about creating new Investment Zones offering tax cuts for businesses, the chancellor has confirmed. |
Westminster council calls for ‘reform’ of business rates
26/08/2022 Westminster City Council has called for a ‘fundamental reform’ of business rates ahead of what the local authority warns will be a difficult winter. |
Thousands of businesses face insolvency waiting for £50m tax rebates
26/07/2022 Over 3,000 businesses in England have gone ‘bust’ while waiting for business rates rebates worth over £50m, new research has revealed. |
Queen's Speech: Business rates set for overhaul
10/05/2022 It has been confirmed a ‘Non-Domestic Rating Bill’ will form part of the agenda during the next Parliamentary session. |
New Bill to put beauty at the heart of planning, says Gove
08/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech is set to include a new bill to revamp planning and kick start housebuilding, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has revealed. |
COVID business rates relief ‘a total joke’
04/03/2022 Hundreds of thousands of businesses promised business rates reliefs through a £1.5bn relief fund are still waiting to receive support, analysis reveals. |
Gove closes tax loophole on second homes
14/01/2022 A loophole that allows second home owners to avoid paying council tax by falsely claiming their properties are holidays lets will be closed under new measures. |
Over 400,000 firms 'stuck' in business rates appeal system
02/11/2021 More than 400,000 businesses are stuck in the business rates appeal system waiting for COVID-19 reliefs, a real estate company has warned. |
Labour promises to scrap business rates
27/09/2021 Labour has announced that it plans to scrap business rates to make the taxation system fairer and to help revive the high street after the pandemic. |
Business rates system 'discourages shift to net zero'
31/08/2021 Small firms have written to the Government warning that the business rates system is a disincentive to invest in net zero and employee wellbeing measures. |
Welsh Government looks at holiday home reforms
26/08/2021 Holiday home owners in Wales could be charged the full amount of business rates amid claims people are being priced out of their local area. |
Retailers tell Government to fix ‘broken’ business rates system
10/08/2021 Retailers have urged the Government to reform the business rates system as part of the effort to help high streets recover from the pandemic. |
Tax ‘loophole’ costs councils £110m
09/08/2021 New research suggests business rates relief for holiday lets is currently worth £110m a year. |
Councils missing out on £110m a year due to holiday home tax break
05/08/2021 Councils are missing out on £110m a year in council tax income due to a loophole in the business rates system, new research has shown. |
MPs call for urgent council finance reforms
19/07/2021 Councils should be given more flexibility to raise their own taxes and social care funding urgently needs to be reformed, MPs have said. |
Treasury launches consultation for business rates revaluations every three years
30/06/2021 Business rates revaluations could take place more frequently to better reflect changing economic conditions under proposals unveiled by the Government. |
Council tax debt rises to £4.4bn
24/06/2021 Council tax debt increased by £841m last year due to the pandemic reducing or delaying recovery action, official figures have shown. |
Levelling up needs long-term approach, says report
10/05/2021 A shake-up of local government funding is required to achieve a levelling up of the country, a new report has concluded. |
Government 'rules out' COVID-19 business rates appeals
26/03/2021 Local authorities will be allocated a £1.5bn funding pot to help businesses adversely affected by COVID-19. |
Budget 2021: Sunak vows to do 'whatever it takes' to help businesses
03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to ‘do whatever it takes’ to support businesses as the country looks to a post-coronavirus future. |
Budget 2021: Sunak warns of pain to come
03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a budget to protect ‘livelihood and jobs’ – with a warning of public finance pain to come. |
BUDGET 2021: Sunak's lifeline for workers and business
03/03/2021 Rishi Sunak’s Budget is expected to provide a lifeline for workers as the furlough scheme is extended to September while the universal credit £20 uplift could also be prolonged for six months. |
Labour calls for council powers to intervene in high streets
25/02/2021 Proposals for councils to take over empty shops and a ‘wholesale reform’ of business rates have been put forward by Labour. |
Review of business rates delayed until autumn
19/02/2021 The final report on the review of business rates will be pushed back until autumn, the Government has confirmed today. |
Think tank proposes 10-point plan to reform business rates
29/10/2020 The valuation of business rates should be devolved to local government, under proposals published by the Centre for Cities. |
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Think tank calls for sweeping reforms to local taxes
06/07/2020 A group of former Treasury special advisers have called for revaluation of the council tax and reform of business rates to boost the economy post-COVID-19. |
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Jenrick announces more cash, income compensation and tax delay
02/07/2020 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has announced more cash and new ways councils will be reimbursed for income lost as a result of coronavirus. |
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Business rates grant money could be clawed back, says IFS
14/06/2020 Central government funds given to councils to pay for grants and business rates waivers may have to be paid back if it is unspent, a finance think tank has claimed. |
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No bail outs for commercial investments
22/05/2020 Plans to bail out councils struggling with their finances could vary between authorities - but they will not cover commercial investments, The MJ understands. |
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Whitehall delays revaluation of business rates
06/05/2020 The Government has confirmed the planned revaluation of business rates will no longer take place next year due to coronavirus. |
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Districts win in latest allocations
28/04/2020 Districts have won a significantly higher share of funding in the latest allocations of government cash to help councils cope with coronavirus. |
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Jenrick moves to ease cash flow pressures
16/04/2020 New measures to help ease immediate financial pressures faced by councils in England due to the coronavirus outbreak have been announced by the Government. |
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A tipping point for town centres?
16/04/2020 Nigel Wilcock warns that many town centre businesses are now probably terminally damaged – and genuine change will be essential. |
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Budget 2020: Sunak reveals spending spree for first budget
11/03/2020 New chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a Budget to end austerity, boost productivity and tackle the problems created by coronavirus. |
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Government announces financial support for flood-hit areas
19/02/2020 The Government has announced councils in areas affected by recent flooding will receive grants to cover the cost of council tax and business rates reliefs. |
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Cuts force most councils to increase council tax and charges
05/02/2020 The majority of councils are planning on raising council tax and charging for services in 2020/21 in order to make ends meet, new research has revealed. |
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Court finds in favour of museum in ‘landmark’ business rates case
17/01/2020 A long-running battle over how museums are valued for business rates has come to an end with a court ruling that they should be valued based on net income. |
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Councils losing £250m a year through business rates avoidance
17/01/2020 Councils are losing £250m a year due to businesses avoiding paying their rates, new research has found. |
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NHS business rates claim rejected by High Court
12/12/2019 Councils have successfully defended a claim for billions of pounds of tax relief for NHS trusts. |
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Challenging rateable values
10/12/2019 Roger Messenger calls on councils to assess their entire property portfolio and identify every business rate exemption or relief they may be entitled to. |
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Johnson pledges business rates cut to disadvantaged areas
15/11/2019 The prime minister has pledged to help ‘left behind’ communities by cutting business rates if they win the General Election. |
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Reform ‘broken’ business rates system, retailers say
12/11/2019 Retailers are urging the next Government to reform the business rates system, which they argue penalises the retail sector by over £1bn every five years. |
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Retail, High Streets and Business Rates
07/11/2019 John Orchard argues the time has come to ignore the hyperbole surrounding business rates. |
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Business rates reforms will only help richest authorities, report finds
06/11/2019 Two-thirds of councils will see their income fall in real terms by 2025 due business rates reforms, research has found today. |
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MPs slam 'broken' business rates system
31/10/2019 MPs have urged the Government to reform the 'broken' business rates system and consider alternatives in time for the Spring Statement 2020. |
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Small businesses call for ‘radical’ business rates reform
21/10/2019 Representatives of small businesses have written to the chancellor calling on him to introduce business rates reform to help struggling firms. |
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Ombudsman criticises councils for how they chased historic business rate debts
17/10/2019 Two London councils have been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for the way they tried to recover historic business rate debts. |
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Chanceller urged to scrap inflationary business rate rise
17/10/2019 The chancellor has been urged to scrap an increase in business rates in the Autumn Budget, following warnings it will add more than £536m to the business rates burden. |
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Thomas Cook collapse could cost councils £12m a year
24/09/2019 The collapse of Thomas Cook could see councils lose around £12m a year in business rates, new estimates have suggested. |
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Full-fibre and 5G could boost council revenue by £10,000
13/09/2019 Investing in full-fibre and 5G could increase a local authority’s revenue intake by £10,000, new research suggests. |
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Local government faces £25bn funding shortfall by 2025
09/09/2019 Local councils will face a £25bn funding gap by 2025 as funding reforms will shrink grants to almost zero, a new report has argued. |
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Fair Funding Review delayed until next year
05/09/2019 The Fair Funding Review and 75% business rate retention will be delayed until 2020-21. |
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High street retailers call for reform of ‘broken’ business rates
13/08/2019 Over 50 high street retailers have signed a letter calling on Chancellor Sajid Javid to reform the business rates system. |
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Councils accused of ‘criminalising’ businesses over rates arrears
05/08/2019 Local authorities are ‘criminalising’ struggling businesses such as pubs and shops by taking them to court over non-payment of business rates, a real estate advisor claims. |
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Plans to hike business rates in the West Midlands dropped
24/07/2019 Businesses in the West Midlands will breath a sigh of relief after an announcement that a planned business rate hike is unlikely to go ahead. |
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Court date set for councils' £2bn tax dispute with NHS trusts
08/07/2019 A court date has been set for the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief. |
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Sunak brings forward revaluation of business rates
13/06/2019 Business rates will reflect property values more accurately after a shake-up being introduced in new legislation. |
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Mayor calls for creation of 'free trade zones' in city centres
05/06/2019 West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called for a 'wholesale review' of the business rates system to save struggling high streets. |
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Government pays £15m to councils after business rate 'error'
03/06/2019 The Government may have to pay out up to £15m to councils after it made yet another error in its business rate pilot administration. |
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British Steel’s financial troubles could cost councils nearly £3m
22/05/2019 Local authorities could lose £2.8m in business rates should British Steel go into administration, a real estate company has calculated. |
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Debenhams’ CVA to cost councils £8.5m in rates
13/05/2019 Local authorities are set to lose millions of pounds worth of business rates due to Debenhams financial difficulties, ratings experts say. |
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Over 1,500 pubs close since controversial business rates revaluation
23/04/2019 Hundreds of local pubs closed down last year due to a ‘myriad of cost pressures’, new research reveals. |
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Business rates appeals will cost councils over £1bn
01/03/2019 Councils in England predict that business rates appeal will cost them £1.1bn in 2019/20, new figures have revealed. |
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Business rates ‘shakeup’ must be properly managed, warn experts
28/02/2019 Finance experts have called on the Government to explain how changes to the business rates retention system next year will work. |
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Counties call for full baseline reset of business rates in 2020
22/02/2019 County councillors have called for a review of the business rates system including the tax paid by large retailers. |
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MPs pile pressure on Government over business rates reform
21/02/2019 MPs have urged ministers to assess specific proposals for reforming business rates by the autumn. |
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Council revenues unlikely to ‘keep pace’ with demand on services
20/12/2018 Revenues from business rates and council tax will not keep pace with rising costs and demands for services, financial experts have warned. |
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Councils losing millions through tax loophole
07/11/2018 A loophole that could be costing English local authorities millions in lost council tax is to be reviewed by ministers. |
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The changing shape of the local government finance system
01/11/2018 Aileen Murphie explores how local government finance has changed since 2010 and what challenges councils face leading up to 2020. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
