10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
LGA: Costs pushing many to financial brink
17/10/2025 Emergency government bailout agreements for councils are at risk of becoming ‘normalised’ as costs outstrip available resources and push many to the financial brink, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned ahead of the Budget. |
Consensus emerges over statutory climate change duty
03/10/2025 A ‘clear consensus' has emerged among councils for the sector to be subject to a statutory climate change duty, Local Government Association (LGA) has said. |
Call for waste services to remain council-run
29/09/2025 Communities should be central to the delivery of waste services, the Local Government Association (LGA) has argued. |
Shropshire 'a hair's breadth' from s114
25/09/2025 Shropshire Council will have to rely on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to stave off a section 114 notice, according to a corporate peer challenge. |
Councils hit by £266m temporary housing funding shortfall
25/09/2025 Councils face a soaring bill for temporary housing as the funding gap widens by 30% in a year, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
LGA: Councils need more than a decade to reach decent homes standard
24/09/2025 Councils should be given up to 12 years to bring social housing up to an enhanced decent homes standard (DHS) and even then the cost may mean they build fewer new homes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has told ministers. |
Reorganisation debt warning
16/09/2025 Ministers need to do more to ensure council debts are not a financial barrier to local government reorganisation, local authority leaders have warned. |
Concern over 'top-down' outcomes framework
09/09/2025 Council leaders have voiced fears over the planned local government outcomes framework. |
Councils back Right to Buy reforms but seek more flexibility
04/09/2025 Reforms to Right to Buy (RTB) have given councils greater confidence in protecting and growing their housing stock, according to a new LGA survey. |
Councils press Home Office for closer work on asylum housing
21/08/2025 Local authority leaders have urged the Home Office to work much more closely with councils when it comes to decisions about asylum accommodation. |
LGA warning over fair funding transition
18/08/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned proposed fair funding transition arrangements will not protect councils from cuts. |
Reform UK: LGA must show its value to councils
15/08/2025 Reform UK will review its decision to have a group at the LGA after spending time judging the organisation's worth, the party's group leader has said. |
EXCLUSIVE: LGA urged to consider northern office
14/08/2025 Senior Local Government Association (LGA) figures have urged the organisation to consider opening a UK office outside London. |
LGA hits back at Reform UK critics
24/07/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has insisted it is ‘more important than ever the sector has a strong single voice’ after criticism from Reform UK figures. |
Councils set to benefit from ‘bespoke’ housebuilding support
08/07/2025 A vanguard of 10 councils has been selected to co-design the new Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS). |
Rayner announces plan to build 180,000 new social homes
02/07/2025 The Government has announced plans to build 180,000 new social homes by 2035 as part of the effort to tackle the shortage in temporary accommodation. |
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-minister gets role on strategic authority improvement board
30/06/2025 Former Tory minister Dame Amanda Milling is expected to be appointed to a new board tasked with helping ‘reset' troubled Tees Valley combined authority. |
Reform LGA leader nominated
27/06/2025 Reform UK has decided who the leader and deputy leader of its new Local Government Association group are set to be. |
Council chiefs demand funding to boost children’s play facilities
10/06/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for ‘long-term, consistent funding’ to help councils implement the national play strategy. |
AI use increases but barriers remain
10/06/2025 Artificial intelligence (AI) use among councils is increasing, but one in 10 are still not using any forms of the technology, a survey has found. |
Fears for council funding as ‘unprotected’ departments face cuts
02/06/2025 Council leaders have told the Chancellor they ‘desperately need’ more funding in the Spending Review as financial experts warn ‘unprotected’ government departments could face cuts. |
Councils call for support to roll out AI in pothole war
23/05/2025 The use of AI and a preventative approach to road maintenance can help local authorities detect potholes earlier and reduce the repairs backlog, LGA says. |
EXCLUSIVE: LGA tells councils to hold fire on grooming response
22/05/2025 The Local Government Association has urged councils not to respond to a request from a private inquiry into grooming gangs as it considers the implications. |
Council chiefs offer condolences after Oxfordshire fire deaths
16/05/2025 Local authority leaders have offered condolences after the deaths of two firefighters and a member of the public in a fire at a business park in Oxfordshire. |
Political balance of LGA confirmed
08/05/2025 The political proportionality of the Local Government Association (LGA) following the local elections has been confirmed. |
LGA shake-up after Reform polls success
08/05/2025 Reform UK is expected to form a political group within the Local Government Association (LGA) after its landslide victory at the polls. |
Council chiefs call for solar panels on new builds
28/04/2025 All new homes should have solar panels installed to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs for households, council leaders say. |
Concern over 'procrastination culture' at Southampton
11/04/2025 A ‘procrastination culture' is holding back progress at Southampton City Council, a new report has found. |
LGA updates business plan amid reorganisation shake-up
09/04/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) is working on a new business plan as mayors increasingly reject its advances. |
East Midlands mayor suggests LGA not the right 'fit'
17/03/2025 East Midlands mayor Claire Ward has said the Local Government Association ‘might not be' the place where combined and strategic authorities ‘fit'. |
Council leader stands down to focus on LGA role
25/02/2025 Cllr Joe Harris, the leader of Cotswold District Council, has announced he is stepping down to focus on his Local Government Association (LGA) role. |
End of statutory override could leave half of councils insolvent
19/02/2025 More than half of unitary and upper tier councils could be unable to balance their books when the statutory override for special needs spending expires, a survey has found. |
Call for reorganisation support
14/02/2025 A senior sector figure has called for the Local Government Association (LGA) and Whitehall to offer education and training to those about to go through reorganisation. |
Call for national health inequalities strategy
04/02/2025 A new Local Government Association report has called on the Government to introduce a national strategy to tackle health inequalities in England. |
Concern over new audit body
04/02/2025 Ministers have been warned against overreach with the creation of the Local Audit Office (LAO). |
Government urged to ‘empower’ councils as digital plans unveiled
21/01/2025 Council bosses have urged the Government to ‘empower’ local authorities after it set out new plans to overhaul digital technology and AI usage in public services. |
Rebels with a cause
16/01/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has been warned some members could quit over its stance on reorganisation as it faces an internal rebellion. |
LGA: Councils with ‘scarce resources’ need reorganisation support
13/01/2025 Councils that have bid to be on the fast-track for new devolution deals and reorganisation need extra funding and a quick decision on local elections, the LGA says. |
Care sector faces ‘most difficult’ months in years
16/12/2024 Organisations working in social care have warned that without new funding the coming months will be ‘the most difficult we’ve seen in recent years.’ |
Sector call for council tax review
13/12/2024 Local government has called for a ‘fundamental review of council tax' in a long-awaited report. |
LGA overhaul mooted after 'big conversation'
12/12/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) could be overhauled as part of efforts to increase its influence, The MJ understands. |
LGA: National Insurance hit could be £1.7bn
05/12/2024 The impact of employer National Insurance Contribution increases on external providers and contractors could be up to £1.13bn, Local Government Association (LGA) analysis has shown. |
Government to create first ever men’s health strategy
28/11/2024 The Government has committed to creating the first strategy for men’s health – something council bosses have been calling for. |
Call for funding for ‘under threat’ youth services
28/11/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for a funding boost to prevent cuts to youth services. |
Swindon facing 'existential' financial crisis
12/11/2024 Swindon BC is ‘facing a burning financial platform' with cost pressures of around £9m but ‘mitigating actions' not fully identified, finds peer challenge. |
Council recruitment drive launches across England
04/11/2024 A national recruitment campaign has launched to encourage people to work for their local council. |
Budget: Council chiefs call for ‘explicit clarity’ on NI increases
31/10/2024 Council leaders have welcomed the £1.3bn funding boost but called for clarity on protection from increases to employer National Insurance contributions. |
Councils facing ‘social care blackhole’, Lib Dems warn
24/10/2024 Councils are facing a ‘social care blackhole’ in their finances, according to the Liberal Democrats. |
Councils call for full waste service costs under EPR
23/10/2024 Council bosses have urged the Government to ensure local authorities receive the full costs for delivering waste and recycling services under new packaging reforms. |
LGA warning over audit fees
22/10/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned it is ‘very likely' there will be ‘significant' audit fee variations as the accounts backlog is eliminated. |
Disgraced peer Hanningfield dies
22/10/2024 Former leader of Essex CC and peer Lord Hanningfield has died. |
One in four councils likely to request exceptional financial support
21/10/2024 One in four English councils believe they will have to apply for exceptional financial support (EFS) in the next two years without additional funding, research has revealed. |
One in five councillors threatened with violence
21/10/2024 More than a fifth of councillors in a new Local Government Association (LGA) survey said they had received a threat of violence in their role. |
Housing targets ‘weaken local decision making’, LGA warns
03/10/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns that mandatory housebuilding targets for councils centralise policy and weaken local decision making. |
'Scant' budget report criticised by peer review
02/10/2024 A finance peer review of East Hertfordshire DC has criticised the lack of information in a budget report. |
Council bosses call for men’s health strategy
27/08/2024 The ‘silent health crisis’ facing men in England should be a national concern, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. |
LGA: Minister’s stance on hybrid meetings ‘encouraging’
19/08/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has said it was ‘encouraging’ that the new Government signalled an openness to discussing hybrid council meetings. |
United call following homelessness surge
08/08/2024 The local government sector has united to call for urgent action following a surge in the number of homeless families. |
Councils hit new low in value for money survey
07/08/2024 The number of people who believe they are getting value for money from local authorities is falling, according to a survey for the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Culture funding under threat from bidding system
31/07/2024 Local government culture funding is under threat ‘due to the multitude of funding streams as well as the system for funding bids’, the LGA warns. |
Local housing deals could deliver 200k social homes
30/07/2024 Implementation of five-year local housing deals by 2025 would lead to 200,000 additional social homes being built over the next three decades, report finds. |
Landmark report finds SEND system ‘broken’
25/07/2024 Major reforms introduced a decade ago have failed to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a report has found. |
Minister voices concern over districts' role in devolution
22/07/2024 District councils should be handed a greater role in devolution talks, a minister has said. |
LGA launches framework for digital transformation
12/07/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched a new framework to support councils as they digitalise. |
LGA chair: Councils need to 'keep' up with new Government
11/07/2024 The Local Government Association's new chair has emphasised the need for councils to show they can ‘keep up' with Labour's ambitious programme for Government. |
Councillors celebrate General Election success
05/07/2024 A string of high-profile figures from the local government sector are celebrating victory in the General Election. |
Homelessness spending triples in eight years
02/07/2024 The proportion of councils’ total housing budget spent on homelessness and temporary accommodation has tripled since 2015, new analysis has revealed. |
All change
27/06/2024 Cheshire West and Chester leader Louise Gittins has emerged as the frontrunner to be the next chair of the Local Government Association, The MJ understands. |
‘Talk more’ about social care, party leaders told
21/06/2024 Political parties must do more to acknowledge the value of adult social care in the run up to the General Election, sector leaders have argued. |
Council told to tackle safeguarding backlog
14/06/2024 A Local Government Association peer challenge urged Cumberland Council to take immediate action on a ‘significant’ safeguarding backlog. |
Councils looking after record 576k children with SEND
13/06/2024 Local authorities are looking after record numbers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), council chiefs warn. |
‘Existential crisis’ for councils as £6bn funding gap revealed
06/06/2024 A new Local Government White Paper has uncovered a £6.2bn funding gap facing councils in England over the next two years. |
Growth at heart of LGA White Paper
03/06/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for powers and funding so that councils can take a leading role in driving inclusive growth. |
LGA axes conference due to election clash
24/05/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has officially cancelled its annual conference after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the General Election that clashed with the event. |
LGA announces 2024/25 Sector Support programme
12/04/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has announced the 2024/25 Sector Support programme to help councils ‘deliver critical services to communities.’ |
Northumberland has ‘further to go’
13/03/2024 Northumberland CC has ‘further to go’ despite progress on its improvement journey, a report has found. |
LGA moves towards performance support role
14/02/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) is to take a more proactive role as it seeks to do more to prevent Whitehall intervention in councils, The MJ understands. |
Consultation on audit reset proposals launched
09/02/2024 Proposals to reset the local audit system and clear the backlog of accounts have been officially unveiled. |
Disposable vapes to be banned
29/01/2024 Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK to protect children’s health, the Government announced today. |
LGA calls for family hubs extension
10/01/2024 Council bosses have called for an extension of the family hubs programme after the Government announced that all local authorities involved in the scheme offer access to a centre. |
LGA appoints new chief exec
04/01/2024 Surrey County Council boss Joanna Killian has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Call for greater drug use surveillance
18/12/2023 Council chiefs have called for greater regulation and surveillance of the use of illegal drugs in response to what they have called ‘worrying new trends’. |
Swindon’s finances on a ‘cliff edge’
14/12/2023 Axing 80 jobs is one proposal among a raft of measures under consideration by Swindon Borough Council as it seeks to cover a £14m shortfall. |
Dudley's sustainability 'in jeopardy'
11/12/2023 Dudley MBC has set up an improvement board following stark warnings over its finances and governance. |
Councils call for support after ‘stark’ climate change warnings
11/12/2023 Local authority leaders have said they need support to prepare communities for climate change after a stark report described the impacts of changing temperatures on people’s health. |
LGA poised to shift position on Right to Buy
06/12/2023 Smith Square is poised to amend its position on Right to Buy, The MJ has learned. |
One in five councils report bankruptcy fears
06/12/2023 A poll of council leaders and chief executives has revealed that one in five think it likely that their chief finance officer will need to issue a Section 114. |
Thousands of refugees face homelessness at Christmas, LGA warns
29/11/2023 The Government’s push to clear the asylum backlog is putting ‘tens of thousands’ of refugees at risk of homelessness over Christmas, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Council reprimanded after suffering Cyber attack
28/11/2023 Gloucester City Council has pledged lessons will be learnt following a reprimand from a data watchdog over a Cyber attack. |
LGA seeks views on improvement framework
28/11/2023 The LGA has called on those working in or with local government to provide feedback on how the improvement and assurance framework can be improved. |
MPs launch inquiry into controversial watchdog
24/11/2023 An inquiry looking at the remit of the controversial Office for Local Government (Oflog) was launched by MPs today. |
Sector unites in plea to chancellor
22/11/2023 The local government sector in England has put out a call to Jeremy Hunt to ‘address the significant financial challenges faced by councils’. |
LGA responds to councillor’s ceasefire email
21/11/2023 The LGA has spoken out after a councillor threatened to name locally elected members who did not sign up to support a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. |
Temporary accommodation costs mount to £1.74bn
27/10/2023 English councils spent £1.74bn on temporary accommodation last year, research has found as more than 100 local authorities signed up to an ‘emergency’ housing summit. |
LGA: involve councils in asylum hotel decisions
25/10/2023 Councils want an active role in decisions about ending hotel use for asylum seekers, local government bosses have said. |
Councils ‘held back’ on net zero
24/10/2023 The organisations that represent English councils have collaborated in a call for the Government to change its approach on delivering net zero. |
'Devolution hopes rest on combined authorities'
24/10/2023 Combined authorities represent the greatest hope for devolution in England, according to a new report based on interviews with 95 former ministers and Whitehall mandarins. |
Councils welcome waste reform flexibility but await details on costs
23/10/2023 Councils were relieved not to lose all local discretion in the Government’s waste collection reforms but have said questions remain, including over funding. |
EXCLUSIVE: Sector to plot solutions for 'broken' finance system
18/10/2023 Local government is planning to collectively come up with some innovative ideas about how the ‘broken’ finance system could be improved, The MJ has been told. |
Chiefs' new professional development framework launched
17/10/2023 The first version of a new professional development framework to keep local government chief executives ‘ahead of the game’ has been launched. |
