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.
Call for powers to use empty properties for homeless families
07/06/2021 The Local Government Association (LGA) wants more powers to make use of empty properties to provide accommodation for homeless people. |
Eight in 10 councils forced to overspend on children’s social care
03/06/2021 More than eight in 10 councils were forced to overspend on children's social care budgets last year due to soaring demand, new research has shown. |
Developers challenge accusations of 'land banking'
02/06/2021 A new report challenges the Local Government Association’s (LGA) claim that the housing crisis is largely down to a reluctance by developers to build and argues that the real problem is a shortage of planning permissions. |
Councils set out six-point plan to prevent families at ‘cliff-edge’ of homelessness
01/06/2021 Council leaders have published a six-point plan to help protect vulnerable households from homelessness now that the ban on bailiff evictions has ended. |
Councils to pilot new self-isolation support scheme
24/05/2021 Nine local authorities have been chosen to pilot new ways of supporting people needing to self-isolate. |
Road funding will be cut by more than a fifth this year, warn council chiefs
24/05/2021 Councils have warned they face a £400m reduction in local road maintenance budgets this year. |
Schools to lose £118m for poorer pupils, council chiefs warn
21/05/2021 Funding changes this year could see schools in England lose £118m for disadvantaged pupils, council leaders have warned today. |
Queen's Speech: Levelling up takes centre stage
11/05/2021 The Government’s levelling up agenda was at the forefront of today’s Queen’s Speech, but the role councils will play remains uncertain. |
LGA: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson to be new president
07/05/2021 Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has been appointed as the new president of the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Councils at 'forefront' of climate change action
22/04/2021 To mark Earth Day, the Local Government Association (LGA) has highlighted the work being done by councils to help tackle climate change and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. |
COVID passports have ‘significant implications’ for councils
06/04/2021 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to work closely with councils on the COVID-19 status certification proposals because of the impact they will have on local enforcement and other areas. |
Councils call for long-term plan to tackle education inequalities
25/03/2021 Education inequalities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic are unlikely to be solved by a quick “catch-up” initiative, council leaders have warned today. |
Councils call for public health funding boost
23/03/2021 The Government should increase the public health grant to at least £3.9bn by 2024/25 to reduce health inequalities and protect from future outbreaks, local leaders have argued. |
Charity criticises 'small' increase in public health funding
17/03/2021 The Government has increased councils' public health grants by £45m for 2021/22. |
Councils welcome boost to COVID Winter Grant Scheme
15/03/2021 Council leaders have welcomed the £59m funding boost to the COVID Winter Grant Scheme to help support vulnerable families over the Easter period. |
Long-term unemployment could rise above one million, report warns
01/03/2021 Targeted, local solutions will be needed to tackle long-term unemployment after the COVID-19 crisis, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Councils call for ‘further clarity’ on easing lockdown
23/02/2021 Councils ‘will do all they can’ to support the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of the national lockdown, but the Government must provide more funding and clarity, local government leaders say. |
LGA responds to white paper plans to radically reform the NHS
11/02/2021 Council leaders have warned that local government needs to be an equal partner in the design of any national oversight of social care as the Government sets out its white paper plans to overhaul the NHS. |
MPs accuse Government of lacking clear flood-resilience targets
08/02/2021 Local authority leaders have welcomed a call from MPs urging the Government to provide councils with the resources they need to protect vulnerable communities from flooding. |
Councils warn of 'harrowing' rise in serious child harm cases during pandemic
05/02/2021 The number of serious child-related incidents reported by councils has risen by more than a quarter during the pandemic, new figures show. |
The biggest providers of children's care placements report £216m profits
29/01/2021 The six biggest independent providers of children’s residential and fostering placements made £219m in profit last year, a new report has found. |
17 councils secure funding from Housing Advisers’ Programme
29/01/2021 The Local Government Association (LGA) has announced the 17 councils that have successfully applied to its Housing Advisers Programme. |
Council leaders react to 'heartbreaking' 100,000 coronavirus deaths
27/01/2021 The Prime Minister has offered his ‘deepest condolences’ after figures revealed that more than 100,000 have now lost their lives due to COVID-19. |
Councils secure funding to help boost take up of COVID-19 vaccine
25/01/2021 Over £23m has been allocated to 60 councils to encourage high-risk groups to have the COVID-19 vaccination. |
Councils welcome £148m funding boost to cut misuse of drugs
20/01/2021 Five areas across England will pilot a new approach to tackling drug misuse under plans announced today by the Government. |
Nottingham plans £100m asset sale
19/01/2021 The council has identified £100m of assets for sale as part of a plan to bring its finances under control. |
Nearly 130,000 children in temporary accommodation during lockdown
13/01/2021 Around 450 primary schools’ worth of homeless children are spending lockdown in temporary accommodation amid a chronic shortage of affordable housing, council chiefs have warned. |
Council chiefs welcome ‘largest vaccination programme in British history’
12/01/2021 Local authority leaders have welcomed the Government’s announcement of the COVID-19 vaccination plan, but argue councils need more information to ensure everyone receives their jab promptly. |
Councils welcome announcement of third national lockdown
05/01/2021 Councils have urged residents to follow the guidelines for the third national lockdown in a bid to stop the continued spread of coronavirus. |
Calls to break down weekly vaccine figures by local authority
17/12/2020 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the weekly coronavirus vaccination figures to be broken down by region and local authority in the future. |
Eight in ten councils hit by climate-related incidents
14/12/2020 Eight in ten councils have suffered climate-related incidents in the last five years, new research has revealed. |
Developers yet to apply for planning permission for over a million homes, councils find
11/12/2020 Developers have failed to seek planning permission for more than a million homes on land earmarked for development by councils, according to new research. |
Councils caring for 16,000 more children in past decade
11/12/2020 Councils are looking after nearly 16,000 more children compared to ten years ago, new figures have revealed. |
SEND education requires ‘radical shake-up’, council chiefs say
03/12/2020 The high needs system for further education is ‘not working and requires a radical shake-up’, council and college leaders say. |
Councils warn about devastation to park services from pandemic
30/11/2020 Councils have warned that parks and green spaces are set to lose 87% of income due to the pandemic. |
More than 200 councils launch local contract tracing schemes
27/11/2020 Council leaders have welcomed the news that 200 local contact tracing partnerships have now been set up across England. |
Spending Review: 'Risk all sits on local government'
26/11/2020 The Spending Review failed to tackle key issues such as reforms to local government funding, sector experts have warned. |
Councils have 'serious concerns' over protecting rough sleepers this winter
24/11/2020 Some councils will face the 'difficult choice' of leaving people to sleep rough or placing them in unsafe accommodation this winter, a new report has warned. |
Local government 'must have parity' with NHS on pay
20/11/2020 The chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board says the hard work of the sector during the pandemic must be recognised as the chancellor moves to put a squeeze on public sector salaries. |
Councils warn a million young people could be missing full-time education
17/11/2020 ’Significant gaps’ in legislation means more than a million young people in England could be missing formal full-time education, council leaders have warned. |
Council housing waiting lists set to double next year, report warns
16/11/2020 Council housing waiting lists are set to double to two million households next year due to the impact of the pandemic, a new report has warned. |
Councils invited to bid for £20,000 to tackle pandemic-related housing issues
12/11/2020 Local authorities have been invited to bid for extra support to help them tackle the impact of COVID-19 on the housing crisis. |
Council chiefs call for culture funding to support people during lockdown
11/11/2020 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to invest more in culture, sport and leisure activities as a new report reveals councils spend over £2bn a year on these areas. |
Councils call for devolution of National Citizen Service funding
06/11/2020 Only one in six eligible young people are taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS), leading to calls for the Government to devolve its funding to local youth services instead. |
Councils call for clear lockdown exit strategy
04/11/2020 The Government has been urged to work with councils to develop a clear lockdown exit strategy by the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Record number of people claiming council tax discount
30/10/2020 Councils are facing costs of £586m due to the record number of people claiming council tax support this year, new analysis has shown. |
Councils forced to ‘prop up’ bus operators during pandemic
26/10/2020 Local authority leaders have accused the Department for Transport of forcing councils to keep private bus companies afloat at the expense of local taxpayers. |
Counties warn of test and trace ‘missed opportunity’
16/10/2020 Calls for more support for local contact tracing have been redoubled after the national system’s success rate plummeted. |
Councils call for urgent reversal of early intervention cuts
15/10/2020 The Government must ‘urgently’ reverse the £1.7bn early intervention funding cuts in order to avoid families falling into crisis, councils have warned today. |
Education secretary accuses councils of adoption ‘snobbery'
14/10/2020 Local government leaders have defended their record on adoption as the education secretary Gavin Williamson says that an ‘overly bureaucratic’ adoption system has prevented children finding homes. |
Councils offered £20,000 to improve digital connectivity
13/10/2020 Local authorities are being urged to apply for funding that can help them improve local and regional digital connectivity. |
Councils calls for COBRA-style action to tackle youth unemployment
06/10/2020 Council leaders have called for a COBRA-style response to tackle youth unemployment and save a ‘lost generation’ of young people. |
Council leaders call for £10bn spending review investment
01/10/2020 The Government should provide local councils with an extra £10.1bn in core funding to help protect local services, the Local Government Association (LGA) has argued. |
Council chiefs call for ‘urgent clarity’ about self-isolation scheme funding
21/09/2020 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to clarify how already over-stretched councils will be reimbursed for the new self-isolation support scheme. |
Councils warn millions of homes do not have a working smoke alarm
21/09/2020 Councils have launched an urgent fire safety drive after figures showed that more than two million homes in England do not have a working smoke alarm. |
Councils warn of 'housebuilding fiasco'
15/09/2020 New government housing targets will lead to a north-south divide in England, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Councils 'deeply concerned' about fall in children's social care referrals
07/09/2020 The number of children being referred to social care services fell by a fifth during lockdown, council leaders have warned. |
Third of local areas face secondary school shortage within five years
04/09/2020 A third of local areas in England could run out of secondary school places within five years, new analysis has warned today. |
Councils call for more investment in suicide prevention
02/09/2020 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to invest more in public health to help councils prevent suicide with a locally-driven approach. |
Council chiefs announce net zero innovation programme
02/09/2020 Councils and universities can apply for a new Net Zero Innovation Programme to address climate challenges at a local level, the Local Government Association (LGA) and UCL announce today. |
Hancock under pressure on anti-obesity plans following PHE closure
24/08/2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock is under growing pressure today to say who will take responsibility for the national fight against obesity following his decision to close down Public Health England (PHE). |
Obesity stigma fuelling ‘severe impact’ on adult social care
20/08/2020 Weight-related stigmas need tackling to help prevent rising levels of obesity having a significant impact on adult social care, local authority leaders say. |
Council chiefs urge parents to ensure vaccinations are ‘up to date’
17/08/2020 Local authorities are urging parents, families and guardians to contact their local GP, school or health centre to make sure their children’s vaccinations are up to date. |
Applications for the Design in the Public Sector programme now open
11/08/2020 Local authorities in England are now able to apply to take part in the Local Government Association’s (LGA) climate change-themed Design in the Public Sector programme. |
Council test and trace teams to be rolled out
10/08/2020 Local coronavirus test and trace teams are to be rolled out to all upper-tier English councils. |
Local government associations pledge to tackle abuse of councillors
10/08/2020 The UK's four local government associations have pledged to work together to tackle the rise in abuse targeted at elected members. |
Councils call for tougher licensing powers to tackle COVID-19 safety breaches
10/08/2020 Councils have called for a temporary change in licensing laws to allow them to close down premises that are not protecting the public during the pandemic. |
Calls for urgent investment in mental health recovery
07/08/2020 Investment in mental health is crucial to seeing the country through the next phases of the pandemic, a new report has said today. |
Reforms to fast-track local plans
06/08/2020 Councils will face sanctions unless they draw-up local plans within 30 months under government proposals to overhaul the planning system. |
Council chiefs call on Government to help local creative industries
05/08/2020 New guidance has been published to help over-stretched councils support their local creative industries recover from the coronavirus pandemic. |
Councils call for adequate funding to tackle modern slavery
30/07/2020 Council leaders have warned children's services are under significant pressure after the number of child modern slavery referrals increased by 1,400% in five years. |
Calls for a social care 'reset'
27/07/2020 Social care must not return to the way it was before the pandemic, a coalition of councils, charities and health and care organisations have warned. |
Councils call for public health funding to avert obesity crisis
27/07/2020 Council leaders have warned that the Government must reverse public health funding cuts in order for any new obesity strategy to be successful. |
Government launches Spending Review
21/07/2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned of ‘tough choices’ as he launched the Comprehensive Spending Review. |
Launch of sustainable development guide for councils
17/07/2020 A new guide to help councils engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been launched. |
Calls to devolve £5.2bn flood defences funding
14/07/2020 Councils have called for funding for flood defences to be devolved to local areas, after the Government announced its new long-term plan to tackle flooding in England. |
Councils issue warning over £730m of unspent EU funding
13/07/2020 Nearly a quarter of the European Social Fund is at risk of being sent back to Brussels, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. |
Pools, gyms and leisure centres set to re-open
10/07/2020 Councils leaders have welcomed the news that gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres will be allowed to re-open later this month. |
Council peer reviews go virtual
09/07/2020 Peer support for councils is going virtual to help them deal with recovery and renewal as they emerge from the coronavirus lockdown. |
Planning rules relaxed to support outdoor dining
26/06/2020 The Government has temporarily lifted planning rules to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to serve customers outdoors. |
Councils pledge to deliver inclusive growth post-Covid-19
24/06/2020 Councils are taking steps to ensure their communities and local economies are more inclusive post-Covid-19, a new report has revealed. |
Councils call for 100,000 social homes for key worker 'heroes'
22/06/2020 A new report has called for 100,000 social homes to be built each year for health, care and other key workers. |
Councils issue warning over test and trace scams
22/06/2020 Councils have warned that criminals are trying to exploit the test and trace system by trying to convince people they must pay for the testing kit. |
EXCLUSIVE: 'Make local elections a "mini-referendum" on fair funding'
16/06/2020 The main parties at the Local Government Association could turn next year’s local elections into a ‘mini referendum on fair funding for all councils’, according to the director of the Political Skills Forum. |
Councils predict one million new low-carbon jobs by 2050
11/06/2020 The low-carbon and renewable energy economy could create nearly 700,000 jobs by 2030 in England, increasing to 1.18 million by 2050, a new report has revealed. |
Councils call for tougher action on ruthless loan sharks
08/06/2020 Council leaders are calling for tougher sentences for loan sharks who are pushing vulnerable people further into debt. |
Adult care coronavirus costs to reach £6.6bn by autumn
05/06/2020 The majority of the extra financial pressure is being borne by local government, according to new research. |
Councils call for access to cheaper short-term loans
05/06/2020 Councils should have access to short-term loans with delayed repayments to help them through the coronavirus pandemic, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said today. |
Councils will need £6bn to balance budgets this year, says LGA
29/05/2020 Councils will need another £6bn to cover the costs and lost income caused by the coronavirus crisis, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
‘Golden opportunity’ to end rough sleeping
22/05/2020 The Government has been urged to commit £100m to councils in a bid to end rough sleeping in England. |
Councils call for power to close schools at higher risk of Covid-19
15/05/2020 Council leaders have called for the power to close schools or nurseries that have new clusters of Covid-19. |
Johnson announces £600m for infection control in care homes
14/05/2020 Councils have welcomed the £600m extra funding for infection control within care homes. |
Councils call for access to data for effective contact tracing
11/05/2020 Crucial data must be shared with councils in order for effective contact tracing to take place, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. |
Councils warn about surge in virus-related scams
11/05/2020 Council leaders have reported a 40% increase in reported scams since the start of the coronavirus crisis. |
Councils call for more time to spend Right to Buy cash
28/04/2020 Council leaders have called for more time to spend money from Right to Buy sales, as most housebuilding has been halted in the wake of coronavirus. |
Councils call for more clarity on special needs duties during pandemic
28/04/2020 Councils have warned they are struggling to deliver statutory support for children with special educational needs and disabilities due to dealing with the demands of coronavirus. |
Councils warn adult education services need grant funding
24/04/2020 Councils have warned that emergency grant funding is needed to protect adult education services. |
Care home coronavirus deaths quadruple
21/04/2020 The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show the number of coronavirus deaths in care homes quadrupled in the week ending 10 April. |
Councils call for suspension of academy conversions during Covid-19 crisis
14/04/2020 Council leaders have warned the time and resources being spent on converting schools into academies is undermining efforts to provide enough school places for children during the Covid-19 crisis. |
RSPCA urges pet owners to fill out a pet care plan
07/04/2020 Councils have been urged to encourage pet owners to display pet care plan posters in the event of an emergency. |
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.
