The rise of the ‘super’ parish council
With figures showing parish precepts have risen by 4.9% this year, Neil Merrick explores how parish councils are using the extra revenue to deliver increased and better services.
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. |
Councils ‘struggling’ with increase in children on protection plans
20/06/2018 More than 180 children are placed on child protection plans every day to keep them safe from harm, local government leaders say. |
Loneliness prevention initiatives can save councils £2m, council chiefs say
11/06/2018 National health policy needs to recognise the ‘cost-effective benefits’ of initiatives designed to tackle loneliness, local government leaders say. |
Ability to replace Right to Buy homes almost ‘eliminated’, council chiefs warn
11/06/2018 Local authority leaders have warned their ability to replace homes sold under Right to Buy (RTB) will be all but eliminated within five years without ‘major reform’. |
Government commits £400m to remove dangerous cladding
17/05/2018 The replacement and removal of unsafe cladding by councils will be fully funded by the Government, at an estimated cost of £400m. |
Councils urged to apply for Housing Advisers Programme
15/05/2018 Councils are being urged to bid for support from the Housing Advisers Programme to help overcome housing challenges in their local areas. |
Funding for new peer reviews of children's services
01/05/2018 The Government has announced a £8.5m programme to help councils work together to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. |
Councils chiefs call for a ‘residential revolution’ in older people’s housing
01/05/2018 Local authority leaders have said they should be granted the powers necessary to undertake a ‘desperately-needed’ residential revolution in older people’s housing. |
Council chiefs get £1.5m to ‘bolster’ cyber security
30/04/2018 The Local Government Association (LGA) has been awarded £1.5m to help councils defend themselves against hackers and other cyber security threats. |
Council chiefs warn Treasury against ‘blocking’ plans to fight gambling addiction
24/04/2018 Local authority leaders have warned the Treasury not to ‘block’ plans to reduce the maximum stakes offered by betting machines, arguing it will ‘hinder’ efforts to tackle problem gambling. |
Councils call for new 'Fibre to the Premises' Kitemark for new homes
03/04/2018 Housing developers must ensure all new builds have a digital connection ‘fit for the 21st century’, council chiefs say as they call for a Fibre to the Premises Kitemark. |
Rise in online shopping is damaging roads, councils warn
26/03/2018 The amount of traffic caused by the number of Light Goods Vehicles (LGV) on the roads has increased by 20% over the last five years, new analysis has revealed. |
Councils warn ‘life-changing’ care leaver initiative is significantly under-funded
22/03/2018 Councils will only have enough funding to support one in five young people leaving care, town hall chiefs have warned today. |
Conversion reforms will ‘heap’ pressure on local areas, council chiefs warn
21/03/2018 Local authority leaders have warned forthcoming plans to change the laws governing the conversion of agricultural buildings will ‘heap more pressure’ on local infrastructure. |
Labour council chiefs promise councils ‘ten new freedoms’
20/03/2018 Labour’s council leaders promise to give councils ten new freedoms to build homes, schools and children’s centres on their party’s first day in power. |
Council chiefs call for crack down on gambling machine stakes
19/03/2018 Local authority leaders welcome recommendations to reduce the maximum stakes of gambling machines but argue they should be lowered to just £2. |
Hospital admissions due to falls set to rise ‘dramatically’ to 1,000 a day
19/03/2018 Council chiefs call for more adult social care funding as research reveals the number of hospital admissions due to an older person falling is set to rise dramatically. |
Councils join new alliance to help people report child abuse
16/03/2018 Local councils have joined forces with police chiefs, charities and the Government to help encourage the public to report suspicions of child abuse. |
Council leaders call for ‘traffic light’ food labelling to fight salt consumption
13/03/2018 Local authority chiefs have repeated their calls for the ‘traffic light’ food labelling system to become a legal requirement post-Brexit as health campaigners warn of the high salt content of ready meals. |
Councils 'keeping control' of delayed discharge figures
09/03/2018 Latest figures show councils have kept control over the number of people being forced to stay in hospital because of a lack of care services, local government leaders have claimed. |
Cuts to youth services lead to rise in crime warn councils
05/03/2018 Government funding cuts have served to undermine years of work by local authorities in tackling youth crime, council chiefs warn. |
Councils protect residents from 'fake news' and scammers
26/02/2018 Local government leaders have issued guidance to help protect residents from scammers pretending to be from the council. |
Council tax increases not enough to stop cuts to services, warn town hall chiefs
26/02/2018 Services will continue to be cut back despite proposed council tax increases, council chiefs warn. |
Half of children referred to councils for ‘extra help’ have suffered abuse
19/02/2018 Council chiefs have called for more Government support for children’s services after it was revealed half of the children referred to local authorities for ‘extra help’ have suffered domestic abuse. |
Developers sitting on more than 420,000 homes with planning permission
16/02/2018 The backlog of homes that have been given planning permission but are still waiting to be built has increased by almost 16% in the last year, new analysis has revealed today. |
Councils welcome tougher standards on gambling advertising
15/02/2018 Town hall chiefs have welcomed tougher standards on gambling advertising aimed at reducing harm. |
Traffic light labelling on food should be ‘mandatory’, councils say
12/02/2018 Traffic light labelling on food and drink should become mandatory after Brexit in order to help fight obesity, council chiefs say. |
Councils warn Right to Buy discounts have reached £3.5bn
02/02/2018 Nearly £3.5bn in Right to Buy (RTB) discounts to council tenants over the past six years, new figures have revealed today. |
Council called out on bullying and harassment
30/01/2018 Cheshire East Council has a bullying and harassment problem, the Local Government Association (LGA) has concluded. |
Councils call for crackdown on ‘Trojan’ telephone boxes
29/01/2018 Council chiefs are calling on the Government to scrap ‘out-of-date’ legislation which enables companies to install telephone boxes without planning permission. |
Councils hit out over disparity in road funding
25/01/2018 National roads will receive 52 times more government funding than local roads by 2020, the Local Government Association (LGA) has highlighted today. |
Councils call for permitted development rules to be scrapped
18/01/2018 Nearly one in ten homes built over the last two years was converted from an office, new analysis has revealed today. |
Council chiefs call for ‘cross-sector’ approach to fighting slavery
17/01/2018 Local authority leaders have called for a ‘coherent, cross-sector’ approach to tackling modern slavery as new figures reveal an increase of almost 50% in the number of people referred as potential victims. |
Figures show 170 children have rotten teeth removed in hospital every day
15/01/2018 Local authorities call for action to tackle ‘excessive consumption’ of sugary food and drink as new figures reveal there are 170 operations a day to remove rotten teeth in children. |
Council tax has risen by 57% in past 20 years, research shows
15/01/2018 Local authorities have been urged to curb council tax increases after new research found rates have risen by 57% over the past 20 years. |
A child referred to social services every 49 seconds, figures reveal
12/01/2018 Referrals to council children's services reached 646,120 last year, according to new figures from the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Councils call for improvement to Apprenticeship Levy
11/01/2018 Councils should be allowed to spend the money returned from the Apprenticeship Levy beyond the two-year deadline, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). |
No new devolution deals agreed in 2016-17
10/01/2018 No new devolution deals were announced in 2016-17, according to a report which has taken the Government 10 months to publish. |
Council chiefs support ‘common sense’ reform to noise pollution law
10/01/2018 Council leaders have thrown their support behind a campaign which will see a person or business responsible for a change in noise conditions being held responsible for managing that change. |
Skills shortages reaching 'critical' levels warns report
10/01/2018 Council leaders have called for the radical reform of careers and skills services, after new research shows 12 million people will be unemployed or in jobs they are over-qualified for by 2024. |
Councils urged to limit the number of parking fines issued by motoring group
12/12/2017 The AA has launched a campaign against 'rampant ticketing' by council and private parking enforcers. |
Councils dealing with 500 child protection investigations every day
12/12/2017 The number of child protection investigations being started by councils has risen at an ‘alarming’ rate of more than 500 a day, according to new figures. |
Council funding could be cut in half in next two years
11/12/2017 Councils face a 'cliff edge' unless the government provides urgent extra funding, local authorities leaders have warned - with some services disappearing altogether. |
Council leaders call for ‘urgent clarity’ over EU funding
07/12/2017 Council chiefs yesterday called on the Government to provide ‘urgent clarity’ over how it will replace current European Union structural funds post-Brexit. |
Planning departments to miss out on £70m due to Government delay
07/12/2017 Council planning departments will miss out on £70m if the Government does not bring forward measures to increase planning fees, council chiefs say. |
Councils warn industrial strategy will fail without devolution
16/11/2017 The Government's industrial strategy risks failing unless a bureaucratic 'maze' of funding sources is streamlined and devolved to local areas, council leaders have warned. |
One in four battery-powered smoke alarms fail to activate experts warn
13/11/2017 Almost 40% of battery-powered smoke alarms failed to activate in residential fires in England in the past year, safety experts have warned. |
The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.
This issue also has a special highways and street lighting section exploring how councils can use lighting to embark on their smart city journey and using IoT technology to weather the storm.
