District Councils Network | LocalGov


DCN: Government’s reorganisation plans risk ‘dysfunctionality’ 13/03/2025 Local government reorganisation could ‘create larger versions of dysfunctionality’ and fail to bring about the public service reform required, report claims.
Minister told districts funding level 'just not acceptable' 07/02/2025 Local government minister Jim McMahon has responded to claims district authorities will see little increase in their funding this year.
Government has no evidence to support ‘mega councils’, DCN says 31/01/2025 Freedom of Information requests have exposed an ‘alarming’ lack of evidence to support the creation of mega councils, according to the District Councils’ Network (DCN).
Districts warn against ‘mega councils’ 24/01/2025 District councils are prepared to engage with local government reorganisation but warn against ‘rigidly insisting’ on a minimum population of 500,000.
DCN proposes three reforms to deliver 100,000 affordable homes 20/01/2025 The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has published a study today, which proposes three reforms the organisation claims could provide 100,000 affordable homes.
Rebels with a cause 16/01/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has been warned some members could quit over its stance on reorganisation as it faces an internal rebellion.
Voters ‘set to be deprived of local democracy’ 10/01/2025 The District Councils’ Network has warned that millions of voters will be ‘deprived of their local democracy’ due to plans to postpone some county council elections.
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.
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.
DCN: Reorganisation risks ‘paralysing’ front line services 31/10/2024 Local government reorganisation poses a threat to front line services and represents the ‘opposite of devolution’, district council leaders have warned.
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.
EXCLUSIVE: Government to launch full reorganisation 28/10/2024 Plans for full local government reorganisation could be mooted as soon as this week's Budget, The MJ understands.
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.
Autumn Budget: Inadequate council funding hits the Government too 22/10/2024 Jeremy Newmark, finance spokesperson for District Councils’ Network (DCN), argues that properly funded councils are essential to ministers hitting their goals.
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.
DCN calls for more powers to hit housing targets 08/08/2024 Councils need more powers and funding to address empty and stalled sites if ministers are to achieve their housing aims, the District Councils' Network (DCN) has said.
Scrap council tax referendum limits, says DCN 03/07/2024 District councils should have the powers to increase council tax referendum limits to at least 10% as a first step to scrapping them, DCN says.
Housing directors association being explored by LGA 25/06/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) is exploring the creation of an association of housing directors.
Structures should be 'rationalised,' Hoare tells DCN 14/03/2024 Council funding should have been reformed by now and structures need to be ‘rationalised’ the local government minister told the DCN conference.
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.
Concern over waste reform costs 22/01/2024 Fears have been raised that more financial pressures could be heaped on councils as a result of waste reforms.
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’.
DCN writes to Hunt over temporary accommodation pressures 01/11/2023 Following a summit attended by 158 councils, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned chancellor Jeremy Hunt about ‘unprecedented’ numbers of people turning to councils in the face of homelessness.
Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings 31/10/2023 More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.
Temporary accommodation costs mount to £1.74bn 27/10/2023 English councils spent £1.74bn on temporary accommodation last year, research has found as more than 100 local authorities signed up to an ‘emergency’ housing summit.
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.
'Devolution hopes rest on combined authorities' 24/10/2023 Combined authorities represent the greatest hope for devolution in England, according to a new report based on interviews with 95 former ministers and Whitehall mandarins.
DCN in cuts warning 24/10/2023 Cultural services, community support and parks and green spaces are all at risk of cuts without a boost to the local government finance settlement, respondents to a District Councils’ Network (DCN) survey have warned.
Councils welcome waste reform flexibility but await details on costs 23/10/2023 Councils were relieved not to lose all local discretion in the Government’s waste collection reforms but have said questions remain, including over funding.
Lords block plans to scrap nutrient neutrality rules 14/09/2023 The Government’s attempt to scrap nutrient neutrality rules has been defeated in the House of Lords.
'Clarity' promised on waste reforms 12/09/2023 More certainty on the Government’s waste reform programme has been promised after mandarins were taken to task over delays.
Gove to ease nutrient neutrality requirements 29/08/2023 Ministers have announced they will ease divisive development rules on water pollution blamed for low housebuilding rates in rural areas.
DCN hits back against call for planning to shift to upper-tier 09/08/2023 The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has rejected a call by former local government secretary Greg Clark for planning to shift to upper-tier authorities.
Districts need to be 'active partners' within ICS, says report 03/07/2023 District councils need to be ‘active partners’ within Integrated Care Systems (ICS), a report by The King’s Fund charity said today.
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.
Top five recycling councils all districts 27/03/2023 District councils are leading the way in recycling waste, new Government figures suggest.
District councils ‘starved of cash’, local leaders warn 22/03/2023 District councils say they are being starved of cash while county authorities are being allowed to raise their bills, causing a ‘devastating’ impact.
District chiefs welcome proposed planning fee boost 01/03/2023 District council leaders have welcomed a proposal that could see an increase in planning fees to help over-stretched local planning departments.
Poll reveals ‘endorsement’ of scale of district councils 23/02/2023 District councils have a marginally higher approval rating than county councils, a new survey suggests.
Districts' legal threat over devolution deal 17/01/2023 Four Norfolk districts have threatened to take legal action over the county’s handling of a devolution deal struck with Government.
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.
Districts push for council tax flexibility 12/12/2022 Districts are pushing the Government to allow them to increase council tax by more than 3% or £5 without a referendum.
District warning over temporary accommodation shortage 02/11/2022 Four-fifths of district councils have warned of shortages of temporary accommodation to meet a rising tide of homelessness fuelled by the cost of living crisis, new research has found.
Councils face £900m shortfall due to inflation 29/09/2022 District council leaders have warned that services that are essential for supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis are threatened by inflation.
Districts to lobby over inflation pressures 02/08/2022 A survey has been carried out by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) on the impact of inflation.
EXCLUSIVE: Government 'risks battle' on moving districts' functions without consent 17/05/2022 Districts will push to change the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to ensure their functions cannot move to new combined county authorities (CCAs) without their consent, The MJ understands.
Districts warn of rise in housing waiting lists as landlords sell properties 10/12/2021 More than three-quarters of district councils have reported an increase in landlords selling up properties or converting their properties into Airbnb’s.
Districts call for government intervention over supported housing 03/09/2021 Three out of five district councils fear they do not have enough good quality supported housing for the next five years, a new survey has found.
County areas chase devo dream 17/08/2021 County areas are lining up to strike one of the first tranche of devolution deals.
Waste collection plans to cost £680m a year, councils warn 11/06/2021 Government plans to standardise kerbside waste collections will cost £680m a year, district councils have warned today.
More than 100 leisure centres could go bust, DCN warns 13/05/2021 More than 100 leisure centres in England could go bust due to the coronavirus crisis, district councils have warned.
Leisure centre collapse warning 20/11/2020 Under-pressure leisure centres will go under without further rescue funding on top of the £100m already pledged by the Government, district councils have warned.
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.
Fragmented council funding risks to value for money, report warns 05/10/2020 The increasing fragmentation in council funding ‘undermines central government’s understanding of service delivery’ and ‘risks impeding value for money,’ a report has warned.
Councils warn about rise in PPE litter 28/09/2020 Nearly half of district councils have warned the littering of face masks and plastic gloves is becoming a growing problem in their area.
Councils warn of 'housebuilding fiasco' 15/09/2020 New government housing targets will lead to a north-south divide in England, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
DCN: Bigger local government is ‘not better or cheaper’ 01/09/2020 Proposals for county unitary councils would be 122 times larger than the average council in Germany, a new report by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) warns today.
Evictions ban extended 21/08/2020 The Government has extended the ban on evictions of renters for a further month following lobbying by councils.
Councils warn of ‘avalanche of evictions’ 21/08/2020 The local government sector is braced for a deluge of homelessness following the end of the evictions ban.
Reforms to fast-track local plans 06/08/2020 Councils will face sanctions unless they draw-up local plans within 30 months under government proposals to overhaul the planning system.
Reorganisation will deter potential councillors, report warns 24/07/2020 Local government unitary reorganisation will slash the number of councillors and deter many from standing for election, a report for the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned.
Councils call for clarity on income guarantee 17/07/2020 Council leaders have urged the Government to provide further details on the promised compensation for loss of income due to the pandemic.
Councils call for leisure bail out 09/06/2020 District councils have called on the Government to bail out cash-strapped leisure centres as they face permanent closure because of lack of income due to the coronavirus shutdown.
District councils warn 500,000 at risk of homelessness 06/05/2020 Almost 500,000 households are at high risk of becoming homeless as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, new analysis for the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has revealed.
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.
Councils need another £12.8bn to cope with coronavirus - LGA 27/04/2020 Councils may need up to another £12.8bn from the Government to get through the coronavirus crisis, the chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) has suggested.
Districts’ warning on coronavirus funds 22/04/2020 District councils need a ‘fair share’ of the government’s latest round of funding, or they face having to cut vital services, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned.
District councils warn of ‘fly-tipping farm-aggedon' 13/01/2020 Councils have warned that fly-tippers are increasingly targeting rural areas after new figures show a surge in incidents where rubbish is being dumped on farm land.
Recognition for council pair in Queen's Birthday Honours 10/06/2019 The leader and former chief executive of a district council have both received awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
New homelessness duties impacting half of district councils 02/11/2018 More than half of district councils have seen an increase in the number of people asking for help since the introduction of new homelessness legislation.
Councils call for extension on time limit for all Right to Buy receipts 09/10/2018 District councils have urged the Government to extend the time limit for spending Right to Buy receipts for both existing and future receipts.
Districts call for new homes bonus threshold to be scrapped 18/09/2018 The New Homes Bonus (NHB) baseline is punishing district councils for delivering more homes and should be scrapped, according to calls today.
Ministers to 'super charge' LEP performance 24/07/2018 Ministers have published plans to ‘super charge’ the performance and accountability of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) following a review.
Javid backs single unitary council in Buckinghamshire 12/03/2018 Local government secretary Sajid Javid has backed a single unitary council for Buckinghamshire.
Districts call for council tax limit increase 16/01/2018 Districts have called for the council tax cap to be increased so they can raise an extra £9m.