Delivering Regeneration: How collaborative contracts are transforming place-making
Discover how collaborative contracting is helping councils deliver regeneration more effectively with this free special report from LocalGov and NEC Contracts.
Report finds 'optimism bias' in council projections
3/30/2026 Brighton and Hove city councillors were guilty of ‘optimism bias’ in forecasting the popularity of the i360 seafront tower, a report has found. |
CIPFA warning over profit capping reforms
2/23/2026 Financial oversight and profit capping reforms to the children's residential care market may fail to reduce costs for local authorities, CIPFA has warned. |
Common failures among EFS recipients uncovered
9/22/2025 The most common failings plunging councils into financial crisis have been laid out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). |
Council tax hikes to hit North East harder than London
3/19/2025 Households living in the North East will be hit with higher council tax bills than those living in the Greater London area, new research has revealed. |
Concern over new audit body
2/4/2025 Ministers have been warned against overreach with the creation of the Local Audit Office (LAO). |
Sector call for council tax review
12/13/2024 Local government has called for a ‘fundamental review of council tax' in a long-awaited report. |
CIPFA boss dismisses independent funding body call
11/8/2024 Boss of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has dismissed calls for allocations of funding to be handled by an independent body. |
Holyrood warned against adding ‘bureaucratic layers’ to social care
9/20/2024 The Scottish Government should focus more on tackling the ‘ineffective’ funding of social care rather than adding ‘bureaucratic layers’, CIPFA says. |
CIPFA calls for governance overhaul
6/25/2024 A ‘transformative overhaul of governance’ has been called for by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). |
Oflog should be handed audit oversight, MPs told
4/16/2024 Oflog should be handed oversight of England’s broken audit regime – a role earmarked for the Financial Reporting Council - accounting experts have told MPs. |
Mapley to take over from Whiteman at CIPFA
2/16/2024 Hertfordshire CC boss Owen Mapley will take over as Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) chief executive officer when Rob Whiteman retires, it has been announced. |
Appointments could spark finance review, says CIPFA chief
8/3/2023 Appointment of a new chief executive, finance director or political leader could provoke an independent review of finances under plans mooted by Rob Whiteman. |
EXCLUSIVE: Woking financial woes ‘like Thurrock on speed’
5/23/2023 A damning report into Woking BC’s finances has been described as making the borough look ‘like Thurrock on speed’. |
Investigator says 'heads must roll' after Croydon collapse
2/24/2023 An independent report into the reasons for the financial collapse of Croydon LBC that has finally been officially published has said ‘heads must roll’. |
CIPFA warns Tower Hamlets ‘going wrong again’
2/15/2023 Local government finance experts CIPFA have warned that the East London borough of Tower Hamlets is ‘going wrong again and will need intervention’. |
Spending settlement is 'no longer enough', says CIPFA
10/17/2022 The scale of the Government’s challenge to curb spending against a backdrop of soaring demand has been laid bare by a report examining key public services. |
Warning of £75m audit fee increase
10/3/2022 Experts have warned councils could be hit by a £75m increase to their audit fees as details of the next five-year procurement were announced. |
Capital borrowing falls by a fifth in two years, data reveals
8/2/2022 Councils’ prudential borrowing for capital expenditure has fallen 22% in two years, official data confirmed. |
Nottingham expected to bring housing back under direct control after probes
4/27/2022 Nottingham City Council is expected to bring its housing back under direct control after two independent probes found ‘underlying issues around governance and finance’. |
Report finds Havant could financially become a stand-alone council
3/9/2022 Havant Borough Council has been warned it must overcome a number of financial risks in order to end its partnership with East Hampshire District Council. |
Survey warns of 'bleak' fiscal reality for libraries
2/10/2022 Library income fell by nearly £20m over the last financial year, an annual survey has revealed. |
'Emergency consultation' launched on accounting rules
2/4/2022 Temporary changes to the code of practice were requested by the Government to resolve 'timeliness' issues. |
Council reserves grow by £10bn in past year
2/2/2022 The amount held in local authority reserves in England has increased to £29bn this year from £19bn in 2019/20, the latest figures shows. |
Council finances fared better than expected in COVID crisis, says IFS
1/11/2022 The cost of COVID for councils has been far less than expected, research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found. |
Nottingham uncovers serious finance error
12/3/2021 Nottingham City Council is taking urgent action after uncovering a serious accounting error while it battles with its failing finances. |
Peterborough and Wirral yet to 'grasp scale' of their financial challenges, minister warns
11/2/2021 The Government is concerned Peterborough City Council and Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council have not yet fully grasped the scale of the financial challenge they both face. |
Commissioners to monitor Slough improvement plan
10/26/2021 Mismanagement and a dysfunctional culture contributed to Slough Council’s financial meltdown, two Government-ordered reviews have concluded. |
Sunak urged to tackle backlogs in public services or face greater costs
10/19/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak must swiftly invest in public services hit hardest by the pandemic or face much greater costs down the line, a report has warned. |
Government threatens borrowing cap return
7/29/2021 The Government has threatened to apply statutory borrowing caps on councils that continue to expose themselves to excessive risk. |
Councils 'broadly support' focus of Health and Care Bill
7/6/2021 Councils ‘broadly support’ the focus of the Health and Care Bill introduced into Parliament on improving the health and wellbeing of the population, says the Local Government Association (LGA). |
BREAKING: Slough becomes second council to issue Section 114 in a year
7/1/2021 Slough Council has become the second local authority in less than a year to issue a dreaded Section 114 notice. |
Levelling up funds risk 'amplifying regional inequalities'
7/1/2021 A new report from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is critical of the current approach of bidding for pots of money. |
CIPFA to publish strengthened local government Prudential Code
6/25/2021 A new code of practice to ensure local authorities’ financial plans are 'affordable, prudent and sustainable' will be published by the end of the year. |
Council tax collection deficit hits £500m
5/27/2021 Councils will need ‘additional help from taxpayers’ to balance their books, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has warned. |
New guidance on council-owned companies to be published
5/21/2021 Councils will soon be issued guidance on governance arrangements for local authority trading companies (LATCs) by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). |
Councils urged to embrace three changes to strengthen partnerships with charities
5/12/2021 A new report has urged councils to make three key changes in order to get the best from their local voluntary sector. |
Fewer than half of local audits done by deadline, watchdog finds
3/16/2021 Fewer than half of local public bodies’ 2019-20 audits were completed by last November, despite a deadline already pushed back due to COVID, says a spending watchdog. |
Council tax hits £2,000 barrier in two regions
3/11/2021 The typical council tax bill for an average property in England’s north-east and south-west will be more than £2,000 a year for the first time, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). |
Proposal for stronger local government Prudential Code
2/2/2021 Proposals to strengthen the Prudential Code and prevent local authorities from borrowing to generate yield have been put forward by CIPFA. |
Nottingham plans £100m asset sale
1/19/2021 The council has identified £100m of assets for sale as part of a plan to bring its finances under control. |
Spending Review: 'Risk all sits on local government'
11/26/2020 The Spending Review failed to tackle key issues such as reforms to local government funding, sector experts have warned. |
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Croydon issues Section 114 notice
11/10/2020 Crisis-hit Croydon LBC has issued a Section 114 notice after extra spending controls proved not to be enough. |
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Government needs a plan to tackle public service backlog, says IfG
11/2/2020 The Government needs a plan to address backlogs in public services caused by the coronavirus crisis, a new report has claimed. |
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Coronavirus leads to scrapping of three-year Spending Review
10/21/2020 Plans to create a three-year settlement for public spending have been abandoned as latest figures show the havoc coronavirus is wreaking on the public finances. |
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Croydon would have issued s114 'in normal circumstances'
9/17/2020 Croydon LBC’s £49m total net forecast general fund overspend means it would have had to have issued a Section 114 notice in ‘normal circumstances,’ senior councillors have heard. |
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Councils facing £2bn budget black hole
8/18/2020 Councils face a budget black hole of £2bn this year due to unfunded coronavirus costs, a new study has found. |
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MPs slate ministers over local government funding
7/23/2020 MPs have slated ministers for failing to give local government sufficient funding and urged them to ensure a 'clear and timely financial settlement’ in readiness for the next phase of the pandemic. |
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IFS urges government to relax the rules on council finance amid crisis
6/22/2020 Finance experts have called on the Government to temporarily relax rules that prevent councils borrowing to cover day-to-day spending as they deal with the coronavirus crisis. |
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CIPFA issues temporary s114 guidance
6/11/2020 Council finance chiefs have been given new guidelines for dealing with financial collapse during the coronavirus crisis. |
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No bail outs for commercial investments
5/22/2020 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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Districts braced for lost income
5/13/2020 Woking, South Norfolk and Craven DCs are likely to be the hardest hit when it comes to lost income. |
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CIPFA: 17 years to work through council housing waiting list
5/4/2020 It could take up to 17 years to re-house individuals and families on the waiting list for council housing, data analysis by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed. |
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Coronavirus cash allocations are 'out of date', says IFS
4/14/2020 Out of date spending assessments mean councils may not be getting their fair share of cash to deal with the coronavirus crisis, latest figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) have revealed. |
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Council staff warn fraud is a major risk for local government
3/31/2020 Two-thirds of local government professionals think fraud is a major risk for councils, a new survey has revealed. |
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CIPFA resilience index shows just 10% of councils are at financial risk
12/15/2019 The ‘majority of councils’ are not showing signs of major financial stress, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has claimed. |
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Councils detecting more cases of fraud
11/19/2019 Councils prevented 22% more cases of council tax fraud this year compared to 2017/18, new figures have revealed. |
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Councils need billions more in funding, research finds
11/10/2019 Councils will need billions of extra pounds worth of funding in the next parliament, if they are to meet the rising cost of adult social care, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated. |
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NAO to wade into fair funding review
6/5/2019 The National Audit Office (NAO) is gearing up to scrutinise the Government’s divisive fair funding review, The MJ can reveal. |
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Brokenshire moves to boost local government accountability
5/9/2019 Brokenshire moves to impose fresh conditions on ‘top slice’ cash |
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Hopes for legislative backing behind new code
4/24/2019 An overhaul of financial management in councils could be enshrined in law, according to a consultation that stakeholders must respond to within days to influence. |
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Think tank suggests introduction of local income tax
3/21/2019 Local income tax would be the best option for fiscal devolution if the Government wanted to hand more powers to local authorities, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) argued today. |
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Brokenshire gets Brexit breakdown from chiefs
1/31/2019 Chief executives have told communities secretary James Brokenshire Whitehall needs to be more joined up between departments and in its communications with councils over Brexit. |
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Whitehall 'leadership' needed to help councils cope with financial pressures
1/15/2019 The Government must improve oversight and transparency over local authorities to ensure their financial sustainability, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. |
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Ministers play down commercialisation 'crackdown'
1/10/2019 Ministers have played down the prospect of a widespread crackdown on councils that borrow for commercial reasons. |
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Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown
12/13/2018 Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises. |
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Council hits back at 'illegitimate' loan claim
10/31/2018 Newham LBC has denied claims that decisions to enter into controversial high-interest loans were illegitimate. |
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Public service leaders 'kept in dark' over Brexit
6/27/2018 The majority of public service leaders have warned they have not received enough information from the Government in order to plan effectively for Brexit. |
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Report calls for a bespoke workforce deal with the EU
5/3/2018 Only a bespoke workforce deal with the EU would allow the public sector to recruit top-end talent as well as sufficient numbers of skilled workers and lower-skilled staff, according to finance chiefs. |
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Javid orders review after second council payment error
3/20/2018 The Government has ordered a review after being forced to admit a second mistake in as many months in the way it calculates council payments. |
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CIPFA: Funnel more tax into social care
3/9/2018 Public sector finance experts have urged the Government to increase funding for social care by £14bn in a 'wish list' for a forthcoming review. |
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Council tax set for biggest rise in 14 years, figures show
3/1/2018 Council tax payers face the sharpest rise in their taxes for 14 years, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy figures (CIPFA). |
