County Councils Network | LocalGov


EXCLUSIVE: Sector bodies decline to join legal challenge 03/04/2025 County Councils Network and Rural Services Network will not financially support legal action over axing of the £100m rural services grant, The MJ understands.
Lack of staff and funding hinder AI progress 26/02/2025 County councils have warned that insufficient staff capacity and training and a lack of funding are hindering the roll-out of artificial intelligence (AI).
Majority of county councils to hike up council tax 31/01/2025 Nine in ten county councils will have to raise council tax by the maximum permitted, the County Council Network (CCN) has warned.
Social care ‘likely to deteriorate’ during wait for review 03/01/2025 Councils have warned that the social care sector is ‘likely to deteriorate’ during the three-year wait for the findings of a new independent commission.
CCN backs reorganisation 19/12/2024 The chair of the County Councils' Network (CCN), Tim Oliver, has backed radical Government plans to abolish dozens of local authorities by 2027.
Cuts warnings after finance settlement announced 19/12/2024 The bodies representing district and county councils have warned that services will be cut next year after the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement was published yesterday.
Home-to-school transport costs hit £2.3bn 21/11/2024 County council chiefs have called for a ‘system-wide approach’ to tackling escalating home-to-school transport costs.
CCN calls for rethink of social care funding 11/11/2024 The County Councils Network (CCN) has called on the Government to rethink its approach to distributing local authority funding next year.
Care for working-age and disabled adults to cost £17bn by 2030 11/11/2024 Social care costs for working-age adults and those with a lifelong disability could reach £17bn by 2030, according to new research.
Counties delay peer challenges 06/11/2024 English county councils appear to be putting off inviting peer challenges from the Local Government Association (LGA) ahead of next year's elections.
Budget: Council chiefs call for ‘explicit clarity’ on NI increases 31/10/2024 Council leaders have welcomed the £1.3bn funding boost but called for clarity on protection from increases to employer National Insurance contributions.
Councils call for full waste service costs under EPR 23/10/2024 Council bosses have urged the Government to ensure local authorities receive the full costs for delivering waste and recycling services under new packaging reforms.
Twenty-six councils could face S114s over SEND deficits 21/10/2024 Dozens of England’s largest councils face ‘financial emergency’ if their multi-billion pound deficits for special needs provision are put on their budget books, according to new analysis.
Councils face £54bn funding deficit 02/10/2024 England’s local authorities face a funding shortfall of £54bn over the next five years, new research has revealed.
Councils warn over ‘excessive’ housing targets 27/09/2024 Councils in county and rural areas have raised fears that ‘excessive’ new housing targets could leave them at the mercy of speculative development.
Rayner confirms four devolution agreements 19/09/2024 Four devolution agreements have been signed off in what the secretary of state for local government describes as ‘only the first step’ of a devolution drive.
United call following homelessness surge 08/08/2024 The local government sector has united to call for urgent action following a surge in the number of homeless families.
Landmark report finds SEND system ‘broken’ 25/07/2024 Major reforms introduced a decade ago have failed to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a report has found.
‘Talk more’ about social care, party leaders told 21/06/2024 Political parties must do more to acknowledge the value of adult social care in the run up to the General Election, sector leaders have argued.
King recognises council chiefs in honours 17/06/2024 Current and former local authority bosses have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
Hoare: We still want productivity plans 30/05/2024 Local government minister Simon Hoare has insisted he still wants councils to draw up unpopular productivity plans despite the election, The MJ understands.
Council bosses call on next government to deliver ‘fundamental reform’ 30/05/2024 Local services could reach ‘breaking point’ if the next government fails to deliver long-term funding and ‘fundamental reform’, a cross-party group of council leaders has argued.
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.
Budget: Boost for preventative services 06/03/2024 Funding for preventative services has been announced as part of the Spring Budget in an attempt to relieve local government’s demand pressures.
Local government launches cultural services alliance 01/03/2024 Organisations representing local government have joined forces to form a new National Alliance for Cultural Services.
Sector should adopt national branding campaign to boost workforce 05/02/2024 Local government should adopt a national branding campaign to recruit and retain staff amid a worsening workforce crisis, the County Councils’ Network has urged.
Culture spend down by £500m 01/02/2024 Analysis has uncovered an almost £500m reduction in councils’ spending on libraries, culture, heritage and tourism since the onset of austerity.
Conservative MPs call for emergency funding for councils 22/01/2024 MPs representing county areas have called on the Government to provide emergency funding to cash-strapped councils to prevent further cuts to local services.
Council bosses back data use to improve care 07/12/2023 An increased use of data in children’s social care could improve outcomes and deliver much-needed savings, the County Councils Network (CCN) has said.
One in five councils report bankruptcy fears 06/12/2023 A poll of council leaders and chief executives has revealed that one in five think it likely that their chief finance officer will need to issue a Section 114.
Sector unites in plea to chancellor 22/11/2023 The local government sector in England has put out a call to Jeremy Hunt to ‘address the significant financial challenges faced by councils’.
Gove hints at autumn statement gifts 21/11/2023 Levelling up secretary Michael Gove hinted Christmas may come early for councils when Jeremy Hunt unveils his autumn statement this week.
Councils call for emergency school transport funding 20/11/2023 ‘Spiralling’ transport costs for children with special educational needs are threatening the financial stability of England’s largest councils, according to a report.
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.
Uncertainty hangs over funding for growth projects 31/10/2023 Councils have voiced fresh concerns as they remain in the dark over future funding for responsibilities inherited from Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
Demand responsive buses won't fill gap, CCN says 25/10/2023 Three in four large rural councils in England are rolling out demand-responsive transport (DRT) bus services but councils have warned that they are not financially sustainable or a substitute for government bus service subsidies.
Councils ‘held back’ on net zero 24/10/2023 The organisations that represent English councils have collaborated in a call for the Government to change its approach on delivering net zero.
London Councils eyes apprenticeship levy devolution 09/10/2023 London Councils has named securing devolution of the apprenticeship levy to its boroughs to fund skills and employment activity as a key short-term priority.
County areas behind on EV charging 28/09/2023 The number of publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charge points in England’s county and rural areas lags ‘far behind’ major towns and cities, according to a report.
Rural bus services at ‘historic low’ 19/07/2023 One in four bus routes in county and rural areas have vanished over the last decade as passenger numbers dropped to a historic low, according to a new report.
‘Clear plan’ needed for transfer of LEP functions 14/07/2023 County council leaders have called on the Government to set out a ‘clear and decisive’ framework for the transition of LEP functions to local authorities.
Increased referrals causing children’s services overspend 06/07/2023 Four in five of England’s largest councils overspent on their children’s services budget last year because of more young people requiring care since pandemic.
Adult obesity in rural areas up by over 1m 15/05/2023 Rural areas are facing a surge in numbers of obese and overweight people but are hamstrung in their efforts to deal with it, according to council leaders.
Hewitt Review calls for social care to be ‘national priority’ 04/04/2023 The former health secretary's report on Integrated Care Systems called for further funding and a workforce strategy for social care.
County council chiefs issue ‘bleak’ finance warning 23/03/2023 County councils need to make £1bn worth of savings in order to cope with ‘unprecedented’ financial pressures, county council chiefs say.
Counties’ infrastructure funding faces cuts, report claims 28/02/2023 Funding for infrastructure in county areas could be cut under new planning reforms, council leaders have warned.
County chiefs call for powers to solve rural workforce crisis 06/02/2023 Council leaders have called for powers to tackle labour squeeze as a new analysis reveals that hundreds of thousands of people have left the rural workforce.
Social care requests almost hits two million 20/12/2022 Local authority leaders have warned that this will be ‘one of their toughest winters yet’ as the number of requests for care reaches almost two million.
District concern in wake of finance settlement 20/12/2022 Concern over funding for districts has been voiced following the announcement of the provisional local government finance settlement for 2023-24.
County leaders call for devolution to be ‘turbocharged’ 21/11/2022 County council leaders have called on the Government to ‘turbocharge’ devolution to help them level up by attracting more foreign direct investment (FDI).
Counties issue ICS warning 21/11/2022 Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) must not become yet another NHS reorganisation to work around, chairman of the County Councils’ Network (CCN) has warned.
Number of children in care will soar to nearly 100,000 without reform, councils warn 28/10/2022 Almost 100,000 children will enter care in the next three years if the Government fails to deliver social care reforms, council leaders have warned today.
Council leaders call for strategic planning powers 19/10/2022 A review of planning reforms and the re-introduction of strategic planning are needed if the Government is to achieve housebuilding targets, councils say.
Counties welcome care reform delay reports 19/10/2022 County councils have reacted to reports the Government is to push back social care reforms by at least a year.
Government urged to ‘turbocharge’ devolution 26/09/2022 Council leaders have urged the Government to go ‘further’ with devolution and to conclude deals with the first cohort of county areas by the end of autumn.
Truss told to ‘turbocharge devolution’ 06/09/2022 Council leaders have welcomed the new Prime Minister and called on the Government to re-affirm its commitment to levelling up and devolution.
£1.14bn East Midlands devo deal agreed 30/08/2022 A landmark £1.14bn devolution deal for a new combined county authority (CCA) is on offer for the East Midlands, to include a new elected regional mayor.
Government not even close to ‘rescuing’ social care 03/08/2022 The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee said billions of pounds ‘urgently’ needed to be injected into the system to meet both short-term and long-term needs.
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.
Care warning after elderly 'population boom' 15/07/2022 A ‘population boom’ of over-65s is piling pressure on adult care services, county councils have warned.
Minister delays self-funding care reforms 07/07/2022 Residential care self-funders will not be able to ask their council to arrange care for them at the lower local authority rate until April 2025, minister Gillian Keegan has announced.
Council chiefs warn of 'disastrous' financial crisis 27/06/2022 More councils could be tipped into financial crisis while others face emergency cuts due to soaring inflation and living wage increases, the LGA warned today.
Counties in inflation funding call 14/06/2022 County councils have called for extra Government funding to cope with huge increases caused by inflation.
Adult social care reforms could cost nearly £26bn 25/05/2022 Adult social care reforms could cost a minimum of £10bn more than currently estimated and will require over 4,000 new social work staff, new study reveals.
County council chiefs welcome fire service white paper 19/05/2022 County council leaders have welcomed the Government’s decision not to remove local fire services from the oversight of upper-tier local authorities.
Councillors back move to hybrid model of council meetings 19/05/2022 Over two-thirds of councillors believe a permanent move to a hybrid model of both online and in-person council meetings would improve the diversity of local councils, according to a new survey.
Care homes could face 'widespread closures' under reforms, counties warn 18/03/2022 Care homes are at risk of closure as the Government has ‘seriously underestimated’ the cost of its social care reforms, county councils have warned today.
Tens of thousands fewer children could avoid going into council care 09/03/2022 Tens of thousands of young people could avoid going into council care if services are reshaped under a new ‘optimised delivery model’ based on a family-focused way of delivering support, says a report.
LA maintenance funding frozen after cut fears 04/03/2022 The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced individual allocations for all local highway authorities outside London and the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) – with cash frozen at 2021-2022 levels for the next three years.
Counties warn funding cuts put road maintenance plans at risk 08/02/2022 County and rural councils will see their funding for road maintenance fall by nearly £500m by April this year, new analysis has warned.
Counties' concern at care funding 17/12/2021 County councils have expressed concern at the level of central funding to rebalance care markets.
Counties face funding shortfall of over £500m next year 10/12/2021 County councils are facing a funding gap of over £500m in 2022 resulting in council tax rises or service cuts, leaders have warned today.
Counties call for strategic planning model 08/12/2021 County councils are facing 'excessive' pressures on their infrastructure due to housing development, according to a new report.
Powers warning ahead of new deals 07/12/2021 A new report today warns areas reluctant to accept directly-elected leaders in the next wave of devolution deals may be offered ‘fewer powers and flexibilities’.
Counties warn of a 'chasm' in electric vehicle chargers 08/11/2021 There are more publicly available charging points in London than in England's counties combined, new analysis has shown.
County areas are 'poor relation' in internet speeds, MPs warn 21/10/2021 County ares could become the 'poor relation' to cities in the Government's gigabit rollout, MPs have warned today.
County leaders urge ministers not to get 'bogged down' on mandatory mayors 13/10/2021 County councils have urged the Government not to insist on introducing more mayors after a poll revealed that only one in three people believe they should spearhead devolution deals.
Counties in council tax warning 07/10/2021 County leaders have warned council tax bills would have to rise by almost a quarter over three years to get close to eliminating their deficit.
County council leaders warn social care reforms ‘fall short’ 16/09/2021 Social care reforms will protect more individuals from large care costs but will not improve access to care and could make local care markets ‘unsustainable’, county council leaders say.
Councils call for the tools to support small charities to recover post-COVID 04/08/2021 Local authorities need to be provided with funding and tools to ensure that they can continue supporting smaller charities after the pandemic, county leaders say.
Empowering county councils ‘game-changer’ for levelling-up 22/07/2021 County leaders have written to the Prime Minister welcoming his commitment to empower county authorities and urging him to follow through on what they describe as a ‘game-changer’ for levelling-up.
Johnson: Bring your devolution plans to me 15/07/2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for local leaders to take their devolution plans to him in a keynote speech from the West Midlands this morning.
Call to ‘mainstream’ assistive technology in adult social care 14/07/2021 Assistive technology should be placed at the centre of adult social care to make it more targeted and preventative, a new report has argued today.
Special needs deficits to grow to £1.3bn in two years 30/06/2021 A ‘spiralling deficit’ in special educational needs services (SEN) is expected to grow to an ‘unmanageable’ £1.3bn in just two years’ time, county councils have warned.
Council chiefs call for long-term funding to boost post-pandemic resilience 09/06/2021 County council leaders argue that local authorities need a long-term funding settlement to invest in organisational resilience.
Counties see fastest growth in number of people claiming out of work benefits 28/05/2021 County councils have warned that a 'narrow and simplistic focus' in the levelling-up agenda risks England’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
Local elections 2021: Counties buck the Tory trend 09/05/2021 County councils have bucked the trend of Conservative success in the local election on Thursday, with a mixed picture for the party.
Hancock unveils £7bn funding boost for NHS and social care 19/03/2021 The Government has announced an extra £341m for infection control measures and rapid testing in adult social care services.
Council road repairs cash down £400m next year 15/02/2021 County councils have said they will have ‘no choice’ but to cancel high priority highway maintenance works next year after the Government announced capital funding allocations down £398m on current levels.
Social care should remain delivered by councils, says new report 10/02/2021 Tens of thousands of people could live more independent lives if councils keep hold of social care under government plans to overhaul health services, a new report has insisted.
Call for ‘urgent clarity’ on elections 06/01/2021 Speculation over whether local elections will take place in May as scheduled has been labelled ‘unhelpful’ by councils.
Councils welcome announcement of third national lockdown 05/01/2021 Councils have urged residents to follow the guidelines for the third national lockdown in a bid to stop the continued spread of coronavirus.
Funding gap has 'devastating' impact on rural and remote bus services 10/12/2020 Rural and remote bus services saw journeys fall by 97 million last year due to a £348m funding gap, a new report has warned.
Councils warn about 'significant' overspends on children’s services 24/11/2020 The number of vulnerable young people referred to councils’ children’s services increased by 15% in the first three months after the first lockdown, figures have shown.
County councils warn of insolvency risk without frontline cuts 12/11/2020 Only a fifth of England's largest councils are confident they can deliver a balanced budget next year without dramatic reduction to services, a new survey has revealed.
Calls for collaboration to fill the ‘strategic planning void’ 21/10/2020 Closer collaboration between councils, health bodies and businesses could ‘reinvigorate strategic planning’ a new report has argued.
Reorganisation battle lines drawn over think-tank report 20/10/2020 The bitter war of words between counties and districts over reorganisation stepped up this week as battle lines were drawn around a new think-tank report.
Counties warn of test and trace ‘missed opportunity’ 16/10/2020 Calls for more support for local contact tracing have been redoubled after the national system’s success rate plummeted.
Counties warn childcare closures will hit remote areas the hardest 25/09/2020 One in ten childcare providers in England’s most remote areas are at risk of closure this winter, county councils have warned today.
Countywide unitaries ‘could save £3bn’ 27/08/2020 Replacing two-tier counties with one unitary authority could deliver almost £3bn savings over five years, according to research published by the County Councils Network (CCN) today.