Eric Pickles | LocalGov


Grenfell council admits leadership was 'unable to cope' 12/04/2022 Kensington & Chelsea LBC has admitted to the Grenfell Tower inquiry its ‘leadership was unable to cope’ in the days after the tragedy.
Council to appeal 'town hall Pravdas' ruling 14/06/2019 Waltham Forest LBC will appeal after a judge backed Government attempts to stop it publishing a council newspaper every two weeks.
Eric Pickles to quit as MP 24/04/2017 Sir Eric Pickles - who was the secretary for communities and local government between 2010 and 2015 - has announced he is standing down as MP for Brentwood and Ongar at the General Election.
Pickles outlines plan to tackle election fraud and corruption 12/08/2016 The electoral system in Britain needs widespread reforms to crack down on corruption and fraud, a report from Sir Eric Pickles has warned.
Pickles warns councils have ‘turned a blind eye’ to electoral fraud due to political correctness 13/08/2015 Councils are ignoring allegations of electoral fraud for fear of offending ethnic minorities, Sir Eric Pickles has argued.
Pickles to be given knighthood 22/05/2015 The communities secretary for the duration of the last parliament, Eric Pickles, is to be given a knighthood, Downing Street has announced.
Pickles: Still ‘awful lot’ of money to be saved in councils 11/05/2015 Eric Pickles has said there is still an ‘awful lot’ of money to be saved in local government that would not impact on frontline services.
Pickles reveals Tories blocked Lib Dem push for new council tax powers 01/05/2015 Eric Pickles has claimed he blocked the Lib Dems from handing councils new powers to impose fresh taxes.
Pickles vows to end 'rotten practices' at Tower Hamlets with intervention 30/04/2015 Eric Pickles has revealed plans for a wave of new interventions at beleaguered Tower Hamlets, as the council commits itself to combating electoral fraud.
Tower Hamlets mayor found guilty of corrupt practices 23/04/2015 Mayor’s Lutfur Rahman’s election victory at Tower Hamlets has been declared void after the controversial figure was found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices.
Pickles exposed as Formula 1 racing legend? 23/04/2015 Eric Pickles’ past as a successful international motor racing champion has been revealed on Wikipedia, or has it?
April Fools: Pickles in push for bin pick-ups every eight hours 01/04/2015 Eric Pickles is thinking of throwing his weight behind thrice daily collections of household bins, LocalGov can reveal.
Pickles attacks councils over £30bn cash reserves and uncollected revenues 30/03/2015 Councils have been urged to use the £30bn available in cash reserves and uncollected debts to protect frontline services, by local government secretary Eric Pickles.
Councils urged to save £70m a year through 'better bin buying' 30/03/2015 Councils have been urged to club together when buying refuse trucks and wheelie bins in a bid to save £70m a year.
Figures show majority of councils freezing council tax bills 27/03/2015 Nearly two-thirds of councils in England have accepted the Government grant to freeze council tax this year, according to new figures.
Council to challenge newspaper ban 19/03/2015 Greenwich RBC is to take legal action over the government’s decision to ban it from publishing its weekly newspaper.
Pickles backs service transformation plans 16/03/2015 Ministers have backed plans to roll-out the troubled families-style reforms into other local services.
Pickles' parking reforms are 'nonsense', says councillor 13/03/2015 Eric Pickles' parking reforms are 'nonsense' and could set costs soaring for all council tax payers, according to a Lib Dem councillor.
Pickles gives Enterprising Libraries a cash boost 12/03/2015 Libraries that help local people set up their own business have been given a £650,000 funding boost.
Pickles brands troubled families efforts a ‘triumph’ 11/03/2015 Over 90% of England’s 117,910 most problematic families have now been turned around by the Government’s troubled families programme.
Pickles presses ahead with Right to Move plans 10/03/2015 Councils will have to provide at least 1% of their social housing stock for tenants who move for work or training, under new plans announced yesterday.
New parking freedoms prompt ‘serious’ safety fears 06/03/2015 Councils have voiced ‘serious concerns’ over a swathe of new parking laws set for introduction in coming months, fearing public safety could be compromised.
Monthly bin collection pilot revealed 04/03/2015 Bin collections for thousands of households in a Scottish region could soon take place once every four weeks, under a new town hall trial.
First time house buyers offered 20% discount 02/03/2015 First time house buyers will from today be able to register for a 20% discount on certain properties in England.
Pickles names leaders to take over Rotherham Council 27/02/2015 The five commissioners appointed to take over scandal-hit Rotherham Council have been announced by local government secretary, Eric Pickles.
Squeeze councils for more cash, says Pickles 25/02/2015 Councils can be squeezed for more cash despite already enduring years of cuts, communities secretary Eric Pickles has warned.
Pickles attacks ‘corrosive’ lobbying by local enterprise partnerships 23/02/2015 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will soon be banned from hiring lobbyists to win government grants, after communities secretary Eric Pickles claimed the practice ‘undermines transparency’.
Pickles hails success of enterprise zones 23/02/2015 Enterprise zones have created 15,500 jobs and generated more than £2.1bn in private investment, according to new figures.
Pickles urged to stop councils 'deregulating allotments' 19/02/2015 A petition has been launched calling on the Government to protect allotments, following accusations councils are selling off allotment land to developers.
City leader resigns after High Court defeat 18/02/2015 A council leader embroiled in a controversial £165m development has stepped down, just hours after Eric Pickles waded in to put plans on hold.
Pickles rejects Coventry Gateway plans 13/02/2015 Coventry City Council is ‘amazed’ and ‘bitterly disappointed’ that plans to develop Coventry and Warwickshire Gateway have been rejected by Eric Pickles.
One in four councils to freeze or lower council tax 10/02/2015 Only a quarter of local authorities are to take up the government’s grant to freeze or lower council tax this year, according to new figures.
Survey reveals extent of ‘bin blight’ 09/02/2015 More than 200 councils require households to have four or more bins, according to new research into ‘bin blight’.
Antisemitic attacks in UK rise to highest ever levels 06/02/2015 The number of antisemitic incidents in the UK has reached its highest ever recorded level, as communities are urged to stamp out prejudice.
Mass resignation at Rotherham after damning report into child sexual exploitation 05/02/2015 Rotherham Council’s leader has resigned and entire cabinet pledged to quit after an investigation into local child sexual exploitation found the council ‘not fit for purpose’.
Pickles slams 'elf and safety' attitude over church bell silencing 03/02/2015 Eric Pickles has blasted 'over-zealous' councils who silence church bells after noise complaints, claiming many local authorities 'need some common sense'.
Pickles issues notice over council newspaper 30/01/2015 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has warned the Royal Borough of Greenwich to limit the publication of its weekly council newspaper.
Pickles compared to 'far right' after letter to Islamic leaders 19/01/2015 Muslim leaders have criticised communities secretary Eric Pickles after he called on religious leaders to show the faith 'can be part of British identity'.
Government doubles troubled families specialists 19/01/2015 The number of specialists helping council’s troubled families teams are set to double this year, under £10m extra investment.
Mayor blasts Pickles for ‘perverse’ planning decision 16/01/2015 The mayor of Liverpool has called the decision of Eric Pickles to turn down the proposed regeneration of the Welsh Streets as ‘unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse’.
New funding for councils to tackle planning breaches 12/01/2015 Councils have been given access to £1m funding to cover the cost of seeking a court injunction against though who flout planning laws.
Local government staff named in New Year’s Honours list 05/01/2015 Council leaders and chief executives have been awarded in the New Year’s Honours list in recognition of the ‘huge impact’ they have on society.
Pickles launches pilots to bring statutory notices into 21st Century 23/12/2014 Communities secretary, Eric Pickles has launched a pilot to find new ways of getting essential information to the public.
BREAKING: Pickles sends in commissioners to Tower Hamlets 17/12/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles risked reigniting a row with Tower Hamlets LBC mayor Lutfur Rahman today as he sent commissioners into the town hall.
Pickles is Scrooged 17/12/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles would choose to play Scrooge, the protagonist of Charles Dickens’ legendary short story ‘A Christmas Carol’ in pantomime, it has emerged.
Top 100 local government stories of 2014 16/12/2014 See our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2014, with strike action and pay discontent dominating the headlines.
Pickles under pressure on 1% council tax threshold push 16/12/2014 Eric Pickles is facing pressure from high level Liberal Democrats and Conservative colleagues to ditch a potential 1% referendum cap on council tax rises.
Pickles tells councils to ‘prove’ value of top earning staff 15/12/2014 Eric Pickles has called on councils to prove the value of top earning staff, warning ‘the gravy train is over’.
Birmingham warned to 'radically' improve or face intervention 09/12/2014 Birmingham Council has been warned to ‘radically improve’ the way it is run and delivers services in an independent review published today.
Pickles targets 275k new affordable homes by 2020 02/12/2014 Eric Pickles has revealed plans to deliver 275,000 new affordable homes across the country by 2020, among a wave of new residential targets.
The return of #AskPickles 02/12/2014 MPs have called on the public to send in questions for communities secretary Eric Pickles on subjects including devolution, housing and council budgets.
Pickles urged to intervene further in Tower Hamlets 01/12/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has been urged to intervene in Tower Hamlets LBC’s arrangements for next year’s General Election.
Pickles bin vow branded ‘hot air’, with collections made once every 12 days 01/12/2014 Bins are being collected on average once every 12 days, with just 6% of council’s meeting Conservative commitments for weekly pick-ups – research suggests.
In praise of Pickles 27/11/2014 Council leaders should think carefully before popping the champagne corks once the current communities secretary, genuine localist Eric Pickles, is no longer there, writes Simon Parker.
Panel calls for £5bn transformation fund 27/11/2014 The best performing councils should be allowed to strike a ‘deal’ with government for greater flexibility, according to a panel tasked with looking at the future of public services.
Pickles to scrutinise Notts energy centre proposal 20/11/2014 Communities minister, Eric Pickles, has told Nottinghamshire County Council not to approve a new Energy Centre in Bilsthorpe while he considers calling in the application.
Tower Hamlets mayor hits out at ‘excessive’ Government intervention 19/11/2014 The Government’s decision to intervene over governance failures at Tower Hamlets are ‘disproportionate and excessive’, according to the London borough’s mayor.
Pickles told to respect Tower Hamlets democracy 13/11/2014 Supporters of embattled Tower Hamlets LBC mayor Lutfur Rahman have held a rally as the Government threatens to intervene in the running of the council.
Council calls for clarity over funding for Somerset floods authority 13/11/2014 Plans to set up a new authority designed to protect Somerset from future flooding have been backed by the county council.
Whitehall control of Doncaster ends 12/11/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has ended government control of Doncaster MBC as expected.
Right to Move or Wrong? 12/11/2014 Mike Brogan examines some of the challenges facing the Right to Move programme
Remove racist daubings quickly, councils told 11/11/2014 Racist and anti-semitic graffiti must be removed quickly and reported to the police, council leaders have been reminded.
Pickles demands councils 'come clean' on union spending 06/11/2014 Councils are being forced to publish the cost of staff working on trade union duties, as part of an ongoing government transparency drive.
Pickles praises Troubled Families success 29/10/2014 The government’s Troubled families programme has helped to turn around the lives of 69,000 families, according to new figures published today.
Pickles blocks new taxes on supermarkets 27/10/2014 Local government secretary Eric Pickles has warned he will block council plans to impose new taxes on large supermarkets, accusing them of waging 'class war against business'.
Public meeting to debate future of Birmingham City Council 22/10/2014 Birmingham residents are being urged to have their say at a public meeting being held next month as part of an independent review into the city council’s performance.
Pickles urges councils not to pour cold water on Bonfire Night celebrations 20/10/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has launched a guide designed to prevent ‘municipal killjoys’ and ‘health and safety zealots’ from spoiling Bonfire Night.
Pickles warns councils against encroaching on ‘precious green belt’ 07/10/2014 The Government has warned that once green belt boundaries have been established they should ‘only be altered in exceptional circumstances’.
Pickles launches Right to Move consultation 11/09/2014 Proposals to make it easier for social housing tenants to move to new areas for employment have been put to consultation by communities secretary, Eric Pickles.
Pickles punishes councils that ignore rubbish recommendation 29/08/2014 Councils that fail to offer weekly bin collections have been barred from receiving extra funding to boost recycling.
Pickles raises pressure on councils over parking 27/08/2014 Eric Pickles has revealed plans that could force councils to provide more parking spaces alongside newly built homes.
Pickles blames early morning for figures confusion 19/08/2014 Eric Pickles has confessed he struggled to find figures on the costs of the ‘troubled families’ programme because of his early start.
Salford to live stream council meetings 19/08/2014 Salford City Council is to live stream and record public meetings following a new law to improve transparency in local government.
Troubled Families scheme expanded to include vulnerable youngsters 19/08/2014 The Troubled Families programme has been extended to help vulnerable children under the age of five.
Flo's Law to limit council charges 12/08/2014 A new law that will limit the amount councils can charge leaseholders for repairs to their homes comes into force this week.
Pickles launches corporation to drive Ebbsfleet Garden City 12/08/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has announced a new development corporation has been launched to help co-ordinate and kick-start work on Ebbsfleet Garden City.
Technology made simple: The right to record 08/08/2014 Why local authorities should review their audio visual facilities in light of new legislation.
Pickles handed faith role after Warsi resigns 06/08/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles will take on the duties of former faith minister Baroness Warsi, following the Tory peer's dramatic resignation yesterday.
Pickles opens public meetings to filming 06/08/2014 A new law allowing the public to film, record and tweet from council meetings will support 'healthy local democracy', according to communities secretary Eric Pickles.
Pickles relocates DCLG to share Home Office site 05/08/2014 Eric Pickles has moved the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to join Theresa May at the Home Office.
Pickles: Filming meetings will stop local government echoing ‘Putin’s Russia’ 28/07/2014 New rules allowing council meetings to be filmed will put an end to local government mirroring ‘Putin’s Russia’, according to Eric Pickles.
Intervention at Doncaster to end early, confirms Pickles 22/07/2014 Government control of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is due to end early, following improvements at the council.
Just how many councils can Pickles run? 18/07/2014 Congratulations to Doncaster Council for achieving ‘normal’. It may not sound like much of an ambition, but it is a start – and there is still a long way to go on children’s services.
Pickles confirms position amid cabinet reshuffle 15/07/2014 Eric Pickles has confirmed he will remain communities secretary as prime minister David Cameron enacts a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle.
Pickles calls for statutory notices to be brought into 21st Century 10/07/2014 Local government secretary Eric Pickles has compared municipal statutory notices to a famous scene from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and criticised the ‘sterile debate’ of the complete abolition of statutory notices.
Pickles welcomes new results on troubled families 10/07/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has applauded council efforts to support almost 53,000 of England’s most troubled families over the past two years.
Pickles rejects £160m Smithfield redevelopment 10/07/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has backed the decision to refuse planning permission for the ‘wholly unacceptable’ redevelopment of Smithfield Market.
Pickles urges councils to catch ‘fraud felons’ 03/07/2014 Councils should do more to tackle fraud and improve council tax collection rates, according to communities secretary Eric Pickles.
Tower Hamlets seeks legal action over Pickles probe 02/07/2014 Under-fire Tower Hamlets has filed for a judicial review over communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to launch an investigation into local governance.
Pickles praises troubled families success 01/07/2014 Communities secretary Eric Pickles has insisted the Government's troubled families programme is 'performing strongly'.
Tower Hamlets must restore voter confidence, watchdog says 01/07/2014 A voting watchdog has branded management of mayoral, European and local elections at Tower Hamlets 'inadequate' following count delays in May.
Pickles announces multi-million pound investment in new homes 27/06/2014 The Government has announced a multi-million pound investment, including £53m to accelerate the construction of over 7,000 new homes in key areas of the UK.
Localism Act used to help council host Tour de France 24/06/2014 A local authority has used new powers to ensure the Tour de France's first stage can finish in its district.
Pickles outlaws CCTV parking ‘spy cars’ 23/06/2014 Councils will be banned from using CCTV ‘spy cars’ alone to enforce on street parking as part of efforts to support local shops.
Pickles attacks ‘Stalinist’ media guidance for councils 19/06/2014 Rules that bar councillors from speaking to the press without permission have been blasted as ‘Stalinist’ by local government secretary, Eric Pickles.
Devon leaders call on Pickles to reverse spending cuts 16/06/2014 Party leaders in Devon have written to communities secretary Eric Pickles urging him to reverse to the latest wave of council spending cuts.
Pickles plans reform to London home rental laws 10/06/2014 Londoners could soon be allowed to rent out their homes for a short-term basis under plans announced by communities secretary Eric Pickles.
Cameron calls for ‘robust response’ to alleged Trojan Horse schools 09/06/2014 Education inspectors Ofsted will today publish the findings of ‘Trojan Horse’ investigations into alleged extremism in 21 Birmingham schools.
Pickles tipped to move in cabinet reshuffle 02/06/2014 Eric Pickles is being lined up for the job of party chairman, according to reports in the Sunday People yesterday about a forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
Apologise to Pickles over incorrect clean-up notice, council told 29/04/2014 Nottingham City Council has been asked to apologies to Eric Pickles, after wrongly serving the communities secretary with an enforcement notice over a derelict building.

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