VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Plans to deliver new towns could cost £48bn
20/05/2025 Government plans to build up to 12 new towns in England could cost £48bn, a new study estimates. |
Study reveals local government gender gap
15/05/2025 A new UK-wide study has revealed vast regional disparities in gender-based outcomes relating to economic success and growth. |
US trade deal needed in ‘weeks, not months’, Mayor says
07/05/2025 The Government must secure a trade deal with President Trump in ‘weeks, not months’ to avoid damage to the West Midlands economy, Mayor says. |
MPs warn of the cost of inaction on social care reform
06/05/2025 MPs have urged the Government to measure the cost of inaction on social care and warned that failing to do so would mean reforms are ‘doomed to failure’. |
Council chiefs back call for funding creatives
04/03/2025 Local government leaders have backed a call to provide more financial support to smaller creative industries which can ‘drive local growth.’ |
Spending Review chance to end ‘permacrisis’
11/02/2025 The Spending Review is a chance to end the ‘permacrisis’ that has left a growing number of local authorities on the brink of bankruptcy, London Councils says. |
Children's mental health crisis costs over £1tn
05/02/2025 The failure to tackle the children's mental health crisis costs the UK over £1tn in lifetime lost earnings, researchers focusing on mental health warn. |
Plans for Europe’s joint-tallest building approved
16/12/2024 London's skyline is set to be transformed with the erection of a 74-storey tower, which is the same height as the Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building. |
Chancellor confirms pension ‘megafund’ plans
14/11/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed plans to merge local government pension schemes into ‘megafunds’ to drive economic growth. |
UKSPF allocations slashed by 40%
05/11/2024 Allocations from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) have been cut by 40% to £900m for a ‘transitional' 2025-26 ahead of wider local growth funding reform. |
Councils 'sitting on' £8bn of s106 and CIL money
21/10/2024 Councils in England and Wales have failed to spend over £8bn of section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money, according to a new report. |
Solace: Underfunding councils ‘ultimate false economy’
14/10/2024 Failing to properly fund councils is ‘the ultimate false economy’ because it forces them to make ‘repugnant’ cuts which lead to greater problems in the future. |
Mayors can relieve council pressures, says report
09/10/2024 Mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) can help with long-standing policy challenges in public services as well as boosting economic growth, a think-tank has argued. |
Staffordshire leaders kick off devolution conversation
30/09/2024 Council leaders across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have written to the Government to begin a conversation about devolution. |
Councils work to manage impact from collapse of major contractor
23/09/2024 Councils across England and Wales are working to manage the impact to a string of major infrastructure projects following the collapse of building firm ISG. |
Think tank calls for health and prosperity improvement zones
17/09/2024 Local authorities should be empowered to create health and prosperity improvement zones modelled on clean air zones, a cross-party commission says. |
Regional growth initiatives likely to 'fall over next year' without UKSPF clarity
12/09/2024 Regional growth initiatives are likely to ‘fall over next year' unless the Government clarifies the future of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a combined authority chief has warned. |
Call for Reeves to remove barriers to pension investment
09/08/2024 The chancellor has been urged to make a ‘concerted effort' to break down barriers to investment so the local government pension scheme can boost growth. |
Skills England to fix ‘fractured’ skills landscape
22/07/2024 A new body will tackle the ‘fractured’ skills landscape across England, the Prime Minister and education secretary have announced. |
King's Speech: Devolution takes centre stage
17/07/2024 The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech. |
King's Speech: A plan for devolution
17/07/2024 The new Labour Government has set out a widespread plan for devolution and economic growth in its Parliamentary timetable, with central diktat reserved for planning proposals. |
Rayner: Labour ready to ‘transfer power out of Whitehall’
09/07/2024 Deputy PM Angela Rayner is set to tell regional mayors that Labour is ready to ‘transfer power out of Whitehall’ through a major programme of devolution. |
Reeves: Labour set to bring back housebuilding targets
08/07/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce today that she will bring back compulsory housebuilding targets. |
LGPS quizzed in Labour economic growth push
04/07/2024 Labour has been asking local government pensions schemes their views on greater ‘investment into the UK’ as they look to drive growth, consultant says. |
Wakefield seeks acclaim as UK sculpture capital
18/06/2024 Wakefield Council has devised a plan to boost tourism and gain recognition as the UK capital of sculpture. |
Growth at heart of LGA White Paper
03/06/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for powers and funding so that councils can take a leading role in driving inclusive growth. |
Reeves: No return to austerity
29/05/2024 Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said there will be no return to austerity under a Labour Government. |
Mayors meet to hear growth plans
13/05/2024 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has summoned his party’s newly-elected mayors for a meeting to detail his plans for economic growth. |
Night-time economy leaders frustrated at lack of support
24/04/2024 Business leaders working in London's night-time economy have expressed their ‘frustration and anger’ at the lack of governmental support the sector receives. |
Addressing regional inequalities
18/04/2024 Andrew Borland, Chief Innovation Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), University of Liverpool discusses the importance of levelling up for growth. |
Call for evidence boost in local economic policy
16/04/2024 Centre for Cities has called for more evidence to be at the heart of local economic policy making. |
Worcestershire CC launches plan to boost tourism
14/03/2024 Worcestershire County Council has launched a new plan to grow the county’s ‘billion-pound tourism economy’. |
Report calls for more devolution to boost creative industries
23/01/2024 The further devolution of powers and funding connected to culture will help tackle economic stagnation and will boost to local communities, study finds. |
Levelling up must continue, urges think-tank
22/01/2024 Efforts to level up the country and devolve more powers to local government should continue following the General Election, a think-tank has urged. |
‘Bad health blackspots’ hold back growth
19/01/2024 Stark health inequalities are holding back economic growth, new research has found. |
Culture year to launch with raft of events
02/01/2024 A year-long programme of cultural activities in Wakefield is set to kick off with a day of 24 free events. |
‘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. |
Government confirms LEP funding
21/12/2023 Eligible councils will receive ‘up to’ £240,000 in 2024-25 to deliver the functions previously covered by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), the Government has said. |
Autumn Statement: West Midlands investment zone confirmed
23/11/2023 An investment zone is set to be established in the West Midlands focusing on three sites in Warwickshire, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, Chancellor confirms. |
Nearly 460k unemployed due to unhealthy lifestyle
21/11/2023 Nearly 460,000 people in the UK are unemployed due to the health impact of tobacco, alcohol, and obesity, costing the economy £31.1bn. |
West Yorkshire to host £220m investment zone
21/11/2023 A new investment zone has been announced for West Yorkshire focused on life sciences. |
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. |
Call for local income tax collection for biggest city regions
08/11/2023 More taxation powers, including the ability to keep a proportion of income tax, should be devolved to England’s three biggest city regions, a think-tank has argued. |
Manifesto push for statutory economic powers
07/11/2023 The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has launched an ‘agenda for change’ with a continued call for councils to be given statutory duties on economic development. |
Optimism about Greater Manchester’s economy ‘badly misplaced’
21/09/2023 Greater Manchester should expand its city centre, improve connectivity, and build 126,000 more homes to boost its productivity, the Resolution Foundation says. |
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. |
LEP functions to be transferred to upper-tier councils
04/08/2023 The Government has today confirmed it will transfer many Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions to upper-tier councils and combined authorities. |
VisitBritain HQ moves to Birmingham
20/07/2023 Birmingham will be home to VisitBritain’s new headquarters, the national tourism agency has announced. |
Hull plans ‘innovative’ box park venue
18/07/2023 Hull CC will consider developing a ‘box park’ site on what is currently waste land, with the aim of attracting visitors to the city centre and creating jobs. |
Cities call for new devolved powers
18/07/2023 A group of cities today demanded new devolved powers and investment to help the UK become a science and innovation ‘superpower’. |
South Yorkshire named as UK’s first investment zone
17/07/2023 South Yorkshire was named by the Government on Friday as the site of the first UK investment zone. |
Public libraries generate £3.4bn a year, study finds
07/07/2023 England’s public libraries generate at least £3.4bn each year, a landmark new analysis has revealed. |
Pledge promotes prosperity
04/07/2023 Cllr Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, explains the local authority’s Pledge ahead of the council’s presentation at the LGA’s annual conference. |
Barnsley launches new initiative to boost employment
04/07/2023 Barnsley Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority have launched a new initiative to support thousands of residents into employment. |
Plans for South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub unveiled
29/06/2023 South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has announced plans to create 300 apprenticeships in the region through a new Apprenticeship Hub. |
Closing council gender gap could boost output £23bn
15/06/2023 Closing the gender employment gap in UK local authorities would increase economic output by £23bn or 1% of GDP, according to campaigners. |
Doncaster council’s fight to reopen airport gets £3m boost
06/06/2023 The fight to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been given a £3.1m boost by South Yorkshire's mayoral combined authority. |
Oxford and Swindon top ‘good growth’ index
26/05/2023 Oxford and Swindon have come out top in a ranking of cities according to their residents’ economic wellbeing, with Bristol and Exeter following closely behind. |
London boroughs agree first infrastructure framework
17/05/2023 All 33 local authorities across London have agreed an infrastructure framework on a cross-party, pan-London basis for the first time. |
Council chiefs call for statutory powers to boost economy
16/05/2023 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to give councils statutory powers over economic development. |
North East has highest percentage of empty shops
10/05/2023 The North East has the highest percentage of empty high street shops in Britain, a new study has revealed. |
‘Red Wall’ areas score poorly on social fabric index
02/05/2023 Local communities in areas won by the Conservatives from Labour in 2019 have continued to face decline despite the levelling up agenda, think tank finds. |
Cornwall Council’s space centre launches new R&D facility
28/04/2023 The space centre owned by Cornwall Council has opened a new building for businesses developing and launching satellites. |
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. |
Why a circular economy is good for local government
23/03/2023 Wayne Hubbard, CEO of ReLondon, argues that green measures can save councils money and help local businesses. |
West Midlands CA welcomes unspent Commonwealth Games funding
20/03/2023 Around £70m of unspent Commonwealth Games funding is to be used to develop the West Midlands economy and boost its trade and tourism sectors. |
New Buckinghamshire film studios to create 1,200 jobs
17/03/2023 Buckinghamshire Council has granted planning permission for a new eight-stage film studio expected to support 1,200 jobs. |
Budget 2023: Hunt confirms investment zone cash
15/03/2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed in the spring budget plans to go ahead with 12 investment zones, each backed by a multi-million-pound injection of cash. |
MPs call for more power to be granted to London’s councils
13/03/2023 MPs have called for more power and resources to be devolved to London’s local authorities in order to boost the capital’s productivity. |
Systemic sexism costs economy over £88bn a year
08/03/2023 Barriers faced by women wanting to work is costing the economy in England, Scotland and Wales £88.7bn every year, according to new research. |
Councils should become primary provider of childcare, survey finds
06/03/2023 Councils should become the primary provider of state-subsidised childcare designed to get parents back to work and boost productivity, a new survey has found. |
Shetland council launches campaign to attract fishing boats
01/03/2023 Shetland Islands Council and Lerwick Port Authority have joined forces to encourage fishing boats to land in their harbours. |
Treasury tightens grip over DLUHC spending
08/02/2023 New capital projects by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will now have to be approved by the Treasury. |
Leicestershire council to convert its office into hotel
06/02/2023 A Leicestershire council is planning to turn parts of its office into a hotel because staff working from home means less space is needed. |
Poor health 'undermining UK economy' think tank warns
08/12/2022 Mental health problems are the most common reason for people being unable to work new research has revealed. |
Labour outlines huge devolution push
05/12/2022 Labour proposes removing ‘dead hand of centralisation’ by devolving to local government wide-ranging powers over employment, growth, transport and education. |
Liverpool signs deal for £70m Littlewoods project
04/12/2022 The developers behind the £70m Littlewoods project have signed a deal with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council to kick start the project. |
Think tank warns against ‘anti-London sentiment’
30/11/2022 A think tank has accused policymakers of ‘anti-London sentiment’ and urged Whitehall to do more to include the capital in the levelling up agenda. |
Reeves to make case for economic devolution
23/11/2022 The shadow chancellor will make the case for ‘deeper and broader’ economic devolution as Labour stresses the need for ‘more local powers’ over the economy. |
Colchester and Reading join Key Cities network
21/11/2022 Colchester and Reading today announced that they have joined Key Cities, a network representing the UK’s urban areas, to help drive their economic growth. |
Council leader welcomes plans to relocate famous markets
18/11/2022 The leader of Barking and Dagenham council, Cllr Darren Rodwell, has welcomed plans to relocate Billingsgate and Smithfield wholesale markets to Dagenham Dock. |
Autumn statement: Investment zones ‘refocus’ in Autumn Statement
17/11/2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has binned ‘existing expressions of interest’ from councils to set up investment zones as the Government moves to ‘refocus’ the programme. |
Women’s Euro 2022 gives Sheffield £8m boost
18/10/2022 Sheffield’s hosting of UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 gave the city’s economy an £8.3m boost, new research reveals. |
Decline of economic vitality across 20 UK cities is 'accelerating'
10/10/2022 Nottingham has seen the biggest drop in its economic vitality rating compared to other UK cities, new research has revealed today. |
Councils invited to host Investment Zones
03/10/2022 Local authorities are now able to apply to host a new Investment Zone, the Government announced over the weekend. |
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. |
Mini-Budget: Kwarteng's plans to boost economic growth
23/09/2022 New Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has unveiled a mini-Budget aimed at boosting the economy and growing his way out of the country’s financial woes. |
Local government ‘over-centralised’, think tanks say
02/09/2022 Local government is over-centralised, inefficient, and under-resourced and is harming the UK economy, a new report says. |
Call for new PM to boost role of LEPs
08/08/2022 The next PM must better support small businesses through Local Enterprise Partnerships if the UK is to ride the forthcoming recession, business leaders warn. |
Think tank calls for beefed up levelling up
26/07/2022 A think tank has demanded the next government reverse council funding cuts and beef up the levelling up Bill after new figures revealed public spending continues to leave the North behind. |
‘Parallel pandemic’ of mental ill health cost North £2bn
25/07/2022 The number of mental ill health cases in the North of England were much higher during the pandemic than in any other part of the country and cost £2bn. |
Boldly going where Birmingham has never gone before
21/07/2022 Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, explains the integral role of the local authority in delivering the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. |
Second round of Levelling Up Fund opens for bids
18/07/2022 Councils are being urged to bid for a share of £4.8bn as part of the Government's Levelling Up Fund. |
Outer London left behind in post-COVID recovery
13/06/2022 Ethnically diverse local authority areas on the outskirts of London are being left behind in the post-pandemic recovery, think tank warns. |
Index to help drive levelling up published
11/05/2022 The planning and development consultancy Lichfields has created an index to help local authority areas capitalise on the levelling up agenda. |
Belfast tops index for economic vitality growth
11/05/2022 Belfast has achieved the highest growth in economic vitality out of 20 key cities in the UK, a new index has revealed. |
Levelling up plans will fail, IfG report claims
31/03/2022 The Government’s plans for levelling up will not cut regional inequality, a report from the influential Institute for Government (IfG) has claimed. |
Glasgow tops list of most economically resilient cities
23/03/2022 Glasgow has proven to be the city with the most resilient economy in the face of the pandemic, a new study has revealed. |
Devolution for all: Gove unveils long-awaited White Paper
02/02/2022 By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, the Government’s long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper has revealed. |
National approach to levelling up is 'ineffective' warns study
01/02/2022 Policies to address regional inequalities should be tailored to individual communities’ needs, according to the results of a new study. |
