Simple steps to improve cybersecurity
Sameer Dixit argues security is a weak point in councils' armour and outlines ways local authorities can anticipate and plan for cyberattacks.
Sector presses for further action on cladding
21/01/2020 Building safety reforms billed as the ‘biggest change for a generation’ do not go far enough to clamp down on potentially dangerous cladding, councils argued this week. |
Councils losing £250m a year through business rates avoidance
17/01/2020 Councils are losing £250m a year due to businesses avoiding paying their rates, new research has found. |
Council chiefs call for permitted development right to be ‘scrapped’
13/01/2020 Local authority leaders have warned that communities are potentially losing out on thousands of affordable homes due to office conversions which bypass local planning offices. |
Councils call for new powers to verify mobile phone coverage
10/01/2020 Council leaders have argued Ofcom should be given the power to independently verify mobile phone coverage. |
Cuts drive up the number of children in care by nearly 30%
09/01/2020 Council chiefs have warned that the care system is ‘reaching breaking point’ as figures reveal that the number of children in care has risen by more than a quarter over the past decade. |
Eight councils to receive £20,000 to develop ‘behavioural insights’
08/01/2020 Eight local authorities are to receive £20,000 each in order to help them develop new ways to change the behaviour of residents as part of an effort to reduce demand on overstretched councils. |
‘Toughen up’ fly-tipping sentences, council chiefs say
06/01/2020 Local authority leaders have called for tougher sentences for fly-tippers as the latest figures reveal that offences have increased by 50% in six years |
NHS business rates claim rejected by High Court
12/12/2019 Councils have successfully defended a claim for billions of pounds of tax relief for NHS trusts. |
Council chiefs warn of ‘fake toys’ danger
09/12/2019 Local authority leaders have warned people to be careful of counterfeit toys and suspect online sellers in the run up to Christmas following recent seizures of harmful products. |
Councils voice concerns at smoke alarm failure rate
02/12/2019 Council leaders have warned that almost 40% of battery-powered smoke alarms failed to activate in residential fires last year. |
Councils warn FGM is still under-reported
29/11/2019 There have been 22,500 new cases of FGM identified in the past four years, according to new figures published by NHS Digital. |
Councils call for more investment in early intervention
21/11/2019 Council leaders are calling for extra funding in children’s services to ensure they can fulfil the ambitions of the Children’s Act. |
Councils make £930m profit from parking
18/11/2019 Councils in England made a profit of £930m last year from their parking operations, new figures have revealed. |
Councils warn 'unclear' labelling is hindering recycling efforts
07/11/2019 Councils are calling for a series of new measures to help boost recycling rates. |
Councils welcome increase in funeral expenses payments
06/11/2019 Councils leaders hope the increase in funeral expenses payments will help lower the number of public health funerals. |
LGA reveals successful applicants for its housing advisers programme
05/11/2019 Fourteen local authorities are to receive funding to pay for independent expertise to help overcome housing challenges in their local areas. |
Outdated taxi laws putting public at risk, councils warn
01/11/2019 The Government has been urged to reform 'outdated and flawed' taxi laws by the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Local government sector guide to tackling loneliness launched
29/10/2019 Local authority leaders have joined forces to produce a guide on how to tackle loneliness for commissioners, service providers, councillors and others working in the sector. |
Council chiefs call for an end to ‘patchwork’ of careers advice
29/10/2019 Local government leaders have called on Whitehall to hand funding and control of national skills schemes to local areas as they warn thousands of young people risk missing out on careers advice. |
Councils urged to make case for private capital investment
29/10/2019 A new guide has been published to help councils attract private and foreign investment into local areas. |
Councils warn about ‘spiralling’ rate of child modern slavery referrals
18/10/2019 Councils have warned the number of child victims of modern slavery referred for support has risen by 800% in the past five years. |
Cost of B&Bs for homeless people rockets
14/10/2019 Councils are being forced to spend more than £90m a year on placing homeless people in bed and breakfasts, council chiefs have warned. |
Hike in PWLB rate will cost councils £70m a year
11/10/2019 The 1% increase to the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) rate will cost councils £70m a year, town hall chiefs have warned. |
Climate change targets ‘unlikely to be met’ without funding, council chiefs say
03/10/2019 National climate change targets are ‘unlikely to be met’ unless local authorities are given long-term funding and more powers, council chiefs say. |
Queen's speech: Time to 'reignite the devolution process'?
01/10/2019 The Local Government Association wants more power devolved to local councils, but there's a big question mark at the heart of the policy, says Mark Whitehead |
Councils issue warning over toxic skin-lightening creams
30/09/2019 Local government leaders have warned of the dangers of skin-lightening creams that 'act like paint stripper' and increase the risk of cancer. |
Councils call for new taskforce to tackle climate change
25/09/2019 Council leaders have proposed setting up a national taskforce with Whitehall departments to tackle climate change. |
Council chiefs say they ‘desperately’ need certainty on post-Brexit funding
24/09/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to ‘urgently publish’ its plans for a scheme to replace Brussels funding when the UK leaves the European Union. |
Councils demand power to tackle rogue lorry drivers
02/09/2019 Councils are calling for the power to fine rogue lorry drivers who flout weight restriction limits. |
Council leaders call for Right to Buy reforms
27/08/2019 Councils have urged the Government to reform the Right to Buy scheme in next month's Spending Round. |
Give councils powers to help young people into work, council chiefs say
23/08/2019 Council chiefs have called for more powers to help young people into work as figures reveal a dramatic increase in the number of young people not in education, employment or training. |
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. |
Drug poisoning deaths up 16% in face of public health cuts
16/08/2019 Council chiefs warn that cuts to public health grants are a ‘false economy’ which make it more difficult to provide support and treatment to drug users. |
Councils call for tougher sentences for loan sharks
12/08/2019 Council leaders have warned people not to use loan sharks after latest figures show debt advice enquiries have hit a record high. |
Declaring a climate change emergency
09/08/2019 Local authorities can play a key role in tackling climate change – and there is plenty for them to do. Never before has thinking globally and acting locally been more important, says Mark Whitehead. |
‘Tombstoning’ youngsters risk death, council chiefs warn
05/08/2019 Local authority leaders have warned young people not to risk their lives jumping from great heights into the sea or rivers during the summer holidays. |
New Office of Veterans’ Affairs needs ‘teeth’, council chiefs say
30/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed the creation of a new position within the cabinet dedicated to veterans’ affairs, but warned it should be ‘given teeth’. |
Councils report 'worrying rise' in body image drugs
29/07/2019 Council leaders have reported a ‘worrying’ increase in the number of people using illegal and dangerous body enhancing drugs. |
Councils urged to bid for housing advisory scheme
18/07/2019 A programme offering expert advice on how local authorities can best tackle housing shortages in their areas has been launched for the third year in a row. |
Council chiefs defend record of transparency in maintained schools
17/07/2019 Local authority leaders have hit back at a Government suggestion that academies are more transparent and accountable than council schools. |
Court date set for councils' £2bn tax dispute with NHS trusts
08/07/2019 A court date has been set for the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief. |
Councils face losing £5.3bn EU funding in just 18 months
05/07/2019 More than £5bn in regional aid funding will run out in 18 months, councils leaders have warned. |
Councils demand social care green paper within ten weeks
04/07/2019 Council leaders have demanded the Government to publish the much-delayed social care green paper before Parliament goes into recess in September. |
Councils urged to protect councillors from abuse
03/07/2019 Councils are being urged to take steps to protect councillors from abuse and intimidation in a new guide published today. |
Young people face ‘renting into retirement’, council chiefs warn
01/07/2019 Young people today are half as likely to get on the housing ladder than they were 20 years ago, local government leaders have revealed. |
Council chiefs warn of ‘children’s mental health crisis’
01/07/2019 Local authority leaders have warned that social services are seeing more than 560 cases of children with mental health disorders every day – an increase of more than 50% in just four years. |
Review launched into Blue Badge fraud
17/06/2019 A new task force to help councils tackle the fraudulent use of Blue Badges has been set up by the Government. |
Councils warn of new wave in council tax scams
10/06/2019 Criminals are posing as council staff to con people out of money, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Councils warn of national 'special needs emergency'
06/06/2019 Councils are supporting more than 130 extra children and young people with special education needs every day, new figures have revealed. |
Dangerous tyres putting lives at risk, warn councils
20/05/2019 Part-worn tyres are being sold with serious safety defects, unsafe repairs and incorrect labelling, council leaders have warned. |
Councils call for extra funding to tackle illegal knife sales
15/05/2019 The prosecution fund to help councils tackle illegal knife sales needs urgent investment, town hall chiefs have warned. |
Councils' role in asylum system to be bolstered
23/04/2019 Plans are being drawn up that will give councils more of a say in where asylum seekers are accommodated. |
Councils call for extra funding to stop UK being flooded with unsafe products
15/04/2019 Council leaders have warned new national bodies are not the best way to protect the UK from unsafe products. |
Council chiefs call for ‘greater proportion’ of soft drinks levy
08/04/2019 Local authority leaders have called for a greater share of the soft drinks levy to go towards the public health budgets of councils. |
Councils defend council tax hikes
27/03/2019 Councils have had ‘little choice’ but to raise council tax to protect local services, the Local Government Association has said, after the latest tax rises were revealed. |
Children's centres in 'fight for survival' warn councils
22/03/2019 Councils have reduced the amount of money they are spending on Sure Start children’s centres by a quarter in the past four years, new figures have revealed. |
Modern slavery referrals by councils 'spiral'
18/03/2019 A sharp increase in the number of suspected cases of modern slavery is having a ‘huge impact’ on council services, town hall chiefs have warned. |
Nearly all councils to build new homes after scrapping of borrowing cap
14/03/2019 Local government leaders have called on Whitehall to help them resume their ‘historic role’ as major house builders after decades of depleting council stock. |
Council spending on asylum-seeking children doubles in four years
21/02/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to provide ‘vital’ funding to help them support unaccompanied children seeking asylum. |
Local welfare cuts leave millions facing ‘financial exclusion’
19/02/2019 Local authority leaders have warned that millions of low-income households are ‘facing debt and financial exclusion’ due to Whitehall cuts. |
Loss of social homes has added billions to housing benefits bill, councils warn
15/02/2019 The housing benefit bill could have been reduced by billions if 100,000 social homes had been built over the past two decades, council leaders have said today. |
Government in 'denial' over councils' finances, warn MPs
06/02/2019 Marsham Street has ‘an unacceptable lack of ambition’ for local government – with no aspiration for improving finances beyond merely ‘coping’, according to a scathing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. |
Popular council services could be swallowed by £8bn funding black hole
01/02/2019 Many popular council services could disappear by 2025 due to a £8bn funding black hole, council leaders have warned today. |
Whitehall commits to reaching zero HIV transmissions by 2030
30/01/2019 Council chiefs have welcomed Whitehall’s announcement that it is committed to reaching zero HIV transmissions by 2030, but they urged the Government to reverse public health cuts ‘as a matter of urgency’. |
Nine out of ten councils blow the budget on children's care
09/01/2019 Nearly ninety percent of councils overspent on children’s social care last year, according to figures released by the Local Government Association. |
Council call for action over number of operations to remove rotten teeth in children
03/12/2018 Council leaders have called for immediate action to tackle sugar consumption after new figures showed more than 45,000 teenagers and children had teeth extracted in hospital last year. |
Blue Badge theft up by 45% in past year
30/11/2018 Councils have warned that Blue Badge theft in England has increased by 45% in the past 12 months. |
Permitted development rules are exacerbating affordable housing crisis, councils warn
27/11/2018 Government rules to allow developers to convert offices into housing without planning permission has led to communities missing out on 10,000 affordable homes in the past three years, council leaders have warned |
Councils stockpile 1.4 million tonnes of salt
26/11/2018 Councils have 1.4 million tonnes of salt stockpiled in preparation for winter, and have an average of nine full-size gritters each, a new survey has revealed. |
Residents most unhappy about road maintenance services, poll reveals
21/11/2018 Local residents’ dissatisfaction with their local councils’ services is now at the highest level at any time over the last six years, according to the latest triannual satisfaction poll from the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Councils call for ban on 'car clocking'
19/11/2018 Local government leaders have called for devices which alter a cars mileage to be banned. |
Councils chosen for tech innovation funding
15/11/2018 The nine successful councils chosen to share £700,000 to pilot cutting edge tech social care projects have been announced. |
Councils face half a billion funding gap for SEND services
15/11/2018 Councils are facing a £536m funding shortfall to provide support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), new research has found today. |
Over 1,000 children referred to social services every day
09/11/2018 Nearly 400,000 children in England were referred and assessed as in need of the support of social services in 2017/18, according to the latest figures. |
Cash boost for councils only a ‘sticking plaster’
30/10/2018 Council are turning their attention to next year’s Spending Review amid warnings that yesterday’s Budget announcements failed to provide long-term stability for the sector. |
Councils warn people are not preparing for future social care costs
26/10/2018 Council chiefs have warned that the majority of people are failing to consider how they will pay for care in the future. |
Surge in child protection plans pushing services to ‘tipping point’
25/10/2018 Children’s services are approaching the point of crisis following a jump in demand, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Councils affected by China's waste ban
22/10/2018 A fifth of councils have been directly affected by China’s ban on imported waste over the past year, according to a new survey. |
Councils struggle to stop rogue retailers selling knives to children
15/10/2018 Local authority leaders have called for more powers to crack down on retailers illegally selling knives to children. |
‘Tis the season
27/09/2018 As conference season takes shape, LGA chair Lord Porter looks at the critical issues currently facing local government he is hoping will take centre stage |
Councils welcome report into tougher taxi laws
25/09/2018 Local authorities have welcomed recommendations to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. |
Councils call for £150m to fund carers’ assessments
20/09/2018 A fifth of carers in England have not received an assessment in the past year, with nearly three-quarters suffering from mental ill health, council leaders have warned today. |
Councils warn of secondary school places 'emergency'
31/08/2018 Half of all councils England may be unable to meet demand for new secondary school places within five years, town hall chiefs have warned today. |
Over 100,000 children homeless over holidays, council chiefs warn
28/08/2018 The number of children who spent their school holiday homeless has risen to more than 123,000, council leaders have warned. |
MPs support extra adult social care funding
28/08/2018 The majority of MPs believe councils should receive more funding for adult social care services, a new poll has revealed. |
Councils call for funding boost after £2bn budget surplus announcement
21/08/2018 Town hall chiefs have called for the Government to provide extra funding to local government after official figures show July's budget surplus reached an 18-year high. |
Figures show 40% increase in number of children with Type 2 diabetes
20/08/2018 The number of children and young people being treated for Type 2 diabetes has increased by 40% in the last four years, new figures have revealed. |
Councils welcome possible reform of Right to Buy
14/08/2018 Town hall chiefs have welcomed a new consultation into how they are allowed to spend the money raised from Right to Buy sales. |
'New deal' for social housing branded as 'pitiful'
14/08/2018 The Government's social housing green paper has been criticised for failing to provide any new funding for social housing. |
Councils warn about jobs 'black hole' in tourism sector
13/08/2018 The UK's tourism industry - which is worth £126bn to the economy- is at risk of grinding to a halt due to a growing skills gap and record number of visitors, council leaders have warned. |
Third of household plastics ‘unrecyclable’, councils say
06/08/2018 Local authorities are calling on manufacturers to stop using unrecyclable packaging as research suggests that it is only possible to recycle a third of the plastic used by households. |
Whitehall spends 95% of youth services budget on 'unpopular' programme
02/08/2018 The Government’s National Citizen Service (NCS) is only attracting a small number of young people despite hundreds of millions of pounds of investment, local government leaders find. |
Councils warn of congestion crisis after vehicle numbers jump by 2.5 million
30/07/2018 The number of vehicles on England’s roads have risen by 2.5 million in the last five years, while road space has only increased by 0.6%, council leaders have warned. |
Councils call for tax increases on empty homes
18/07/2018 Council leaders have called for the power to double the amount of council tax on homes that have been left empty between two and five years. |
Council chiefs call for consultation on EU regional funding post-Brexit
13/07/2018 Local government leaders have welcomed the Brexit White Paper’s acknowledgement of how important EU regional funding is to local areas, but they urge Whitehall to provide more detail. |
Don’t delay betting machine reform, councils warn
09/07/2018 Council chiefs have called on the Government to resist pressure from the betting industry to delay reform of the laws governing gambling machines. |
Councils more likely to improve failing schools than academies
06/07/2018 Failing schools are more likely to be improved by councils than academy chains, new analysis has revealed. |
National taxation needed to secure social care system, council chiefs say
02/07/2018 The majority of councils with social care responsibilities say that national taxation must be ‘part of the solution’ to securing the long-term financial stability of adult social care. |
Councils call for changes to affordable housing definition
02/07/2018 Councils have criticised proposed changes to government planning policy after ‘social rent’ homes were dropped from the definition of affordable housing. |
Councils save over £800m by sharing services
28/06/2018 Councils have saved £840m through shared service arrangements, new research has revealed today. |
This issue of Public Property examines how public sector organisations can unlock the hidden value in their land, and why a new approach to construction could help boost the outcomes of the Government’s One Public Estate programme.
The December issue also considers why learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. It also contains a case study on how the London Borough of Westminster has provided high quality care for the elderly alongside a block of luxury apartments.
