Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
Councils urged to 'sharpen commercial edge'
15/06/2021 A new report has argued that allowing councils to sharpen their commercial edge will ‘unlock immense latent place potential’ and help ‘galvanise recovery’. |
Council tax collection deficit hits £500m
27/05/2021 Councils will need ‘additional help from taxpayers’ to balance their books, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has warned. |
New guidance on council-owned companies to be published
21/05/2021 Councils will soon be issued guidance on governance arrangements for local authority trading companies (LATCs) by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). |
Over £5bn raised through sale of surplus public land
08/02/2021 The Government has exceeded its target of raising £5bn by 2020 through the sale of surplus public sector land by almost £200m. |
Proposal for stronger local government Prudential Code
02/02/2021 Proposals to strengthen the Prudential Code and prevent local authorities from borrowing to generate yield have been put forward by CIPFA. |
More than 100 local authorities bid to save £1bn by 2022
03/12/2020 More than 100 local authorities have joined a new initiative that aims to save £1bn by September 2022. |
Maximising income from car parks
23/10/2020 Ron Buck explores the different ways councils are making the most of their parking facilities as a means of driving revenue. |
How local authorities can make money from energy
28/09/2020 Stephen Stead explains how councils can use their existing assets to generate new revenue streams. |
Corporate property generates £5m for Ashford BC
25/09/2020 Corporate property generated £5m for Ashford Borough Council in the past year, an annual review has revealed. |
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. |
Jenrick announces more cash, income compensation and tax delay
02/07/2020 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has announced more cash and new ways councils will be reimbursed for income lost as a result of coronavirus. |
IFS urges government to relax the rules on council finance amid crisis
22/06/2020 Finance experts have called on the Government to temporarily relax rules that prevent councils borrowing to cover day-to-day spending as they deal with the coronavirus crisis. |
Councils call for £5bn 'income guarantee'
18/05/2020 England's largest councils are calling on the Government to provide a £5bn 'income guarantee to avoid them having to declare insolvency during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Smarter buildings create smarter revenue
30/03/2020 Richard Morris outlines how smart buildings are adding value for councils and their tenants. |
Flybe collapse hits council-owned airports
05/03/2020 The airline entered administration this morning, leading to the grounding of all flights. |
Minimum ‘basic’ income trial reports mixed results
26/02/2020 A pilot scheme assessing the impact of a minimum ‘basic’ income on poverty and inequality improves well-being but financial insecurities remain. |
The media should start to trust councils on commercialism
17/02/2020 In light of the recent headlines on councils’ £6bn-plus property 'spending spree', and recent criticism of advertising on council websites, Lloyd Clark asks why councils are still criticised for trying to raise revenue. |
Councils save £100m through sector-led improvements
20/08/2019 Councils have saved more than £100m in the past year by using the Local Government Association’s sector-led improvement (SLI) offer. |
Council-owned solar farm generates £1.2m for frontline services
14/08/2019 One of the largest local authority owned solar farms in the UK has exceeded expectations and generated more than £1.5m of income in its third year – around £100,000 more than anticipated. |
Councils set to make £1bn profit from parking
01/07/2019 Local authorities in England are predicting that they will make £913m of profit from their parking activities this financial year, although the real figure might be nearer £1bn. |
Council buys two buildings in £5m deal
24/05/2019 Mid Sussex District Council has agreed to purchase two commercial buildings to generate new rental income. |
Councils raise £242m from parking permit applications
10/05/2019 Local authorities have raised hundreds of millions of pounds over the last three years thanks to applications for parking permits, according to a new study. |
Council buys office to generate income
15/04/2019 South Cambridgeshire DC has made a £13m investment in a high-quality office building to generate an initial net return of around 5.6%. |
Welsh council buys leisure park for £21m
12/03/2019 Monmouthshire County Council has purchased the freehold of Newport Leisure Park for £21m. |
Councils set for £1bn parking income
11/03/2019 Latest trends suggest councils in England could be set for a £1bn parking income by the end of the decade. |
The top ten things for local government to be aware of in 2019
11/01/2019 2019 looks set to be a year of interesting challenges and opportunities for local government. Tiffany Cloynes and Clare Hardy offer their predictions for the year ahead. |
Ministers play down commercialisation 'crackdown'
10/01/2019 Ministers have played down the prospect of a widespread crackdown on councils that borrow for commercial reasons. |
Shopping for retail sites
09/01/2019 James Duncan explains why investing in retail sites could help councils diversify their income streams. |
Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown
13/12/2018 Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises. |
Mayor agrees to buy airport in £40m deal
05/12/2018 Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) looks set to be brought back into public ownership as part of a £40m deal. |
Investing to earn strategy
18/09/2018 Robbie Blackhurst finds out how local authorities can follow the example of Liverpool City Council by adopting an ‘invest to earn’ strategy. |
Council-owned company to bring drone services in-house
10/09/2018 Oxford Direct Services is to become the first council-owned organisation to bring drone services in-house to save time and money. |
Assets: A new source of revenue
04/09/2018 A new report has outlined the three main risks councils face when investing in commercial property. Mark Whitehead reports. |
Shopping centres: buyer beware
20/08/2018 With councils spending record amounts on buying shopping centres, what risk is this exposing the sector to? Mark Whitehead investigates. |
Exclusive: Councils investing record amounts in shopping centres
20/08/2018 Councils are continuing to spend record amounts of money buying up shopping centres, the latest figures show. |
Council accused of 'putting public money at risk' over shopping centre investment
15/08/2018 A district council has been accused of putting public money at risk in a 35-year deal to lease a shopping centre from a commercial development company. |
The scale of council investment in commercial property
04/07/2018 A new study has revealed local authorities have invested £3.8bn in commercial property to save struggling town centres. Dr Steve Norris and Ed Cooke report on the findings. |
Councils warn about assessing risk of commercial projects
26/06/2018 Councils are failing to understand the full risk implications when engaging in commercial activities, a new survey has warned. |
Councils making £74m a year from garden waste charges
25/06/2018 More than half of UK councils have introduced charges for garden waste collection totalling almost £74m a year, according to new research. |
Councils sell off 4,000 public buildings a year, FOI requests reveal
19/06/2018 Local authorities have sold-off thousands of public buildings and spaces to private developers in order to cover the loss of central Government funding, charity finds. |
Unleashing our commercial potential
14/06/2018 Ken Lyon explains how Birmingham City Council is harnessing its considerable assets and skills to generate extra income. |
Council buys shopping centre for £14.8m
14/06/2018 Bolton Council has completed the purchase of the Crompton Place shopping centre for £14.8m. |
Council drops plans to sell 10% of its parks
12/06/2018 Knowsley Council has agreed to drop proposals to sell 10% of the borough’s parks. |
Northamptonshire set to sell county hall
05/06/2018 Northamptonshire County Council plans to sell its county hall and sub-let parts of its corporate headquarters to generate extra income. |
Council to buy Liverpool Central Shopping Centre
24/05/2018 Liverpool City Council is set to buy Liverpool Central Shopping Centre in a bid to earn £4.3m over the first five years. |
New Oxford City Council trading companies commit to deliver £10.4m
03/04/2018 The commercial division of Oxford City Council has announced it plans to deliver over £10m in value back to the council by setting up two wholly-owned local authority trading companies. |
North Yorkshire launches council-owned law firm
21/03/2018 North Yorkshire County Council has become the first local authority in the North to trade its legal services. |
Some councils 'hiding' cost of waste collection on their websites
20/03/2018 Although three-quarters of councils now charge for garden waste collections, less than half of council websites provide a good or very good service for this task, a new survey has revealed. |
New retail park to generate £1m a year for council
02/03/2018 A new retail park in Portsmouth will generate £1m per year for the city council in rental income. |
Council launches new housing repairs company
06/02/2018 Around 450 staff have transferred to a new housing repairs and maintenance company owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. |
Council to sell brand new £53m headquarters
25/01/2018 A council has decided to sell off its £53m newly opened headquarters in order to cover social care costs. |
Your local government guide to starting a film office service
23/01/2018 Karen Everett outlines the seven steps councils should take to attract more filming to their local area. |
Technology and the public sector 2018
15/01/2018 Jos Creese outlines some key technology trends councils should focus on in 2018. |
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. |
Why are we here?
11/12/2017 An increased drive for commercialism is forcing many council chiefs to re-assess the fundamental role of local authorities in an age of austerity. Rod Penman reports. |
Manchester Airports Group reports strong profit increase
08/12/2017 The largely local-authority owned Manchester Airports Group has posted strong growth in its profits after a 'record breaking' summer season. |
Using local authority powers effectively
10/11/2017 Recent case law has shown the importance of local authorities acting within their powers and meeting any associated requirements. Tiffany Cloynes reports. |
A prudent investment
24/10/2017 Tony Martin explains why local authorities are making logical and prudent investment decisions when expanding their commercial property portfolios. |
Council-owned company purchases first property
18/09/2017 A council-owned property investment company has purchased its first property in an investment which promises an income of over £200,000 a year. |
Councils to boost revenues collection with real-time intelligence
14/09/2017 Find out why authorities are investing in innovative new technology that provides up to date intelligence that sits alongside their own data, helping them make more informed decisions on recovery and forecasting. |
Council buys back Blackpool airport in £4m deal
13/09/2017 Blackpool Council has purchased Blackpool Airport site in a £4.25m deal. |
How councils can create a property portfolio
05/07/2017 James Routledge argues the case for councils investing in property and provides some tips on how to succeed. |
Councils spent £1bn on property assets last year to boost income
04/07/2017 Local authorities spent more than £1bn acquiring property in 2016 as a way of generating new revenue, according to a new report published today. |
Council sets its sights on £75m property portfolio
23/06/2017 Gloucester City Council is to set up a board to raise money by buying and selling properties. |
Revenue generation by councils
20/06/2017 Tiffany Cloynes outlines different strategies local authorities can adopt to help generate new revenue streams, including charging and trading. |
Council offers street naming rights to local firms for £20,000
01/06/2017 Local businesses will be given the opportunity to sponsor new street names in Moray after the council approved the revenue generating plan. |
District council spends £45m on research park
16/05/2017 A local authority in Essex has invested millions in a research park in the hope it will provide a ‘stable income stream’ as central Government cuts council funding. |
Social housing is becoming ‘increasingly commercialised’, says study
20/04/2017 The social housing sector has become ‘increasingly commercialised’ as housing associations look for new ways to make money, report find. |
Councils to be banned for charging parkruns to use parks
18/04/2017 Councils could be banned from charging parkruns to use public parks, under new proposals unveiled by the Government. |
Bridging the capital divide in local government
17/01/2017 Gwyn Llewellyn calls on councils to think more broadly about their financing options to enable them to invest and fuel economic growth. |
Council to spend £30m on acquiring stake in new bank
12/01/2017 Warrington council is to spend £30m on buying a 33% stake in a new bank in order to lend more to small businesses. |
Councils: a new class of investor
20/12/2016 Caroline Walker explains why local authorities are steadily emerging as the ‘new investor class’ in the wake of Brexit. |
Wightlink ferry deal to generate £2m a year for council
12/12/2016 An innovative new finance deal is expected to generate millions of pounds for Portsmouth City Council. |
Reading BC to sign off further £10.5m in cuts
28/11/2016 Reading BC is set to sign off another £10.5m in efficiency savings as the local authority aims to fill a £42m funding gap. |
London council launches regeneration trading company
17/11/2016 A new company dedicated to accelerating economic growth has been set up by the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. |
Welsh councils should think ‘strategically’ about charging for services
10/11/2016 Local authorities are not using all the options at their disposal to generate income because of weaknesses in their policies and in how they use data, auditors say. |
Liverpool to sell off historical premises to balance budget
28/10/2016 Liverpool City Council has announced it is selling its former administrative headquarters in a bid to find £90m in savings over the next three years. |
Council launches new property and investment company
19/09/2016 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has agreed plans to set up a new commercial property and investment company. |
Scottish council to review 120 functions
30/08/2016 The Highland Council is preparing to review over a hundred council functions to identify ‘efficiencies and cost reductions’. |
District buys solar farm for new revenue source
19/08/2016 Forest Heath District Council has purchased the largest local authority-owned solar farm in the UK, which will generate income of up to £700,000 per year. |
Tamworth launches income generating strategy
21/06/2016 Tamworth Borough Council has approved a new Commercial Investment Strategy (CIS) to help generate income and become more financially self-sufficient. |
The road to self-sufficiency
13/04/2016 William Eichler takes a closer look at Essex County Council's journey to generate income through traded services. |
Council company to provide 'intermediate' rental housing
07/04/2016 A new council-owned housing company offering affordable rents is to be set up in Camden. |
Councils can raise cash by selling surplus assets
11/03/2016 Under new rules councils will be able to spend any revenues they generate from selling surplus assets on public services, communities minister Marcus Jones announced today. |
Havant council sets up joint venture company
10/03/2016 Havant Borough Council is setting up a joint venture to deliver environmental and operational services in the borough. |
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Aesthetics and emotions – a new game plan for regeneration
22/02/2016 Highlighting the outstanding results of a transformational project in the capital, Sam Neal discusses how vision, collaboration and emotional engagement in the regeneration process can deliver far-reaching social and commercial benefits. |
Shropshire Council to close its trading company
18/02/2016 Shropshire Council has decided to close its company ip&e Limited after it failed to make enough profit. |
Bevvy levy could prove a decent new funding stream for struggling councils
12/02/2016 A small Slovenian town has hit upon an ingenious scheme to increase revenues, attract tourists, and get them very, very drunk: a beer fountain. |
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Local government in Wales – where next?
11/02/2016 James Downe reflects on the process of local government reform in Wales, and offers some thoughts about the future. |
Havant unveils plans to switch key services to new company
21/01/2016 A council in Hampshire is planning to set up a joint venture company to run its services in a deal believed to be the first of its kind in the south of England. |
Councils less optimistic about coping with future cuts
20/01/2016 A new report has revealed that councils are less optimistic about coping with upcoming cuts than they were in dealing with reductions over the past six years. |
Council’s new property company projected to raise £600,000 per year
04/12/2015 A Somerset council has agreed to proceed with plans to set up a new property company that they project will raise £600,000 per annum by 2019. |
Councils launch company to deliver services to schools
02/12/2015 A company providing services to more than 300 schools has been launched by two councils in the north-west. |
West Midlands signs devolution deal
17/11/2015 A devolution deal for the West Midlands has been agreed, which includes £1bn of Government investment and an elected mayor. |
Calls for new fund to help transfer council assets to community groups
02/10/2015 The Government should set up a new fund to help community groups take control of council assets, according to a coalition of civil society organisations. |
London council could rent its rooftops to telecoms companies
02/10/2015 Camden Council is considering leasing rooftop spaces on council-owned buildings rooftops to telecommunications companies to generate new income and improve connectivity. |
Supermarket site sale delivers £17.75m boost to council
29/09/2015 Isle of Wight Council has netted £17.75m from the sale of land to supermarket giant Asda. |
Council targets self-sufficiency by 2016
21/09/2015 A local authority in Kent believes it will soon be the first council in England to become financially self-sufficient. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
