Legal | LocalGov

Tower Hamlets begins inspection fightback

26/09/2024

Best Value inspectors sent into Tower Hamlets LBC have been personally threatened with legal action by the council, The MJ understands.

Abortion clinic 'buffer zones' set to come into force

20/09/2024

Safe access buffer zones will be in force around abortion clinics from 31 October, the Home Office has confirmed.

Councils granted new powers to tackle domestic abuse

20/09/2024

Local authorities are to be granted more powers to prevent domestic abusers from making contact with their victims, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announces.

Islington wins back £260,000 in fraud case

18/09/2024

Islington Council has won back more than a quarter of a million pounds from a resident who fraudulently took on a council tenancy.

Council to pay social worker £64,000 over harassment

17/09/2024

Cambridgeshire County Council will pay a former employee almost £64,000 over harassment relating to her ‘gender critical’ beliefs and sexual orientation.

Former chief given two-year driving ban

17/09/2024

A former Lambeth LBC boss has been banned from driving for two years after admitting failing to stop after a collision and not having insurance.

Former finance manager stole £930,000 from council

13/09/2024

A former employee of Gedling Borough Council has pleaded guilty to fraud after stealing almost £1m from the authority to pay off gambling debts.

Cambridgeshire to plead guilty after busway deaths

03/09/2024

Cambridgeshire County Council will plead guilty to two health and safety offences after three people died in collisions on its guided busway.

Row over collapse of legal action

22/08/2024

Proposed legal action over the Government granting planning permission for a large-scale solar farm has collapsed, provoking an angry reaction from two councils.

Council faces legal action over ‘foul language’ ban

20/08/2024

Thanet District Council could face a judicial review of new measures to ban certain activities, including the use of ‘foul or abusive language’.

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’.

Glasgow faces legal action over education cuts

15/08/2024

Parents have begun legal action over ‘drastic cuts’ to education services in Glasgow City Council’s budget.

Councillor charged with encouraging violent disorder

09/08/2024

A Dartford councillor has been charged with encouraging violent disorder after he was filmed addressing a crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday.

Family to sue council over paedophile former headteacher

08/08/2024

A family whose child was subjected to emotional and physical abuse by former headteacher and paedophile Neil Foden is taking legal action against Gwynedd Council.

Councils to take legal action over solar farm permission

08/08/2024

Suffolk County Council has initiated legal proceedings in a bid to secure more funding after the new Government approved a large-scale solar farm.

Council drops defence of road closure

07/08/2024

Cambridgeshire County Council has agreed it will no longer defend a legal challenge of its decision to close a city road bridge to cars.

Conman who ‘rinsed’ elderly victims of £500k imprisoned

31/07/2024

Lancashire CC welcomes a court decision to sentence a conman to nearly five years in prison after he scammed vulnerable residents out of more than £500,000.

Council uncovers fraud cases worth £3.6m

29/07/2024

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's corporate fraud team uncovered more than 140 cases of fraud in 2023-24, saving residents about £3.6m.

Council takes legal action over unfulfilled broadband contracts

29/07/2024

Essex County Council is taking legal action against broadband operator Gigaclear after three full fibre broadband contracts were left unfulfilled.

Council may have broken law over £4m contracts

25/07/2024

Middlesbrough Council may have broken procurement law when it awarded four contracts worth more than £4m, an external audit has found.

Council faces legal challenge over poultry unit

15/07/2024

A legal challenge has been launched over Shropshire Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a major intensive poultry unit.

Lone asylum-seeking child arrivals to Kent up 87%

15/07/2024

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children arriving in the UK along Kent’s shoreline has risen by 87%.

Government pulls defence of Cumbria coal mine

12/07/2024

The Government will no longer defend legal challenges of the planning permission it granted for a new coal mine in Cumbria.

Pub owner threatened with legal action over mural

03/07/2024

A landlord has been threatened with legal action by the local council after he commissioned a painting of a bull on the side of his 17th century pub.

Landmark fossil fuel ruling has ‘profound’ implications for planning

20/06/2024

A historic legal judgement has ‘fundamentally changed’ the landscape around planning permission for fossil fuel extraction, campaigners have said.

Inquiry call over asylum hotel use

17/06/2024

A charity has called for a statutory independent inquiry into the use of hotels for unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children.

EXCLUSIVE: Councils consider legal advice over waste guidance

12/06/2024

Councils are considering seeking legal advice over statutory guidance that will tell local authorities to collect residual waste at least every two weeks, The MJ understands.

LGA pushes ahead with model parental leave policy

06/06/2024

The Local Government Association (LGA) has agreed to develop a model policy on parental leave for councillors.

Judge: Kent cannot wriggle out of asylum duties

05/06/2024

Kent CC has been told by a judge it cannot wriggle out of its duties to ‘accommodate and look after’ all unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children.

EXCLUSIVE: LGA starts to shift on standards

04/06/2024

Senior Local Government Association (LGA) figures expect the organisation’s reluctance to beefing up the standards regime to shift after the General Election.

Council demolishes ‘Britain's biggest man cave’

03/06/2024

Forest of Dean District Council has set to work demolishing a leisure complex that was built without planning permission by a local millionaire.

High Court judge in trees ruling

31/05/2024

Councils and developers relying on planning permission exemptions to preservation orders cannot automatically cut down protected trees, High Court rules.

Braintree withdraws legal challenge over asylum site

31/05/2024

Braintree District Council has withdrawn a legal challenge over the Government's use of former airfield RAF Wethersfield to house asylum seekers.

High Court dismisses Bibby Stockholm legal challenge

23/05/2024

The High Court has dismissed a legal case challenging the Government’s controversial use of the Bibby Stockholm barge to house asylum seekers off the coast.

BT: Too many councils failing to engage

21/05/2024

‘Too many’ councils are failing to engage with telecoms giant BT as it works to switch customers to digital phone lines, the firm has said.

Biffa sues Scottish Government for £55m over DRS

16/05/2024

Biffa has confirmed it is taking legal action against the Scottish Government for losses incurred after the scrapping of the deposit return scheme (DRS).

Mandatory reporting exemptions a 'fudge'

13/05/2024

Ministers’ decision to exempt instances of child abuse from a new reporting law means they have dodged the mandatory duty demanded by a national inquiry.

Council and Premier League club in stadium row

10/05/2024

Nottingham CC has warned ‘no local authority can subsidise a Premier League football club’ amid an escalating row over Nottingham Forest FC’s iconic stadium.

Supreme Court overturns council’s Japanese knotweed fine

10/05/2024

A council in Wales will no longer have to pay out thousands of pounds in compensation for damage caused by Japanese knotweed, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Councils spend £45m on planning appeal advice

03/05/2024

Councils spent £45m over the past three years on external legal advice relating to planning appeals, according to a freedom of information request.

Council loses £600k buying back land it sold ‘wrongly’

02/05/2024

Shrewsbury Town Council has spent £1.34m buying back land it had ‘wrongly’ deemed ‘surplus to requirements’.

Hainault: Council ‘shocked’ by sword attack

01/05/2024

A 14-year-old died and two police officers suffered ‘significant’ injuries yesterday after a man armed with a sword terrorized residents in north-east London.

Bristol officers accused of 'misleading' over development

26/04/2024

Officers at Bristol City Council have been accused of providing ‘misleading’ advice linked to a decision to approve a controversial 28-storey development.

Council apologises over FOI delays

23/04/2024

Walsall Council has apologised for delays to its response under the Freedom of Information Act.

Legal challenge prompts council to install new LED bulbs

19/04/2024

Barnet Council has agreed to install new, softer LED bulbs after settling a legal challenge from a resident who complained the streetlights were too bright.

Council warns of dangerous autism ‘cure’ fraud

18/04/2024

Greenwich council has warned schools and nurseries to be on guard after learning of an individual offering ‘experimental procedures’ for autistic children.

Trade union law ‘nullifies’ right to strike, court rules

18/04/2024

UNISON has welcomed a landmark Supreme Court ruling that found UK trade union law ‘encourages and legitimises unfair and unreasonable conduct’ by employers.

Rayner to be investigated by police after electoral law accusations

15/04/2024

Police have launched an investigation into whether Labour’s shadow local government secretary Angela Rayner broke electoral law a decade ago after allegations.

Council eyes cutting back rubbish collection

02/04/2024

A council could reduce how often it picks up household rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted to once a month despite Government proposals.

Court rules against police powers for West Midlands mayor

19/03/2024

The High Court has ruled against the Government’s plans to merge the role of the West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) with the regional mayor.

Cyber attack disruption to last weeks

18/03/2024

Leicester City Council expects disruption caused by a recent Cyber attack on the authority to continue until the end of the month.

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.

Leader bullied two senior officers, report finds

15/03/2024

A council leader’s behaviour towards two senior officers amounted to bullying, a report into a code of conduct complaint has found.

Northumberland has ‘further to go’

13/03/2024

Northumberland CC has ‘further to go’ despite progress on its improvement journey, a report has found.

Deprivation of Liberty backlog 'may never be eradicated'

08/03/2024

A report has called for councils to get more resources to tackle the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) backlog.

Manchester CC spends £60k in noise dispute

06/03/2024

Manchester City Council has been forced to spend more than £60,000 in a three-year legal battle with a local music venue.

High Court overrules Gove on M&S demolition

04/03/2024

The Government’s decision to block Marks & Spencer’s plans to demolish and redevelop its flagship central London store was unlawful, the High Court has ruled.

Planning inspectors acted unlawfully over council’s net zero plans

22/02/2024

Planning inspectors were wrong to describe West Oxfordshire District Council’s net zero plans for a garden village as ‘too rigorous’, a High Court judge has ruled.

Voter ID legal challenge launched

19/02/2024

A legal challenge has been mounted against the Government over voter ID requirements for elections.

Former council worker jailed for fraud

19/02/2024

A former council employee and a roofing firm worker have been jailed for fraud and bribery after they conspired to defraud New Forest District Council.

The Trading Standards Crisis

15/02/2024

John Herriman, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, discusses the impact of the local government funding crisis on Trading Standards.

REVEALED: Productivity plan demands toothless

15/02/2024

Councils have been told Whitehall will be unable to force them to submit productivity plans.

At-risk EU migrants eligible for universal credit, court rules

09/02/2024

The Government must support EU migrants who are at risk of not being able to meet the ‘most basic needs’, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Kent CC faces legal action over alleged abuse

06/02/2024

Nine former residents of a children's home in Kent are suing the county council over abuse allegations.

Council sued after cyclist hits pothole

06/02/2024

Staffordshire County Council is facing legal action after the triathlete Paul Hughes hit a pothole while cycling breaking multiple bones and damaging a lung.

Social housing reform: a recipe for more homelessness and litigation?

05/02/2024

Helen Tucker, litigation partner in the social housing team at Anthony Collins, warns the Government's social housing reforms could lead to more litigation.

Grenfell firefighters win £20m settlement

02/02/2024

More than 100 firefighters injured in the Grenfell tragedy have received a £20m settlement in the High Court.

Government faces legal action over air pollution death

26/01/2024

The mother of a girl whose death was linked to poor air quality is bringing a High Court claim against the Government.

Call to end £250m business rate loophole

11/01/2024

A campaign to end a loophole which is estimated could cost councils a massive £250m in lost business rates revenue has been backed by senior politicians.

Finance watchdog launches Thurrock investigation

03/01/2024

The Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into the conduct of an unnamed accountant at Thurrock before it declared effective bankruptcy.

The separation of planning and landowning powers

02/01/2024

Gemma Duncan and William Murrin, Sharpe Pritchard, discuss planning and landowning powers and the implications of a recent High Court judgement.

Croydon cleared of discrimination claims

02/01/2024

Croydon LBC and its chief executive Katherine Kerswell have been cleared of allegations of racial discrimination by an employment tribunal.

Court provides clarity on duties owed to children at home

21/12/2023

Court rules that Wolverhampton did not have a duty of care to protect a child because it could not be established they had assumed responsibility for them.

Council confirms asylum centre appeal

21/12/2023

West Lindsey DC is to appeal against the dismissal of its judicial review over the Home Office’s asylum centre plans.

Child trafficking victim owed back payments

19/12/2023

A child trafficking victim is entitled to back payments after the Home Office and Barnet Council left him without adequate care and support, High Court finds.

Rental reforms at risk from cash-strapped councils

12/12/2023

Local authorities will struggle to enforce the Government’s rental reforms without a ‘significant boost to their resources,' MPs warn.

Councils can ban ‘newcomer’ travellers from land, court rules

30/11/2023

Local authorities can ban unidentified travellers from occupying land through injunctions against ‘newcomers’, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Home Secretary acted ‘irrationally’ over National Transfer Scheme

29/11/2023

The Home Secretary’s powers have been exercised ‘irrationally’ when it comes to the decision-making process in relation to the National Transfer Scheme (NTS), the High Court has ruled.

West Suffolk defrauded of £52,000

27/11/2023

West Suffolk Council has revealed that it lost £52,000 in a fraud incident this year.

Vape sniffer dog uncovers £18.5k of contraband

27/11/2023

A sniffer dog has helped Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team uncover thousands of pounds worth of counterfeit e-cigarettes and tobacco.

Councillors urge Government to respect Rwanda ruling

16/11/2023

Nearly 130 councillors have urged the Government to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling on its controversial plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda.

Current climate making it ‘impossible’ for councils to carry on

15/11/2023

Soaring demand, rising pay bills and inflationary costs are making it ‘virtually impossible’ to keep councils going, a senior chief executive has said.

Councils brace as Supreme Court outlaws Rwanda asylum plan

15/11/2023

The Supreme Court has ruled the UK’s controversial proposal to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful – a decision likely to impact local government.

Councils at ‘significant legal risk’ over issues facing monitoring officers

10/11/2023

A report has called for the creation of a professional body for monitoring officers and a review of council structures to ensure their position within the ‘top tier of governance’.

Brum commissioners warn council will need further help to agree lawful budget

09/11/2023

Commissioners at Birmingham City Council have warned it will struggle to agree a lawful budget next year without further help.

Government urged to push through ‘no fault’ evictions ban

09/11/2023

The chair of the levelling up, housing and communities (LUHC) committee has urged the Government to commit to a timetable for abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

VR training on coercive control rolled out

07/11/2023

An immersive training programme that aims to raise awareness of gender-based violence and support those affected has been rolled out in Greater Manchester and North Wales.

Glasgow clean air bid gets all clear

31/10/2023

A legal challenge to Glasgow's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) from a local business has failed.

EXCLUSIVE: Home Office accused of misleading council over asylum plans

24/10/2023

The Home Office faces accusations in the High Court it misled a council over controversial plans for an asylum centre at a former military base.

Council beats Spurs in High Court challenge

19/10/2023

Haringey Council has won a High Court challenge by Tottenham Hotspur over a regeneration scheme near the football club’s stadium.

Newham wins landmark cladding removal case

19/10/2023

Newham LBC has become the first council in Britain to successfully prosecute a building owner for failing to remove flammable cladding.

Agency found guilty of harassing tenants

11/10/2023

In a prosecution by Brighton and Hove City Council, a lettings agency has been found guilty of harassing tenants and fined £60,000.

Controversial crematorium plan quashed

11/10/2023

Plans to develop what would have been one of England’s largest crematoriums in Cornwall have been quashed by the High Court.

Red tape risk to levelling up

06/10/2023

New rules around subsidies risk holding back levelling up efforts, according to analysis published today.

Safeguarding review after 10-year-old's death

05/10/2023

An independent safeguarding review is to begin following the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif.

Righting the wrongs of equal pay

28/09/2023

David M Hutchison, head of Employment Law at Dallas McMillan, asks why councils are still struggling to get to grips with the equal pay issue.

Council to limit non-essential spending amid s114 threat

28/09/2023

Windsor & Maidenhead BC is to limit all non-essential spending as it raised the risk of a section 114.

Councils ‘wasted’ £46m on SEND tribunals

26/09/2023

Councils ‘wasted’ £46m on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunals in 2021-22, economists have reported.

Cash injection for Kent as councils drag feet on National Transfer Scheme

18/09/2023

Government has given Kent £10m for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children amid concerns other councils have been slow to support the National Transfer Scheme.

Brum braced for Government intervention

12/09/2023

Birmingham City Council is braced for a wide-ranging Government intervention to help rescue the authority’s bleak finances, and improve political and officer leadership.

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