VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Auditors call for action on delays to children’s care cases
21/05/2025 The proportion of children subject to care proceedings who have had to wait over a year to have their cases resolved has increased, report finds. |
Legal threats to Reform ambitions
21/05/2025 Reform UK's ambitions to shake up local government could be stymied by legal hurdles, an expert warned this week. |
Ball game disruption costs council £1,000
20/05/2025 Hampshire County Council has been told to pay a couple £1,000 in damages due to the inconvenience caused by the neighbouring school’s play area. |
Judge rules in favour of campaigner in Battle for Brockwell
16/05/2025 A judge has ruled in favour of a campaigner who took legal action against Lambeth Council to stop it allowing the use of a local park for festivals. |
Councils urged to ringfence housing for women prison leavers
15/05/2025 Local authorities should ringfence a proportion of their supported housing units for women released from prison, a new report says. |
High Court rules Lambeth LTN ‘unlawful’
12/05/2025 Lambeth Council's controversial low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme has been ruled ‘unlawful’ by the High Court. |
Councils struggling to cover animal welfare costs
30/04/2025 Local authority efforts to enforce animal welfare legislation are undermined by cost restraints, according to a report by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). |
Council takes legal advice over listed building blaze
30/04/2025 Wiltshire Council is taking legal advice over a fire at a listed building at the centre of a planning dispute. |
Fly-tippers to be charged for cost of seizing vehicles
30/04/2025 The Government is encouraging councils to work with the police to seize and crush vehicles used by waste criminals as part of a crack-down on fly-tipping. |
Lambeth defends Dosunmu payoff
29/04/2025 Lambeth LBC has defended a payoff totalling almost £88,000 to its former chief who admitted failing to stop after a collision and driving without insurance. |
Arson attack destroys buses for vulnerable children
28/04/2025 An arson attack on a Somerset Council compound in Taunton has destroyed four minibuses used for providing transport for vulnerable children and young adults. |
Toilet access depends on biological sex, watchdog says
28/04/2025 The equalities watchdog has issued interim guidance for public bodies outlining the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a ‘woman’. |
Trial dates fixed for Liverpool City Council corruption case
28/04/2025 Trial dates have been fixed for two senior officers charged as part of an investigation into Liverpool City Council corruption. |
Council launches lawsuit against Grenfell fire fridge maker
28/04/2025 Kensington and Chelsea has accused the manufacturer of the fridge blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire of failing to carry out adequate safety tests. |
Directors of children’s services criticise pepper spray policy
24/04/2025 Council directors working in children’s services have criticized the Government’s decision to allow the use of pepper spray in young offender institutions. |
Council spends £220k demolishing ‘man cave’
22/04/2025 Forest of Dean District Council was forced to spend £220,000 demolishing an illegally built leisure complex belonging to a millionaire. |
Enfield threatens legal action over ancient oak felling
17/04/2025 Enfield Council has threatened the Toby Carvery pub chain with legal action after the felling of a 500-year-old oak tree. |
Cambridgeshire fined £6m after busway fatalities
17/04/2025 Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6m for health and safety breaches which resulted in three fatalities on its guided busway. |
Fraudster jailed for ‘brazen’ Covid scam
16/04/2025 A man who defrauded Leeds City Council out of £710,000 during the Covid pandemic has been sentenced to four years in prison. |
Busking to cease in Leicester Square
15/04/2025 Local authorities have suspended two busking pitches in Leicester Square. |
Kensington & Chelsea launches legal action against Grenfell companies
10/04/2025 Kensington & Chelsea LBC has launched legal action worth around £360m against companies involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. |
Combined authority offers staff support after mayor’s arrest
07/04/2025 Staff at West of England Combined Authority have been offered support after mayor and MP Dan Norris was arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences. |
Anti-abortion campaigner fined £20k for ‘buffer zone’ breach
07/04/2025 An anti-abortion campaigner has been given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,000 to BCP Council for breaching a protest ‘buffer zone’. |
Man charged in funeral home fraud case
03/04/2025 A 47-year-old man has been charged by Humberside Police in connection with a fraud case at a Yorkshire funeral home. |
EXCLUSIVE: Sector bodies decline to join legal challenge
03/04/2025 County Councils Network and Rural Services Network will not financially support legal action over axing of the £100m rural services grant, The MJ understands. |
Westminster City Council ordered to silence buskers
02/04/2025 A judge has ordered Westminster City Council to take action against buskers in Leicester Square. |
Former Liverpool director denies bribery
31/03/2025 Liverpool City Council's former head of regeneration Nick Kavanagh has denied two counts of bribery in court. |
Care providers launch legal action over NICs rise
25/03/2025 Care England has launched legal action over the Government’s rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for care providers. |
Councillor resigns after indecent exposure guilty plea
17/03/2025 Leader calls for councils to be empowered to remove politicians who commit crimes after resignation of a councillor who pleaded guilty to indecent exposure. |
Norfolk councils sued over alleged abuse in children’s home
14/03/2025 Former residents of a children's home in Norfolk are taking legal action against local authorities over allegations of historic physical and sexual abuse. |
Disgraced councillor told to resign
12/03/2025 Disgraced Redbridge councillor Sam Gould has been urged to resign after pleading guilty to indecently exposing himself to a 13-year-old girl. |
Former Liverpool mayor charged with bribery
10/03/2025 Ex-Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is among a dozen people charged with bribery and misconduct. |
Legal claims against councils hit 10-year high
05/03/2025 Judicial review applications against councils have hit a 10-year high, analysis of High Court cases over the last decade has found. |
Council leader: Legally challenging grant axing worthwhile
03/03/2025 North Yorkshire Council's legal action against the Government over a £14m funding cut could cost more than £250,000. |
Children in prison failed by ‘multiple services’
27/02/2025 Children in prison have been failed by ‘multiple services’ and youth custody worsens their disadvantages, according to the Children’s Commissioner. |
Deal suspends 'mass litigation' against councils
25/02/2025 A deal has been struck to suspend debt-ridden Thurrock Council's ‘mass litigation' against 23 other local authorities. |
Grenfell council stands by contractor ban despite legal threat
24/02/2025 Kensington and Chelsea LBC is standing by its ban of a contractor involved in Grenfell Tower's refurbishment despite the firm mounting a legal challenge. |
Landlord fined after 18 people found in three-bed house
20/02/2025 A landlord has been ordered to pay £37,000 after Barnet Council inspectors found 18 people, including children, sharing a home in Edgware. |
Council staff left ‘in tears’ after LTN meeting
13/02/2025 Lambeth Council workers were left ‘in tears’ and offered wellbeing leave after a hostile public meeting about a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN), the High Court has heard. |
Council loses legal challenge over nursery fees
12/02/2025 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has failed in its bid to challenge a decision made by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. |
The cost of local authority trading companies
30/01/2025 Trading companies provide a model to deliver services under tight financial circumstances, says UNISON’s Paul Bell. But at what cost? |
Parents take council to court over SEN funding
29/01/2025 Two sets of parents are taking Devon County Council to High court, arguing the council has agreed to make cuts to special educational needs (SEN) services. |
Hollywood star loses two-year legal bid to avoid council tax
28/01/2025 American actor Mercer Boffey has lost a legal challenge to avoid paying council tax on his grade II listed property in Richmond. |
Barnet issues s114 over unauthorised payments
24/01/2025 Barnet LBC has issued a section 114 notice over ‘unlawful' payments to and from the council's pension fund. |
High Court blocks health benefit cuts
17/01/2025 Cuts to health benefits which were announced by the previous Government, and which are due to take effect in September, are unlawful, High Court rules. |
Judge halts man’s bid to recover £600m bitcoin from council landfill
10/01/2025 A man’s 10-year battle to recover what he says is a £600m bitcoin fortune from a Welsh council’s landfill site has been halted in the High Court. |
Deal reached after mayor launched legal case against own council
20/12/2024 Newham LBC has struck a £36,000 deal with its directly-elected executive mayor Rokhsana Fiaz after reaching an out-of-court settlement over race and sex discrimination claims. |
Council U-turn on clawing back chief's pay-out
12/12/2024 Croydon London Borough Council has given up trying to recover cash from the settlement payment made to former chief executive Jo Negrini just before its financial collapse. |
Police take 'no further action' against Croydon officers
05/12/2024 Police have decided to ‘take no further action at this stage' against former Croydon LBC officers who were investigated for potential misconduct in public office. |
Mayor launches legal case against own council
28/11/2024 Newham LBC mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has launched a legal claim against her own council. |
Over 100 councils report not prosecuting rogue landlords
22/11/2024 More than 100 local authorities have reported that they have not prosecuted any rogue landlords at all in half a decade, new research reveals. |
Thurrock lodges High Court claim against APSE councils
18/11/2024 Thurrock Council has filed a High Court claim against 23 councils in an escalation of its dispute with the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE). |
Why we urgently need the Hillsborough Law
11/11/2024 Matthew Smith, Partner and Head of Public and Regulatory Law at Bates Wells, discusses a new law aimed at introducing a legal duty of candour on public bodies. |
Council fined £500k after dog walker death
11/11/2024 Cheshire East Council has been fined £500,000 after admitting breaches of health and safety legislation that led to a dog walker's death. |
Thurrock threat to sue other councils after financial collapse
07/11/2024 Thurrock Council has threatened to sue other councils as it legally goes after the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) over advice it gave. |
Jail warning for Welsh residents who reserved parking spots
01/11/2024 A Welsh council has warned residents of a street near Aberystwyth that they could face almost a year in prison for reserving parking spaces with cones. |
Council attempts to recover payments to late chief executive
15/10/2024 A council is to launch legal action over payments to a former chief executive, who has since died. |
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. |
