Declaring a climate change emergency
Local authorities can play a key role in tackling climate change – and there is plenty for them to do. Never before has thinking globally and acting locally been more important, says Mark Whitehead.
Adult education budget devolved to six combined authorities
01/08/2019 Six mayoral combined authorities and the GLA will be responsible for the adult education budget in their areas from today, the Government has announced. |
Drop ‘metro mayor’ devolution requirement, PM told
29/07/2019 County council leaders have called on Boris Johnson to ensure there is no mayoral requirement for a ‘full’ devolution deal. |
Local leaders propose new ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution deal
29/07/2019 Local leaders in Yorkshire have presented the PM with proposals to ‘urgently unlock’ the benefits of devolution by opening way to a single deal for the county. |
Rural councils call for end to 'systemic bias' in public finance
22/07/2019 The Government has been urged to end 'systemic bias' when allocating public funding by a new coalition of council chiefs and MPs. |
Council chiefs call for devolution to rural communities after Brexit
04/07/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to devolve more powers to rural areas in the event that Britain leaves the European Union. |
Devolution necessary for ‘rebalancing’ economy, report says
30/05/2019 Power must be devolved to a ‘comprehensive framework’ of mayoral and combined authorities and rural counties in order to rebalance the economy, report says. |
Healing the divisions through local economic power
16/05/2019 The nation is becoming increasingly divided, but a think tank report on Britain post-Brexit provides a positive vision for the future, says Mark Whitehead. |
Whitehall approves South Yorkshire devolution deal
10/05/2019 The Government has approved the South Yorkshire devolution deal, which will see £900m invested in the region. |
Whitehall warned not to ‘roll-back’ on devolution agenda
24/04/2019 Cornwall council has urged the Government not to ‘roll-back’ from the promise of greater devolution after Brexit. |
Whitehall slammed for ‘failing’ to help councils prepare for Brexit
03/04/2019 Council chiefs call for powers to be devolved from Brussels to councils post-Brexit after MPs warn of a lack of preparation for a possible exit from the EU. |
South Yorkshire devolution deadlock broken
25/03/2019 The years-long devolution stalemate in south Yorkshire has finally been resolved. |
Think tank suggests introduction of local income tax
21/03/2019 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. |
Council leader calls for rethink of Yorkshire devolution deal
07/03/2019 The leader of Wakefield Council has called on local authorities in Yorkshire to start considering alternative devolution proposals. |
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. |
Council chiefs call for ‘power and control’ over funding after Brexit
27/02/2019 Leaving the EU risks exacerbating regional inequalities, but it also provides an opportunity to rethink the Government’s approach to regional funding. |
Osborne blasts May’s ‘lack of vision’ over Northern Powerhouse
26/02/2019 George Osborne has criticised the Government’s ‘lack of vision’ when it comes to developing the North and has called for ‘action’ from the Prime Minister. |
Think tank calls for devolution of transport funding
18/02/2019 The devolution of transport funding will enable councils to invest on a strategic basis and help match up transport with new developments, a new report says. |
Brokenshire slams door on One Yorkshire plan
12/02/2019 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has told regional leaders that their plans for a One Yorkshire metro mayor fails to meet the Government’s devolution criteria. |
125 years and the issues remain the same
01/02/2019 Spending time poring over issues of The MJ from the past 125 years it is remarkable how much things change and yet they remain the same, says Heather Jameson. |
Burnham launches plan to make Greater Manchester an ‘ambitious hub’
07/01/2019 Greater Manchester’s leaders are today announcing ‘radical plans’ to deliver more affordable housing and better transport across the region. |
Northern Powerhouse needs ‘clear break’ with original vision, report says
05/12/2018 The Government should commit to a ‘whole North’ approach to development rather than just focusing on the Manchester region, think tank says. |
Greater Manchester’s reforms ‘as radical as the creation of the welfare state’
29/11/2018 Greater Manchester is radically overhauling the way it delivers public services in what is being billed as a ‘big test for devolution’. |
Council considers bidding for new money raising powers
02/11/2018 Bath & North East Somerset is being urged to lobby the Government for powers to raise money for local services, such as levies on tourism and short-term lets. |
Multi-million pound North of Tyne devolution deal signed
02/11/2018 A devolution deal for the North of Tyne region has been approved in what the Government describes as an ‘unprecedented’ transfer of power from Westminster. |
Greater Manchester’s transport system ‘outdated’, Burnham says
26/10/2018 Mayor Andy Burnham has called on the Government to give Greater Manchester more powers to look after the day-to-day running of the region’s transport. |
Johnson calls for ‘overdue’ fiscal devolution for councils
02/10/2018 Boris Johnson has called for ‘long overdue’ fiscal devolution for local government saying it will help them fund services and encourage more housebuilding. |
‘Tis the season
27/09/2018 As conference season takes shape, LGA chair Lord Porter looks at the critical issues currently facing local government he is hoping will take centre stage |
One Yorkshire submits devolution plans to Brokenshire
26/09/2018 Councils in Yorkshire have made a show of unity in their pursuit of a devolution deal for the region. |
More for less? Residents will be getting less for more
17/09/2018 There are no more easy pickings when it comes to cuts and now the cracks in austerity plans are taking their toll, writes Heather Jameson. |
Burnham calls for no-deal Brexit contingency plan
05/09/2018 The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is expected to call for a contingency plan in case of a no-deal Brexit in a major speech later today. |
South Yorkshire mayor calls for progress on devolution deal
17/08/2018 The mayor of the Sheffield City Region has warned that ‘not enough’ progress has been made with plans to devolve powers to Yorkshire. |
MPs call for ‘rethink’ of devolution after Brexit
31/07/2018 MPs have called for more powers to be handed to English regions as part of a rethink of devolution after Brexit. |
Yorkshire leaders ‘disappointed’ by Whitehall’s response to devolution deal
13/07/2018 Local government leaders from across the North have said they are ‘disappointed’ at Whitehall’s response to their devolution deal. |
Brokenshire considering new devolution models
10/07/2018 James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted. |
Hawthorne: Local industrial strategies could go same way as devolution
04/07/2018 Parts of the country could be left behind when Whitehall rolls out its local industrial strategies, a senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has warned. |
Devolution crucial to weathering post-Brexit ‘storm’, council chiefs say
04/07/2018 Local authority leaders have called for more powers in order to deal with the ‘perfect storm’ that is likely to hit rural communities after Brexit. |
Northern Irish councils call for further devolution
21/06/2018 The time is now right to extend the responsibilities of local government in Northern Ireland through greater devolution from Stormont, a new report said today. |
Northern council chiefs call for devolution of powers to solve ‘railway fiasco’
11/06/2018 A coalition of local government leaders in the North has called for full powers governing the management of all rail infrastructure to be handed over to the region. |
Parish councils and the devolution of services
06/06/2018 Neil Merrick finds out why some parish councils are doubling or trebling council tax precepts after taking on services from higher tier authorities. |
Scrap all districts says Heseltine
05/06/2018 District councils should be scrapped and 60 unitary counties created instead across England led by directly-elected mayors according to former Cabinet minister Lord Heseltine |
Four East Midlands authorities explore devolution options
02/05/2018 Four county council leaders in the East Midlands have taken the first step towards a ‘future devolution deal.’ |
Cornwall proposes post-Brexit plan to create 20,000 jobs
27/04/2018 Cornwall Council has called on Whitehall to devolve more powers to the south western peninsular as part of a plan to help it cope with the impact of Brexit. |
Javid orders review after second council payment error
20/03/2018 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. |
Labour council chiefs promise councils ‘ten new freedoms’
20/03/2018 Labour’s council leaders promise to give councils ten new freedoms to build homes, schools and children’s centres on their party’s first day in power. |
Local councils prepare to lobby MPs for extra powers
19/03/2018 Town and parish councils are calling for new powers to be handed to them following Brexit in what they see as the next stage in local government devolution. |
Yorkshire councils submit county-wide devolution deal
06/03/2018 Representatives of Yorkshire councils have submitted a ‘detailed’ proposal to the Government outlining their vision for a county-wide devolution deal. |
£140m investment ‘fantastic’ example of devolution in action, Khan says
15/02/2018 The mayor of London has announced a £140m investment boost to help fight the capital’s housing crisis and improve the economy. |
Devolution - have the wheels fallen off the wagon?
17/01/2018 With the news that no new devolution deals were agreed last year, Mark Whitehead explores why the policy seems to have come to a grinding halt. |
Councils reaffirm support for Yorkshire-wide devolution deal
15/01/2018 Representatives of 17 of the 20 councils across Yorkshire have reaffirmed their support for a devolution deal that encompasses the whole of the county. |
No new devolution deals agreed in 2016-17
10/01/2018 No new devolution deals were announced in 2016-17, according to a report which has taken the Government 10 months to publish. |
Javid proposes compromise over Yorkshire devolution
21/12/2017 Javid has attempted to break Yorkshire's devolution deadlock with proposal to satisfy supporters of the Sheffield City Region and One Yorkshire devolution. |
Next stage for North of Tyne devolution deal
13/12/2017 Councils in the North East have launched a public consultation over the next stage of a devolution plan for the area. |
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2017
13/12/2017 From council pay to the Housing White Paper, here is a run-down of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2017. |
Northern Powerhouse must ‘let the people in’, report says
06/12/2017 The Government’s city-centric approach to the Northern Powerhouse needs to be adapted to allow all communities to shape the future of devolution, report says. |
Budget 2017: Council chiefs warn against ‘devolution deadlock’
23/11/2017 Local government leaders today warned of the dangers of ‘devolution deadlock’ in their response to the Autumn Budget. |
Budget 2017: Devolution and housing key planks in speech
22/11/2017 Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Budget has seen the chancellor unveil a raft of new devolution deals, measures to boost housing and changes to resolve issues with controversial Universal Credit. |
Budget 2017: New devo deals for WMCA and North of Tyne
22/11/2017 The chancellor has pledged to ‘back’ the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine and elected mayors as he announced a pack of new devolution deals. |
‘Non-mayoral combined authorities’ a possibility, Javid says
21/11/2017 Sajid Javid has raised the possibility of ‘non-mayoral combined authorities’ in rural areas as part of a new devolution framework. |
Single local councils could save £2.9bn a year, says think tank
17/11/2017 Abolishing district councils and replacing them with single unitary authorities could save £2.9bn a year, a think tank has argued. |
New transport powers to be devolved to North from April
16/11/2017 Ministers now intend to give Transport for the North (TfN) statutory status in April – later than TfN had planned. |
Councils warn industrial strategy will fail without devolution
16/11/2017 The Government's industrial strategy risks failing unless a bureaucratic 'maze' of funding sources is streamlined and devolved to local areas, council leaders have warned. |
'Landmark' health and social care devolution deal agreed for London
15/11/2017 National and local leaders have signed a ‘landmark’ devolution deal for health and social care in London. |
Putting the Our Manchester strategy into practice
07/11/2017 After six-months as Manchester’s new chief executive, Joanne Roney talks to William Eichler about her 'brutal' introduction to the job. |
Mayors call for ‘major’ devolution programme
02/11/2017 Seven regional and city-wide mayors have come together for the first time to call for a major new programme of devolution to city regions. |
Yorkshire councils to hold poll on devolution options
02/11/2017 Doncaster and Barnsley Councils are to consult residents on their preferred devolution deal direction. |
County funding black hole set to treble to £2.5bn by 2021
19/10/2017 An ‘extreme’ rise in demand on county authorities will treble their funding black hole to over £2.5bn in the next four years, county leaders reveal. |
Combined authority bids for £200m government investment
17/10/2017 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has bid for more than £200m of government investment in its Autumn Budget submission. |
The first devolved homelessness funding package awarded to Greater Manchester
13/10/2017 Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has welcomed the government's announcement of £3.8m package to end homelessness and rough sleeping in the city. |
Think tank proposes establishment of mayors’ senate to deal with Brexit
12/10/2017 A local government think tank has told Whitehall they cannot ‘cherry pick’ what powers are handed down locally and has called for ‘radical change’ to help councils tackle major challenges. |
Whitehall should use Brexit to ‘drive’ devolution, combined authority mayors insist
06/10/2017 The Government should listen to all parts of the North as Britain leaves the EU, leaders of the northern combined authorities have demanded. |
Combined authorities need ‘meaningful’ fiscal devolution, progress report says
26/09/2017 Whitehall should reopen the conversation about ‘meaningful’ fiscal devolution in order to help places attract sustainable investment, says report on the progress of combined authorities. |
Devolution should take frontline services into account, report says
20/09/2017 Future devolution of power from Whitehall to local areas must take into account frontline services in ‘strategic, financial and delivery terms,’ report says. |
South Yorkshire devolution deal could be scrapped
19/09/2017 Barnsley and Doncaster MBCs have refused to back a Sheffield city region devolution deal. |
Place-based policy could provide £90bn year boost to economy, says green paper
12/09/2017 Giving the UK’s biggest cities more power and freedom over service provision could boost the country’s economy by up to £90m a year, a new report has argued. |
UK most ‘geographically unbalanced’ economy in Europe, warns think tank
06/09/2017 The UK is the most ‘geographically unbalanced’ economy in Europe, think tank says after council chiefs warn of stalled devolution agenda. |
'Devolution deadlock' putting growth at risk warns councils
04/09/2017 Council leaders have called on the Government to reignite its ‘stalled’ devolution plans. |
Local authorities join the jobs rush
17/08/2017 Sam Clayden explores some of the exciting new job roles being formed in local government. |
Stop dragging your feet on devolution deal, businesses say
15/08/2017 Doncaster and Barnsley's willingness to explore Yorkshire devolution at the expense of a south Yorkshire deal is of concern to businesses in south Yorkshire. |
Report reveals rise in premature deaths among Northern young adults
08/08/2017 A new report has revealed an ‘alarming rise’ in the number of people dying before their time in the North. |
Yorkshire councils agree 'coalition of the willing'
01/08/2017 Council leaders in Yorkshire have agreed to work together to secure a devolution deal from the Government. |
Government confirms talks over second West Midlands devolution deal
25/07/2017 Business secretary Greg Clark has suggested the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is on the brink of striking a second devolution deal with Whitehall. |
Counties call for 'new deal' from Government
19/07/2017 County councils in England have called for a ‘new deal’ during the current Parliament, including devolved powers akin to those held by Britain’s major cities. |
The six challenges facing local councils over next 20 years
12/07/2017 An ageing population, fragmented families and housing affordability are among the challenges the local government sector will face over the next two decades, report says. |
Minister rules outs Yorkshire-wide devolution deal
11/07/2017 A Yorkshire-wide devolution deal has been ruled out by Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry. |
Stop talking down councils and councillors, Gov told
07/07/2017 Local authorities need to be given back decision-making powers, the shadow communities secretary has said. |
Fiscal devolution could help counties create one million jobs, report says
04/07/2017 England’s counties have called on the Government to institute a ‘radical programme of fiscal devolution’ in order to create one million jobs and prepare the country for Brexit. |
Councils call for greater power over concessionary travel scheme
03/07/2017 Councils are spending £200m a year subsidising the concessionary bus fares scheme, new analysis has revealed. |
Health and social care devolution deal agreed in Surrey
16/06/2017 A second Greater Manchester-style devolution deal has been struck in Surrey Heartlands. |
What does local government want from the next Government?
05/06/2017 William Eichler explores what local government organisations hope to see from the next Government. |
Need for elected mayors are scrapped by all parties
19/05/2017 County council leaders have welcomed the requirement for newly-devolved local authorities to have directly-elected mayors being dropped. |
Burnham will push for more northern devolution deals
11/05/2017 New Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is on a mission to convince the Government to strike further devolution deals across the north of England. |
Council chiefs call on all parties to adopt ten-point plan
05/05/2017 Local government leaders have called on all political parties to adopt its 10-point plan to boost local services and drive economic growth. |
Mayors must unite behind devolution agenda, think tank says
05/05/2017 England’s mayors must unite to demand more devolved powers to improve local public services and boost trade post-Brexit, a leading think tank says. |
The changing face of parish councils
02/05/2017 Neil Merrick explores the expansion of parish council duties – and the subsequent rise in precepts. |
Metro mayors should place digital at ‘the heart’ of their plans
26/04/2017 The new metro mayors should put digital devolution at the ‘heart of their plans’, tech industry campaigners say. |
Raising regional productivity could boost economy by £175bn finds research
20/04/2017 Improvements in regional infrastructure could add £175bn to the economy by 2024, according to new research by the CBI. |
Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland
18/04/2017 A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation. |
Devolution of health and social care
11/04/2017 Will devolved decision-making be the cure for the health and social care crisis? Phil Hopes investigates. |
Mayors can ‘transform’ city regions but need more power, report says
10/04/2017 The new metro mayors will have the power to transform their city regions, but there has been little policy development for this purpose, progressive think tank says. |
Whitehall must not use Brexit as an excuse to centralise power, councils warn
30/03/2017 Brexit must lead to ‘new legislative freedoms and flexibilities’ for councils, local government leaders insist. |
The June issue of Local Government News contains the full details of all the winning schemes in the 2019 Street Design Awards. From Children's Play to Pedestrian Environment, find out who has been recognised for their innovation and use of best practice.
This issue also explores how local government pension funds can hedge currency risk, how councils can best address the shortfall in school places, and an update on the number of authorities banning the use of Roundup over safety fears.
