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.
Council seeks to recover border checks investment after EU deal
20/05/2025 Portsmouth City Council is seeking compensation for its investment in a border checks facility which will not be required thanks to a new deal with the EU. |
What’s happening inside the LGPS?
19/05/2025 Get the most informed take on the challenges and opportunities that substantial reform will bring at this year’s PLSA Local Authority Conference. |
Local government pension scheme could fund affordable housing
14/05/2025 The £392bn local government pension scheme should be harnessed to address the UK’s underinvestment in affordable and social housing, think tank says. |
Burnham calls for Northern spending boost
13/05/2025 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the Chancellor to increase spending outside of London to counter support for Reform UK. |
Former Thurrock CFO issued with five-year ban
09/05/2025 In a historic first, the Financial Reporting Council has banned the former chief financial officer of Thurrock Council from working as a local government CFO. |
Newcastle chief defends Saudi investment
22/04/2025 Newcastle City Council’s chief executive has reportedly defended the authority seeking investment from Saudi Arabia following criticism of engagement with the controversial regime. |
Blackpool to invest £30m in coastline defences
17/04/2025 Blackpool Council has announced a £30m investment to construct new coastline defences to prevent erosion. |
London schools to benefit from energy efficiency measures
15/04/2025 Thirty-eight schools in London are set to benefit from £2.9m of City Hall funding to help them become more energy efficient, according to the Mayor of London. |
Government backs £30m Doncaster airport investment
10/04/2025 The Government has backed the decision by the South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard to invest £30m to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA). |
Universal theme park deal ‘landmark moment’
09/04/2025 The agreement of a deal with Universal to open a new theme park in Bedford – billed as one of the largest in Europe – has been welcomed as a ‘landmark moment’. |
Council leader welcomes £1.6bn defence contract extension
27/03/2025 The leader of Telford & Wrekin Council has welcomed the Chancellor’s Spring Statement announcement of a five-year £1.6bn defence contract extension. |
Affordable housing gets £2bn funding boost
25/03/2025 The Government has announced £2bn in funding aimed at delivering up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes. |
Great British Energy announces £10m for metro mayors
24/03/2025 Metro mayors are set to benefit from a £10m funding boost from Great British Energy aimed at supporting the delivery of new clean energy projects. |
Heritage-led high streets regeneration brings in £245m
18/03/2025 Heritage-led regeneration can help revive struggling high streets and redefine how local authorities revitalise town centres, according to Historic England. |
Peterborough requires £8.8bn to reach net zero
17/03/2025 An investment of £8.8bn is required if Peterborough City Council is to achieve its net zero carbon emissions target by 2040, according to a council document. |
Lancashire councillors agree £28m for pothole repairs
10/03/2025 Lancashire councillors have earmarked nearly £28m to repair potholes as part of a larger investment in the county’s highways infrastructure over the next year. |
Council green lights multi-billion-pound data centre
06/03/2025 Plans for a multi-billion-pound data centre are a step closer to being realised after the local authority granted the proposals planning permission. |
Wealth fund backs social housing retrofit loans
03/03/2025 The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has announced plans to guarantee £250m of loans to housing associations to support the retrofitting of social housing. |
London’s high streets get £21m regeneration boost
28/02/2025 London’s high streets are to benefit from £21m additional funding this year aimed at regenerating the capital’s high streets. |
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. |
Government told to ‘spend a penny’ on public toilets
10/02/2025 Campaigners have launched a new campaign to encourage the Government to invest in the delivery of public toilets. |
Port Talbot receives £8m of regeneration funding
06/02/2025 Port Talbot is set to receive £8.2m of regeneration funding in a move expected to deliver 100 jobs. |
Flood defence funding boost ‘tip of the iceberg’
05/02/2025 Defra's decision to top up funding for flood defences by £250m raises spending in this area to record levels but is still just ‘tip of the iceberg’, MPs say. |
Green light for Greater Manchester’s £86m clean air scheme
24/01/2025 The Government has backed Greater Manchester’s decision not to implement a clean air zone (CAZ) and instead to take an ‘investment-led approach’ to pollution. |
Children's social care faces 'biggest overhaul in a generation'
18/11/2024 The Government has announced a slew of children's social care reforms, including new responsibilities for councils. |
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. |
Council’s risk profile could ‘jeopardise’ financial stability
12/11/2024 A governance review has praised Eastleigh Borough Council for its investments but warned its risk profile could ‘jeopardise its financial stability’. |
Reeves to call for consolidation of £354bn council pension funds
11/11/2024 Rachel Reeves is set to announce plans to encourage consolidation among local government pension funds to reduce costs and boost infrastructure investment. |
Thurrock threat to sue other councils after financial collapse
07/11/2024 Thurrock Council has threatened to sue other councils as it legally goes after the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) over advice it gave. |
Leaders meet to discuss housebuilding partnerships
06/11/2024 Local authority leaders met in London on Monday with the aim of creating new partnerships to help meet the Government's aim of delivering 1.5 million homes. |
Budget: Chancellor targets local growth with transport spend
30/10/2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced extra transport cash for regional mayors, but departmental spending remains tight. |
Budget: Reorganisation confirmed in high tax, high spend Budget
30/10/2024 Local government reorganisation – and the efficiency savings it will make – were confirmed in Budget documents today. |
Bradford leadership survives vote amid £50m venue criticism
16/10/2024 The leadership of Bradford Council has survived a vote of no confidence amid criticism over its handling of the £50.5m publicly funded venue, Bradford Live. |
Sky to appeal film studio planning refusal
14/10/2024 Broadcaster Sky is planning to appeal Hertsmere Borough Council's decision to refuse planning permission for an expansion of Sky Studios Elstree. |
Bus operator announces £500m electric bus deal
08/10/2024 Bus operator Go Ahead has announced a major £500m investment to deliver more than 1,000 UK-made electric buses. |
Council pension funds criticise listing rule reforms
07/10/2024 An alliance of council pension schemes has criticised the London Stock Exchange (LSE) over proposed changes to Financial Conduct Authority listing rules. |
Marginalised youths to benefit from £1m unemployment grant
26/09/2024 Young people with Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in Walsall are set to benefit from a £1m grant to help tackle youth unemployment in the region. |
Blyth to be site of biggest AI data centre in Europe
26/09/2024 A £10bn investment aimed at delivering the biggest AI data centre in Europe could create thousands of jobs for the local community in Blyth, PM says. |
Labour pledges £15m to support 300 new nurseries
26/09/2024 Three hundred nurseries will be opened by next September to help address the rising demand for childcare, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announces. |
Welsh council chiefs call for end to social care ‘quick fixes’
24/09/2024 Local authority leaders in Wales have called on the Welsh Government to invest more in social care to ease the pressure on the NHS this winter. |
South Yorkshire mayor welcomes £1.5bn nuclear factory decision
20/09/2024 The mayor of South Yorkshire has welcomed the news that South Yorkshire is set to become the new home of a planned £1.5bn Small Modular Reactor (SMR) factory. |
Council leaders call for sexual health investment
19/09/2024 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to use the upcoming Autumn Budget to invest in sexual and reproductive health services. |
Man United joins regeneration drive
10/09/2024 Manchester United has joined forces with Trafford Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to maximise regeneration opportunities. |
Scottish Government asks councils to divert funds to cover pay deal
28/08/2024 The Scottish Government has asked councils to divert funds from a Nature Restoration Fund to help them meet the revised local authority pay deal. |
Leader calls for inquiry into Thurrock’s finances
19/08/2024 Thurrock Council’s leader has reportedly called for an inquiry into the authority’s investment decisions after a businessman was accused of misusing £150m of council funds. |
Council accuses tycoon of misusing £150m of its investment
16/08/2024 Thurrock Council has launched a High Court lawsuit accusing Liam Kavanagh of misusing around £150m of investment funds to pay for his ‘lavish lifestyle’. |
Council leaders call for a voice on Cobra
12/08/2024 Local government representation on Cobra, the committee for dealing with national emergencies, is essential, council leaders say after last week’s riots. |
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. |
Warrington must be 'more realistic' about finances
06/08/2024 Warrington Council urgently needs to get to grips with its complex and risky financial situation, the Local Government Association has said. |
LGPS reform could unlock £40bn of infrastructure investment
24/07/2024 Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) could unlock £40bn of investment for infrastructure, an insurance company has estimated. |
Liverpool City Council to receive £55m regeneration boost
15/07/2024 Liverpool City Council is set to receive a £55m boost from Homes England to accelerate the regeneration of the city’s historic northern docklands. |
Extinction Rebellion activists scale council office
10/07/2024 Campaigners climbed onto the roof of East Sussex County Hall yesterday to demand the authority stops investing its pension fund in fossil fuels. |
Pro-growth planning could deliver 407,000 jobs
10/07/2024 A pro-growth planning environment could deliver 407,000 jobs and 55.7 million square feet of commercial floorspace in central London by 2045, study says. |
Rising Trends: Local authority pension fund investment
02/07/2024 Jessica Bowles, director of strategic partnerships and impact at Bruntwood SciTech, discusses the rising trend of council pension fund investment in property. |
Ashfield DC agrees land purchase in £14m regeneration scheme
02/07/2024 Ashfield District Council has agreed to purchase land in Kirkby-in-Ashfield as part of the £14m North Kirkby Gateway scheme. |
North Yorkshire Council to invest £11.6m in temporary accommodation
20/06/2024 North Yorkshire Council is set to build 90 new temporary accommodation units at a cost of £11.6m. |
West Midlands Investment Zone gets the green light
17/06/2024 A plan for a West Midlands Investment Zone designed to attract more than £5.5m in investment and to create over 30,000 new jobs has been given the go ahead. |
Newcastle council borrows £8m for shopping centre revamp
11/06/2024 Newcastle City Council has borrowed £8m to invest in a major shopping centre redevelopment. |
Council borrows to spend £10m more on roads
11/06/2024 West Northamptonshire Council plans to borrow up to £10m to spend on schemes aimed at improving roads across the district. |
Pension funds told to report annually on pooling progress
17/05/2024 Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds should report annually on progress against pooling and private equity investments, fresh guidance has said. |
To invest or divest? Local authorities face difficult choices
15/05/2024 Stephen Edgar, director of Property Consultancy at Lexica, discusses what councils have to consider when it comes to managing their property portfolio. |
Devon CC to invest £12m in pothole and drainage works
13/05/2024 A new multi-million-pound investment in repairing potholes and boosting road drainage has been agreed by Devon council members. |
Watchdog should investigate Teesworks freeport, MPs say
26/04/2024 MPs have recommended that the National Audit Office (NAO) should investigate the finances of the controversial Teesworks regeneration project. |
Avatar director James Cameron backs studio plans
24/04/2024 Oscar winning film director James Cameron has thrown his weight behind proposals for a new film studio in west of London. |
Council considers £110m offer for former EV battery factory site
16/04/2024 Northumberland CC is set to consider a multi-million-pound deal that could see a site earmarked for a collapsed electric vehicle battery factory sold. |
Council to announce chief after capacity criticism
15/04/2024 East Devon DC is hoping to announce its new chief executive early next month after peers said senior level capacity was currently ‘limited’. |
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games boosted economy by £1.2bn
08/04/2024 The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed approximately £1.2bn to the UK economy, according to an evaluation of the impact of the event. |
Stoke councillors approve £5.4m transport plan
04/04/2024 A plan to invest more than £5.4m on improving roads and transport in Stoke-on-Trent has received a green light. |
Museums and libraries receive £33m cash injection
26/03/2024 Nearly 70 museums and libraries across England are to receive £33m in the latest round of the Government's Cultural Investment Fund. |
VolkerFitzpatrick wins £38m Kent viaduct project
26/03/2024 Kent County Council has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to design and build a highway crossing over a rail line and river near Canterbury. |
Doncaster council airship deal set to create 1,200 jobs
26/03/2024 Doncaster council has announced the location for the production facility of the helium-filled airship, Airlander 10, in a deal set to create 1,200 jobs. |
Apple to pay £385m for council pension fund loses
18/03/2024 A group action lawsuit led by Norfolk County Council has forced the tech giant Apple to payout £385m in compensation for pension fund loses. |
Coventry to consider £35m for Gigapark investment zone
06/03/2024 Coventry City Council’s cabinet will discuss whether to accept up to £35m of government funding to develop a battery gigafactory as part a new investment zone. |
Budget: Over £240m for Canary Wharf housing announced
06/03/2024 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt today announced £242m to deliver thousands of houses in Barking Riverside and Canary Wharf. |
Less than 20% of levelling up projects completed
04/03/2024 Fewer than a fifth of projects backed by the Government's £3.6bn Towns Fund were on track to be completed by the end of February, FOI requests have revealed. |
Council leader welcomes £4bn EV battery factory
29/02/2024 Somerset Council has welcomed the confirmation that Bridgwater in Somerset will be the location of a new £4bn electric vehicle (EV) battery factory. |
Medway backs £42m temporary accommodation investment
27/02/2024 Medway councillors have green lighted plans to invest £42m in new properties to help ease the council’s temporary housing pressures. |
Social housing investment could boost economy by over £50bn
26/02/2024 Much more investment in the construction of social housing could boost the economy by a dramatic £51.2bn, according to a new analysis. |
Teesworks inquiry finds no evidence of ‘corruption’
30/01/2024 An inquiry into accusations of corruption relating to the Teesworks scheme has found no evidence of ‘illegality’ but ‘transparency’ concerns remain. |
£2.9bn private investment in freeports, says Gove
10/01/2024 Michael Gove has said new freeports have attracted £2.9bn of investment and created 6,000 jobs since they were established in 2022. |
Social care career reforms ‘only scratch the surface’
10/01/2024 The Government today announced new measures to improve the career prospects of social care staff but concerns remain that this ‘may only scratch the surface’. |
Nine million adults lack essential skills
03/01/2024 Nine million adults lack essential skills with skill level disparities within local areas far exceeding those between local and combined authorities. |
Blackpool Council welcomes new £65m campus plan
29/11/2023 A plan for a multi-million-pound campus in Blackpool has been submitted, in what the council has described as a ‘game changing’ addition to the town centre. |
Getting the most out of LGPS funds
27/11/2023 Isio partner and Public Services leader Steve Simkins reflects on the Autumn Statement announcement of a surprise Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) target. |
Autumn Statement: East of England ‘bottom of pile’ for funding
23/11/2023 The East of England has received the smallest share of funding in round three of the Levelling Up Fund, according to local authority leaders from the region. |
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. |
Autumn Statement: Level 4 devolution unveiled
22/11/2023 More powers will be offered to areas with a level 3 devolution deal, the Government has announced as part of the Autumn Statement. |
West Yorkshire to host £220m investment zone
21/11/2023 A new investment zone has been announced for West Yorkshire focused on life sciences. |
Investment in local care services could save £2.5bn
20/11/2023 Investment in home-based care, community and reablement services would help free up more hospital beds and improve care for the elderly, council leaders say. |
London council launches green investment scheme
17/11/2023 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council is inviting residents and businesses to invest in green projects across the borough. |
West Yorkshire mayor unveils plan for 40,000 homes
16/11/2023 West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has unveiled plans to boost the number of houses in the region and to improve the quality of the area’s housing stock. |
Nine on 'flexible' Barnet highways framework
08/11/2023 Barnet Council has appointed nine contractors to a new four-year highway maintenance framework worth around £75m. |
Costain named strategic partner on Bradford's £250m investment plan
30/10/2023 Costain has been reappointed as Bradford Council’s strategic delivery partner, in a contract worth up to £5m with an initial run of two years. |
Turning pensions into fossil fuel playthings
23/10/2023 Robert Noyes, Platform London, argues that if councils are serious about net zero, then local government pension funds must divest from fossil fuels. |
Over £12bn of council pensions invested in fossil fuel
23/10/2023 Over £12bn of local government pensions are invested in the fossil fuel industry, environmental campaigners have revealed. |
Commission calls for £30bn public infrastructure investment
18/10/2023 Government should invest £30bn a year into public infrastructure to level up struggling areas and tackle climate change, says infrastructure commission. |
Government spends more maintaining Houses of Parliament than housing
04/10/2023 Government spends more maintaining the Houses of Parliament than on improvements to England’s 20 million rented and owner-occupied homes, new report reveals. |
Affordable housing investment could save £1.5bn a year
04/10/2023 Investing much more in social and affordable housing could save the Government an estimated £1.5bn a year, researchers at University College London estimate. |
Government pledges £60m innovation investment
04/10/2023 The Government has pledged to invest £60m into an innovation fund to support universities in areas with lower levels of research and development investment. |
Council pension funds call for climate vote
03/10/2023 Local authority pension fund managers have urged FTSE companies to give shareholders more of a say on plans to reach net zero. |
