Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Highways: Sheffield seeks £300M in PFI credits for network
Sheffield council has decided to make an ambitious bid for government support to improve its highway network, under the private-finance initiative.
The city council will seek £300M in credits – half the national pot earmarked for the next PFI round for maintenance. Bridges and grass verges would be included in the scheme, second in size only to Birmingham’s project.
Sheffield is also currently awaiting the outcome of its £80M bid in the last PFI round for streetlighting. If this is successful, the city council intends to put the contract on hold for six months so that the two proposed deals can be combined.
