Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
Slicing districts could slow reorganisation for fast-track areas
14/02/2025 Cutting across district boundaries to make new unitaries could create a backlog of legislation and boundary reviews that stymies the Government’s reorganisation timetable. |
Deposit Return Scheme legislation comes into force
27/01/2025 Legislation for a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland has come into force today. |
Schools Bill criticised by commissioner
27/01/2025 The children's commissioner has criticised Labour's schools Bill, arguing it does not include details on how councils would cope with the extra responsibilities. |
Scotland scraps core element of National Care Service
24/01/2025 The Scottish Government has scrapped plans to deliver structural social care reform through a National Care Service. |
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. |
Councils urged to use new law to drive social prosperity
11/10/2024 Local authorities should make use of new procurement laws to promote community prosperity, a think-tank has argued. |
Time to axe ‘contradictory’ care laws, minister says
07/10/2024 It is ‘high time’ to axe outdated language and contradictory rules from laws on disabled children’s social care, the families minster has said. |
Graves could be reused as burial space runs out
03/10/2024 Old graves could be reused under new proposals to address the shortage of burial space in England and Wales. |
Welsh editors in warning over council tax notice law
11/06/2024 Editors in Wales have issued a warning over the Welsh Government’s plans to stop council tax notices being published in local newspapers. |
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. |
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 apologises over FOI delays
23/04/2024 Walsall Council has apologised for delays to its response under the Freedom of Information Act. |
Clark: Tories and Labour unwilling to address SEND crisis
15/04/2024 Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of an ‘unwillingness’ to confront the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services. |
Five million could be disenfranchised by voter ID, polling finds
11/04/2024 Five million voters could be disenfranchised by the Government’s new voter ID rules at the General Election, first-of-its-kind polling has suggested. |
Proposed law could ease housing emergencies
27/03/2024 Scottish councils may be required to assess the condition of private rented accommodation under a proposed law. |
Council leaders welcome anti-smoking Bill
20/03/2024 Local authority leaders have welcomed the prospect of new powers to discourage smoking. |
LGA warning over XL Bully dogs ban
19/03/2024 Councils face a double whammy of soaring costs and declining police support as they try to enforce a ban on XL Bully dogs. |
Four-day week council decision 'disappointing and arrogant'
14/03/2024 South Cambridgeshire DC’s decision to continue with its four-day week is ‘disappointing and arrogant,’ local government minister Simon Hoare has said. |
Scottish Budget 'not good' for communities
28/02/2024 Next year’s Scottish Budget is ‘not good’ for communities, council leaders have said. |
Officer warning over street votes
06/02/2024 Council officers have issued a scathing response to plans for street-level planning votes – dismissing the idea as a costly ‘proliferation of polls’. |
Housing minister among casualties of Sunak reshuffle
13/11/2023 The UK will have its 16th housing minister in 12 years after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s sweeping reshuffle affected the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. |
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. |
Labour regeneration plans will fail 'without radical action'
31/10/2023 An incoming Labour government’s regeneration plans will fail without radical action to devolve financial decision-making, researchers have warned. |
London council calls for power to impose overnight levy
20/09/2023 Westminster City Council has called on the Government to enable local authorities to tax tourists on stays. |
Union vows to oppose controversial crackdown
12/09/2023 Local government’s largest trade union has warned any attempt to impose a controversial crackdown will be met with strong opposition. |
Gove to ease nutrient neutrality requirements
29/08/2023 Ministers have announced they will ease divisive development rules on water pollution blamed for low housebuilding rates in rural areas. |
Boycott Bill faces Scottish opposition
16/08/2023 The UK Government’s planned ban on council boycotts is facing opposition from Holyrood. |
Nutrient neutrality row goes to No10
24/07/2023 Council leaders have used a Downing Street summit to urge No10 to break the deadlock in a dispute over nutrient neutrality. |
Exploitation warning after Illegal Migration Bill becomes law
20/07/2023 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) could be in danger of being exploited after the Illegal Migration Act created an incentive for them to run away. |
First asylum barge arrives
18/07/2023 A controversial barge for 500 asylum seekers today arrived at its mooring off the Dorset coast. |
Calls for supported housing improvements
09/05/2023 MPs and Whitehall’s spending watchdog have demanded improved regulation and data on supported housing amid evidence the system is blighted by rogue landlords. |
Welsh Government to detail council tax reform later this year
03/05/2023 The Welsh Government has revealed it will announce details of its council tax reforms later this year. |
Peers' warning over supported housing reforms
24/04/2023 Ministers must avoid forcing high-quality supported housing providers from the market in their rush to tackle rogue landlords, peers have warned. |
Eastleigh finance review to start
07/02/2023 The Government has commissioned a review of Eastleigh BC’s finances to start this week after concerns over its debt levels. |
'Fierce resistance' to threatened strike clampdown
06/09/2022 Any attempt by new Prime Minister Liz Truss to outlaw strikes will be met with ‘fierce resistance,’ trade union Unite has warned. |
Nottingham escapes commissioners threat
02/09/2022 Ministers have held back from appointing commissioners at Nottingham City Council, instead deciding to strengthen the powers of its improvement and assurance board. |
Peers highlight lack of progress improving 'flawed' Act
11/07/2022 Little progress has been made in addressing the lack of coordination between the licensing and planning systems, a House of Lords committee has reported. |
New anti-Putin powers given to councils
26/05/2022 Councils have been handed powers to terminate commercial relationships with firms that have ‘strong links’ to Vladimir Putin’s ‘murderous regime’. |
EXCLUSIVE: Government 'risks battle' on moving districts' functions without consent
17/05/2022 Districts will push to change the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to ensure their functions cannot move to new combined county authorities (CCAs) without their consent, The MJ understands. |
Queen's Speech: Government plans to boost tenants rights
10/05/2022 Two separate housing bills in the Queen’s Speech set out the Government plans to tackle tenants rights improve the private rented sector. |
Queen's speech: Government brings back measures to stop protestors 'locking on'
10/05/2022 Boris Johnson’s government will bring back measures thrown out by the House of Lords in January to stop protesters ‘locking on’ to infrastructure. |
Queen's Speech: Levelling up bill unveiled for planning reform
10/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech has confirmed a levelling up Bill will include legislation on planning and regeneration reform. |
Queen's Speech: Plans unveiled to 'drive growth'
10/05/2022 The Government has unveiled a Queen’s Speech to boost the economy in a bid to fight the cost of living crisis. |
New Bill to put beauty at the heart of planning, says Gove
08/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech is set to include a new bill to revamp planning and kick start housebuilding, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has revealed. |
EXCLUSIVE: Whitehall risk warning over election reforms
29/04/2022 Whitehall officials have privately admitted councils could be overwhelmed by one of the largest sets of electoral reforms ever seen by local authorities, The MJ understands. |
Shapps confirms e-scooter legalisation in Queen’s Speech
28/04/2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed he will make an announcement about the legalisation surrounding e-scooters in next month’s Queen’s Speech. |
UK comes under pressure to adopt rights charter
26/04/2022 Local leaders will continue to be ‘heavily constrained’ until the UK follows through on its promise to guarantee the rights of local government in law, a sector expert has warned. |
Consultation on replacing Vagrancy Act is launched
08/04/2022 The Government has launched a consultation on replacing an 'outdated' law that criminalises homeless people. |
Law criminalising homeless people to be scrapped
23/02/2022 The Government has announced it will be repealing the 1824 Vagrancy Act that criminalises rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales. |
Government urged to allow remote council meetings
10/12/2021 Council leaders have urged the government to rethink the rules to allow remote council meetings. |
Leaked White Paper reveals reorganisation master plan
09/12/2021 A leaked version of the Levelling Up White Paper has revealed plans to scrap two-tier local government in England. |
Support for air quality enforcement
05/11/2021 Bruce Allen says councils need more knowledge and support to enforce the ban on selling and using wet wood and house coal for burning at home. |
Commission calls for funding re-set for local government
20/07/2021 Local government needs a ‘funding floor’, set at an agreed percentage of national income, a report on the future of the sector has said. |
Reed accuses government of dropping devolution
07/07/2021 Shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has accused the Government of dropping its commitment to devolution. |
Councils 'broadly support' focus of Health and Care Bill
06/07/2021 Councils ‘broadly support’ the focus of the Health and Care Bill introduced into Parliament on improving the health and wellbeing of the population, says the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Special needs deficits to grow to £1.3bn in two years
30/06/2021 A ‘spiralling deficit’ in special educational needs services (SEN) is expected to grow to an ‘unmanageable’ £1.3bn in just two years’ time, county councils have warned. |
Councils can issue traffic fines from December
15/06/2021 Powers to enforce moving traffic offences will not be extended to local authorities in England outside London until the end of the year, a Department for Transport (DfT) minister has said. |
Queen's Speech: No social care solution in sight
11/05/2021 The Queen’s Speech has said proposals on social care reform will be brought forward – but it fell short of a commitment to legislation in this Parliament. |
Queen's Speech: Controversial voter ID plans roll forward
11/05/2021 Voter ID is expected to be introduced by May 2023 after the Government pledged to introduce legislation to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’. |
Queen's speech: PM's 'live local and prosper' promise
09/05/2021 Levelling up, boosting the economy and backing the NHS are set to be the priorities for Tuesday’s Queen’s speech. |
New legislation extends proxy voting in local elections
24/02/2021 The Government has introduced new measures to ensure people needing to self-isolate will still be allowed to vote in the upcoming local elections. |
Proportional votes to come to Wales
19/11/2020 Proportional voting will be introduced to Welsh council elections for the first time as the franchise is extended to 16- and 17-year olds and foreigners. |
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Councils gain COVID enforcement powers
23/10/2020 Councils are to be given new powers to issue businesses with improvement notices and close premises if they breach coronavirus restrictions. |
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Public sector exit cap signed into law
15/10/2020 The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments was signed into law last night and will come into force on November 4. |
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ADASS issues stark warning as White Paper faces further delays
17/09/2020 The social care system risks complete breakdown experts have warned as it emerged that the long-awaited White Paper has been delayed again until next year. |
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Remote local authority meetings
08/06/2020 Tiffany Cloynes and Clare Hardy outline the challenges and opportunities presented by conducting remote meetings in local government. |
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Local lockdown powers up in the air
27/05/2020 Council powers over calling a local lockdown are still to be thrashed out as the NHS’ test and trace system is formally launched. |
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MPs tell department to 'get a grip' on SEND
05/05/2020 The Department for Education (DfE) does not have a grip on mounting pressure in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, a watchdog has found. |
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Care providers in law change call
01/04/2020 Care providers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the law to boost staff numbers in the sector during the COVID-19 outbreak. |
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Charity says it ‘defies belief’ that renters evicted during a pandemic
24/03/2020 Shelter has warned that legislation to suspend new eviction cases during the coronavirus pandemic does not go far enough as 20,000 evictions set to go ahead. |
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Environment Bill to give councils ‘clear framework’ to tackle pollution
30/01/2020 Local authorities will have a clear framework for tackling air pollution with the introduction of the Environment Bill, according to the Government. |
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Councils sent back to drawing board on SEND
28/01/2020 Councils have been sent back to the drawing board after a quango ripped apart their plans to recover massive special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits. |
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Northants reorganisation stalled amid election
08/11/2019 Plans to reorganise cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council have stalled amid the general election. |
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Queen's Speech 19: Brexit, health and devo at the heart of Government plans
14/10/2019 Brexit, the NHS and devolution are at the heart of the next round of Government legislation as outlined in the first Queen’s Speech today. |
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Plans for voter ID bill branded 'dangerous and undemocratic'
13/10/2019 Plans to introduce voter ID across the whole country have been branded ‘dangerous, misguided and undemocratic’ by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). |
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Named person scheme dropped
20/09/2019 A mandatory named person scheme for every child in Scotland – underpinned by law – will not now happen, deputy first minister John Swinney has announced. |
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Calls to scrap ‘draconian’ Vagrancy Act
19/06/2019 A new report has argued the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which makes rough sleeping and begging illegal in England and Wales, is ‘inhumane’ and should be scrapped. |
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Sunak brings forward revaluation of business rates
13/06/2019 Business rates will reflect property values more accurately after a shake-up being introduced in new legislation. |
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Security fears after candidate addresses published
02/05/2019 Security concerns have been raised after a loophole forced councils to publish the home addresses of candidates standing in the EU elections. |
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Unfair evictions to be banned under new proposals
15/04/2019 The Government has outlined plans to abolish short notice and unfair evictions for private renters in England. |
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Labour promises to repeal nineteenth-century Vagrancy Act
24/12/2018 The Labour Party has announced that they plan to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 which criminalises begging and rough sleeping. |
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A missed opportunity?
12/10/2018 The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill should soften financial and operational pressure on local authorities, but it will still leave them open to legal exposure, argues Morris Hill. |
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Christchurch reorganisation challenge defeated
07/08/2018 Christchurch BC may launch an appeal after a High Court judge today refused its challenge to local government reorganisation plans. |
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Councils should not pick up costs of reversing ‘staircase tax’ warn MPs
18/04/2018 Councils should not be financially worse off if the Government decides to reverse the controversial ‘staircase tax’, MPs have warned today. |
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Amendment to protect free bus passes announced
10/04/2018 The Government has announced a change in legislation that will ensure free bus passes for older and disabled people will be protected for the future. |
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IFS implores action over growing social care funding chasm
20/03/2018 The Government will need to scrap its funding reforms, significantly boost top-ups or centralise care if it is to plug the social care funding gap, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned today. |
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Mandatory reporting calls rejected by Government
05/03/2018 Ministers today rejected calls for the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse – claiming an effective case for a new law has not been made. |
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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. |
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Inspectors sent in to probe Northamptonshire Council's finances
09/01/2018 Local government secretary Sajid Javid has ordered a best value inspection of Conservative-led Northamptonshire CC amid continuing concerns over its financial management and corporate governance. |
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Councils win high-value home reprieve
20/12/2017 Local authorities will not be forced to sell high-value council homes until at least April 2019 after lobbying from the sector. |
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Preventing progress
19/09/2017 Ashley Bijster argues that outdated legislation has become a barrier to smarter urban living. |
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Councils urged to act on nuisance hedges
11/09/2017 Councils in Scotland are not always using legislation to tackle overgrown hedges effectively, an investigation by MSPs has revealed. |
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Northern Ireland council leaders call for local government reform
18/08/2017 Council leaders in Northern Ireland have called for an ‘urgent’ review of legislation required to complete local government reform. |
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Councils to be banned from adding credit card fees
19/07/2017 Councils will no longer be allowed to charge extra for people making credit or debit card payments, under new rules unveiled today. |
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A legal duty to prevent homelessness
18/07/2017 Neil Merrick explores the impact and financial burdens the new Homelessness Reduction Act will have on local authorities. |
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Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland
18/04/2017 A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation. |
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Campaigners seek judicial review of Government’s ‘extreme surveillance regime’
10/01/2017 Civil liberties campaigners are launching a legal challenge against the ‘extreme mass surveillance powers’ in the Government’s new Investigatory Powers Act. |
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Over 200 London families to relocate to Canterbury
25/05/2016 The law should be changed to restrict councils from re-housing large numbers of people outside their own districts, the leader of Canterbury City Council has said. |
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Taking the strain off unpaid carers
17/05/2016 Paul Smith calls on local authorities to use the disabled facility grant to support carers as well fund adaptations. |
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Trade Union Act threat to ‘a fundamental British liberty’, TUC says
05/05/2016 Whitehall’s controversial Trade Union Bill passed into law yesterday despite accusations it poses ‘a serious threat’ to industrial relations. |
