Addressing regional inequalities
Andrew Borland, Chief Innovation Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), University of Liverpool discusses the importance of levelling up for growth.
Budget: Trailblazer devo deal for North East
06/03/2024 The North East has secured a trailblazer devolution deal that could provide a package of new funding potentially worth more than £100m, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced in his Budget. |
Wales to automatically register voters
03/10/2023 The Welsh Government is set to establish automatic voter registration for local government and Senedd elections. |
Bentley insists level two devolution 'best option' for county
21/09/2023 Essex CC’s Conservative leader Kevin Bentley has insisted that a level two devolution deal is the ‘best option’ for the county. |
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. |
Another Bedfordshire council calls on Dorries to quit
21/08/2023 In a letter to the MP, the mayor of Shefford Town Council has called on Nadine Dorries to resign. |
Seven in 10 support more control over local services
17/07/2023 Nearly 70% of people say they would like their community to have more control over how local services are delivered, a new poll has revealed. |
More councillors feel at risk of abuse
06/07/2023 The number of local councillors who have reported feeling at risk in their role due to abuse and intimidation has increased in the last year, LGA finds. |
Yorkshire councillors consider plans to create new town councils
29/06/2023 North Yorkshire Council members are set to consider plans to introduce town councils in Harrogate and Scarborough after householders show support. |
Kent to vote on devolution deal
27/06/2023 Kent CC councillors will vote this week on plans for a devolution deal in a bid to secure more power and resources for the area. |
Court case looms after election blunder
16/05/2023 A councillor who gained the most votes at a recent election faces a court case for her seat after a blunder led officials to announce the wrong winner. |
Voters urged to be patient with polling staff
04/05/2023 Local authority leaders have asked voters to be patient with polling station staff today as they process voter ID changes. |
New North Yorkshire Council urged to live stream meetings
17/04/2023 Councillors in Scarborough have urged the new North Yorkshire Council to live stream all its meetings online to improve transparency and cut down on travel. |
MPs to examine voter self-ID
14/04/2023 Self-ID for voters is among issues to be examined by MPs when they question a range of election administrators and campaigners next week. |
Budget 2023: Hunt to boost mayors' financial autonomy
15/03/2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the Government will ‘boost mayors’ financial autonomy’ in his Budget. |
Districts' legal threat over devolution deal
17/01/2023 Four Norfolk districts have threatened to take legal action over the county’s handling of a devolution deal struck with Government. |
Brown to ask Government to bypass referendum limit
05/01/2023 The chief executive of troubled Slough Council is preparing to ask the Government for permission to increase council tax above the 5% legal limit. |
Districts push for council tax flexibility
12/12/2022 Districts are pushing the Government to allow them to increase council tax by more than 3% or £5 without a referendum. |
Labour outlines huge devolution push
05/12/2022 Labour proposes removing ‘dead hand of centralisation’ by devolving to local government wide-ranging powers over employment, growth, transport and education. |
Devolution not enough to fix governance, say MPs
31/10/2022 Governance in England is not fit for purpose and devolution plans are not enough to fix the problems, MPs have claimed. |
Borough opts for a return to committees
18/10/2022 West Lancashire BC is the latest council to plump for a return of the committee system. |
Virtual meetings ‘vital part of local democracy’, council chiefs say
20/06/2022 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to allow councils to hold virtual and hybrid council meetings. |
Powers warning ahead of new deals
07/12/2021 A new report today warns areas reluctant to accept directly-elected leaders in the next wave of devolution deals may be offered ‘fewer powers and flexibilities’. |
Counties in council tax warning
07/10/2021 County leaders have warned council tax bills would have to rise by almost a quarter over three years to get close to eliminating their deficit. |
Johnson: Bring your devolution plans to me
15/07/2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for local leaders to take their devolution plans to him in a keynote speech from the West Midlands this morning. |
Newham launches innovative Citizen's Assembly
09/07/2021 Newham LBC is launching the first permanent Citizen’s Assembly in an effort to hand more power to local people. |
Virtual meetings have boosted local democracy, survey finds
17/06/2021 Nine in 10 councils believe local democracy has improved as a direct result of online council meetings, a survey has found. |
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’. |
Virtual council meeting challenge dismissed by High Court
28/04/2021 Councils will not be able to continue to meet virtually after 6 May after High Court Judges dismissed a legal challenge by local government. |
Power of local government eroded over decades, report concludes
16/04/2021 Local authorities have seen a ‘steady erosion’ of their autonomy by central Government over the last four decades, a new report has concluded. |
So when will Whitehall take a back seat?
15/04/2021 Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, tells Government to give councils 'the powers and resources to make the right decisions for our areas’. |
Zoom star Jackie Weaver calls for online council meetings to be made legal
15/04/2021 Zoom star Jackie Weaver and the professional body for IT have joined forces to urge the Government to make online council meetings legal. |
Virtual insanity: Councils hit out at refusal to extend meeting rules
26/03/2021 Councils will not be able to hold virtual council meetings after 6 May after the Government refused to budge on changes to legislation. |
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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Planning proposals will 'disempower' councils
28/09/2020 The Lib Dems have used their autumn conference to warn that the Government’s planning proposals will ‘disempower’ councils. |
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Ministers to receive Somerset unitary business case
31/07/2020 A business case for a single Somerset unitary has been sent to communities secretary Robert Jenrick and local government minister Simon Clarke. |
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Hand health powers to elected mayors, says report
23/06/2020 Health powers should be handed to elected mayors as part of a ‘rejuvenated and fortified wave of devolution,’ a think-tank report has suggested. |
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Video conferencing first at council meeting
02/04/2020 A council used software to help decide key planning applications in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind in the country. |
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Councils close buildings and cancel meetings in response to coronavirus outbreak
16/03/2020 Councils have closed, events and meetings have been cancelled and some politicians are in self-isolation in a bid to stem the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. |
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Budget 2020: New West Yorkshire mayor announced
11/03/2020 A new directly-elected West Yorkshire mayor has been announced with the Government signing a new devolution deal amid plans to ‘level up’ the UK economy. |
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Boost for Yorkshire leaders committee talks
15/01/2020 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has agreed to talks on the role and functions of a new committee of leaders from across Yorkshire. |
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Devolution revolution expected after Johnson wins
13/12/2019 Local government was this morning expecting a devolution revolution after Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a sweeping election win. |
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Queen's Speech 19: Voter ID requirement at elections to be rolled out
14/10/2019 The Queen’s Speech has set out the Government’s plans to require voters to show photographic ID at polling stations. |
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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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It’s time to reboot localism, says think tank
23/09/2019 Local authorities should formally commit to including the neighbourhood in all decision making processes, says Centre for London. |
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'Cracks' starting to show in electoral system
16/09/2019 Election administrators have warned of ‘cracks’ beginning to show in the electoral system with the prospect of another poll on the horizon. |
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NILGA: Give councils the power to change Northern Ireland
11/02/2019 The Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) has called for the role of councils to be formally reviewed and strengthened after the elections in May, giving greater decision making powers to local people and places. |
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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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Brokenshire considering new devolution models
10/07/2018 James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted. |
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Welsh Government in new push for larger councils
20/03/2018 Local government in Wales is facing a radical overhaul, with ministers consulting on plans to create ‘larger, stronger councils’. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
