Local Authority of the Year revealed at The MJ Achievement Awards
26/06/2023 Barnsley MBC has taken the coveted title of Local Authority of the Year at The MJ Achievement Awards this afternoon. |
What the Covid inquiry can learn from local government
13/06/2023 Richard Machin, lecturer in Social Work and Health at Nottingham Trent University, looks at what the Covid inquiry can learn from Nottingham City Council. |
North Yorkshire Council green lights community partnerships
31/05/2023 North Yorkshire Council yesterday gave the go-ahead for a series of community partnership pilots in an effort to ensure local voices are heard. |
Poll reveals majority support full funding for local government
05/08/2022 The vast majority of people support full funding for local authorities, a new report has revealed. |
Councils spending £9bn a year more on local suppliers, research finds
22/07/2022 Councils are spending 46% of their procurement budgets with local suppliers, new research has revealed. |
First Big Local area distributes £1.15m grant
28/06/2022 The first of 150 areas taking part in a long-term funding programme helping residents deliver community projects has distributed all of its £1.15m grant. |
Communities should be empowered to tackle cost of living crisis
06/05/2022 Over two thirds of people responding to a recent poll argue that more power should be given to local communities to tackle the cost of living crisis. |
Councils chosen to pilot planning schemes
12/01/2022 People living in deprived and urban areas will be encouraged to engage more with the planning system under new schemes being piloted by 11 councils. |
I'm dreaming of a White (Paper) Christmas.
16/12/2021 Tim Pope, local government expert at PA Consulting, explains what he hopes to see in the White Paper on levelling up |
Campaigners call for new law to empower communities
01/12/2021 Campaigners have called for a new Community Power Act to give communities a legal right to self-determination. |
Calls for radical expansion of parish and town councils
12/11/2021 Parish and town councils should be established in every neighbourhood to help places level up and revive local democracy, a think tank has said today. |
Gazing up at the future of community power
29/04/2021 Following on from a three-day event in March, New Local's Building Stronger Things looked at how to put the ideas of the community paradigm into practice locally. Ann McGauran reports. |
New proposals to fix Britain's 'fraying social fabric'
12/01/2021 Every local area should be represented by a parish or town council in order to rebuild ‘fraying’ communities after the pandemic, a think tank has argued today. |
What do we want our high streets to look like next Christmas?
05/01/2021 Vidhya Alakeson argues that community businesses provide a tremendous opportunity to create vibrant and resilient high streets and communities. |
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. |
Think tank calls for radical reform of children’s services
10/09/2019 A radical new approach to children’s services is needed to avert the growing crisis, a think tank has warned today. |
How South Tyneside became Co-operative Council of the Year
16/07/2019 An unusual way of providing public services has proved successful in an area hit by unemployment and huge cuts in government funding, as Mark Whitehead found out. |
The power of the community
05/07/2019 Tony Armstrong writes about why and how we must commission public services locally, and the growing Keep it Local movement. |
Alliance calls for voting reforms to fix 'failing' system
03/07/2019 Political parties and civil society groups have signed the Good Systems Agreement calling for reforms to the UK's voting system. |
Localism has led to ‘wide differences’ in fire service standards, inspectors warn
21/06/2019 A 'decade of localism' has led to wide differences in standards of fire services, inspectors have warned. |
Protecting public spaces
22/03/2019 Local Government News finds out why local community organisations and councils must work together to save public spaces. |
Councillors take final step towards creation of new Weymouth council
25/02/2019 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is one step closer towards setting up of a new town council for Weymouth. |
New funding to get people more involved in local issues
15/02/2019 Funding has been announced in 16 boroughs, town and cities across England to encourage more people to get involved in local issues. |
Councils should ‘step back’ from service provision, think tank says
13/09/2018 Local authorities should shift their focus away from direct service provision and focus more on enabling communities to ‘step up’, new study argues. |
Government urged to simplify creation of new councils
04/06/2018 The Government should make it easier for communities to set up new local councils in England, according to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC). |
Government launches £23m neighbourhood plan
20/03/2018 The Government yesterday launched a £23m fund to help local residents plan their own communities. |
Local councils prepare to lobby MPs for extra powers
19/03/2018 Town and parish councils are calling for new powers to be handed to them following Brexit in what they see as the next stage in local government devolution. |
Councillors to be equipped with 'community organising' skills
16/03/2018 A new partnership will soon equip councillors with ‘community organising’ skills to help them engage more effectively with their local communities. |
Power in the country lanes
15/03/2018 Mark Whitehead finds out why smaller councils are taking on bigger roles in terms of responsibilities and delivering services. |
Lord Kerslake: Let's reignite the possibilities of localism
26/01/2018 Localism is a marathon, not a sprint, writes Lord Kerslake. Quick fixes through legislation will not be enough. |
Javid approves locally-led proposals to merge councils
01/12/2017 Communities Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday announced he was ‘minded’ to support two locally-led proposals for merging district councils in Somerset and Suffolk. |
Communities to share £1bn shale gas funding
13/11/2017 A £1b fund has been announced for communities near fracking sites to pay for extra facilities including parks, sports centres and libraries. |
Javid accuses top-tier authorities of not passing grant funding to local councils
01/11/2017 Not enough cash from the support grant is going to local authorities because ‘too many top-tier councils’ are not following Government guidance, Javid says. |
Launch of grass-roots project to tackle local inequality
26/10/2017 Seven areas have been chosen to share £8m to create a network of new community businesses in their areas. |
Councils must show how local change can offer solutions that Whitehall cannot
06/10/2017 Local experiment offers a way out, argues Ipsos MORI's Ben Page, and in the current uncertain environment it is more needed than ever. |
Redefining neighbourhoods: Beyond austerity
11/09/2017 The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and ITN Productions have launched a news and current affairs-style programme ‘Redefining neighbourhoods: Beyond austerity'. |
Four countries to test-drive new e-participation tool
04/07/2017 A new online tool to help reshape local politics and council spending decisions is being tested by four European countries. |
Launch of councillor's guide to planning
19/05/2017 A new guide has been launched to give local councillors tips on how to plan for their neighbourhoods. |
Celebrating the best of council-run services
24/03/2017 LocalGov and We Own It are partnering up to launch the Local Public Ownership Awards. |
Care of the elderly should be a shared responsibility
07/02/2017 Tony Pilkington calls on councils to develop new models of care in order to empower local communities. |
Public service delivery should be ‘local by default’, argues community group
25/01/2017 The current trend among councils of standardising services and outsourcing contracts to big national charities and multinational companies is ‘counterproductive’, campaigners warn. |
Peers urged to support creation of new local councils
17/01/2017 The House of Lords is being urged to support the creation of new local councils in England's city areas in order to strengthen local democracy and improve the take-up of neighbourhood planning. |
Whitehall will tackle ‘injustice’ and build a ‘shared society’, PM says
09/01/2017 The Government will take an active role in tackling ‘everyday injustices’ and building a ‘shared society’, says the prime minister. |
New powers must be driven beyond town halls says new report
15/11/2016 Devolution to local government will only be successful if power is driven beyond town halls and into local communities, a new report from the Co-operative Party has argued. |
Croydon Council to pilot community decision-making scheme
15/11/2016 Three local communities in south London are to be given more responsibility for services as part of a six-month pilot scheme launched by Croydon Council. |
Report calls for £1bn fund to transfer public assets to communities
08/11/2016 The Government should invest £1bn to help transfer public buildings and land into the hands of community groups. |
Online community action toolkit launched
28/10/2016 The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched an online toolkit to help councils involve their residents in the design and delivery of services. |
Deprived communities missing out on Neighbourhood Plans says think tank
26/08/2016 Poorer communities are missing out on a government scheme to improve neighbourhoods, according to new research published by a think tank. |
Neighbourhood plans break the 200 mark
11/07/2016 200 neighbourhood plans have now been approved following three referendums in Herefordshire. |
Report highlights benefits of using community currency
08/07/2016 A new report has revealed how the use of community currency - known as Time Credits - can help councils engage with and empower local communities. |
Empowering communities builds ‘trust’ but not answer to austerity
06/07/2016 In the face of ‘massive austerity’ devolving power to local communities can give them a sense of ‘pride’, but cannot solve fundamental problems, according to an LGA panel on devolution. |
Councils should make it ‘simpler’ to establish cohousing communities, report says
22/06/2016 Local government should make more land available cheaply for groups who want to set up cohousing communities, a report launched in the House of Commons today says. |
The Green View: localism and devolution
20/05/2016 With the Green Party failing to make headway in the recent local elections, William Eichler finds out why their growing membership is failing to translate into seats. |
Councils gear up for Queen's birthday celebratations
21/04/2016 Councils across the country are celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday in style today, with more than a thousand beacons being lit to mark the occasion. |
Empowering local ambassadors
06/04/2016 William Eichler meets up with the campaigners who are being empowered to take resident-led action to improve their local communities. |
The strong foundations of community involvement
10/03/2016 Tony Armstrong welcomes the new 'healthy towns' initiative but warns engaged communities should be at the heart of any plans |
Map shows take-up of Community Rights programme
08/03/2016 More than 3,000 buildings, green spaces and other assets have been protected under legislation designed to give people more say over developments in their areas, according to the Government. |
Deptford bids to ‘get back its mojo’ with new parish council
02/03/2016 A campaign has been launched to establish London’s second parish council under the Localism Act. |
Funding secured for 87 new pocket parks
16/02/2016 Community groups across the country will share £1.5m of funding to transform 87 neglected urban spaces into new ‘pocket parks’. |
Corbyn vows to end era ‘of forced privatisation’
08/02/2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to give councils new powers and freedoms to end the ‘forced privatisation’ of public services. |
Welsh council leaders publish radical manifesto calling for more localism
23/11/2015 Council leaders in Wales have called on the Welsh Government to empower local authorities so that they can better protect local services. |
Survey shows support for protection of parks
03/11/2015 The majority of people (95%) think parks and play areas should be protected from future development, with half saying they would be less active if local green space was lost, according to a new survey. |
Council considers 'Green Guarantee' to protect public spaces
15/10/2015 Telford & Wrekin Council is considering protecting more than 100 green spaces from future development under its new Green Guarantee. |
Two ‘Citizens’ Assemblies’ will explore future of local government
15/10/2015 Two ‘Citizens’ Assemblies’ in Southampton and Sheffield will bring representative samples of the population together to discuss the future of local democracy, according to a statement from Democracy Matters. |
100 communities vote to take control of local planning
09/10/2015 One hundred communities across England have voted for the adoption of their Neighbourhood Plans, announced Locality. |
Show failing public services a ‘red card’ says think tank
06/10/2015 Councils should have the power to directly intervene in failing centralised public services, by issuing a ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ card, according to the findings of a new report. |
Report highlights 'uncertain future' for BAME community assets
01/10/2015 Government must help Black, Asian and minority ethnic organisations take over community buildings to ensure future generations benefit from them argues a new report by Ubele Initiative and Locality. |
New parish council set for Sutton Coldfield
10/09/2015 Plans to create a new town council in Sutton Coldfield have moved a step closer, following Birmingham City Council’s recommendation to set up a new parish council. |
Councils urged to be more innovative to reduce service demand
03/09/2015 Councils should encourage people to keep the streets clean rather than just relying on charges and fines to make up shortfalls in budgets, according to the findings of a new report. |
Councils could be given power over Sunday trading rules
05/08/2015 Local authorities could be given the power to extend Sunday opening hours in a bid to boost the local economy by £1.4bn a year. |
Consultation launched on ward boundaries in Scotland
30/07/2015 A consultation has begun on the number of councillors and electoral wards in Scotland by the Local Government Boundary Commission. |
More local areas extend their Community Rights
27/07/2015 A Government push to hand more power to local areas has now reached 250 communities across England. |
Call for long-term funding to support community-led housing
23/07/2015 More funding should be made available to communities that want to build their own housing, according to Locality. |
Council introduces constitutional reforms
05/06/2015 Kingston Council is set to introduce resident-led debates, live webcasting of council meetings and changes to council question time, as part of a wider programme of constitutional reforms. |
Empowered communities urged to enter £10,000 prize fund
05/05/2015 A nationwide competition has been launched today, offering £10,000 to organisations that help re-shape public services. |
Town halls chiefs unite on devolution
28/04/2015 Council chiefs from across the UK have joined forces to call for the next government to make devolution an ‘urgent’ priority. |
‘People power’ could cut cost of public service says report
24/04/2015 Councils have been urged to develop initiatives that encourage a more active contribution from the public, as a new report hails the benefits of public engagement. |
Guildford considers hybrid model of governance
17/04/2015 Guildford Council looks set to adopt a hybrid system of governance in a bid to improve transparency and accountability. |
Importance of imparting information
02/04/2015 ‘Town hall Pravdas’? No. Information is the lifeblood of local government and constricting its flow will cause injury and even death, writes David Walker |
Pub-goers value local inns like community centres, poll suggests
01/04/2015 Pubs are just as important to local life as community centres or post offices, a poll suggests. |
Public would support council tax increase to protect services, poll reveals
24/03/2015 The majority of people believe local authorities or voluntary groups are best placed to deliver public services rather than profit making companies, according to a new poll. |
Neighbourhoods urged to bid for planning funding
27/02/2015 Neighbourhood planning groups are being encouraged to apply for a share of £22.5m to help decide the future development of their local areas. |
Councils need 'reinventing' for the 21st century warns think tank
24/02/2015 Local government needs a 'radical rethink' to examine 'what councils are for', according to a report from think tank MCA. |
Hand communities more power over services and pubs, say MPs
03/02/2015 Communities should be given more power to shape local services, save pubs from closure and build housing, MPs have said. |
Government announces more protection for English pubs
27/01/2015 The Government has announced it will take action to stop pubs in England being demolished or converted into different uses against the will of local people. |
Whole Place Community Budgets
27/01/2015 Paul Tombs argues that wiith increased power comes increased responsibility. |
Big Society has ‘failed’ warns report
20/01/2015 The Government’s Big Society has failed to deliver more power to local communities, according to a three-year investigation into the project. |
Mayor blasts Pickles for ‘perverse’ planning decision
16/01/2015 The mayor of Liverpool has called the decision of Eric Pickles to turn down the proposed regeneration of the Welsh Streets as ‘unacceptable, dishonourable and completely perverse’. |
Councils spending millions to ‘prop up’ drinks industry
15/01/2015 Councils are being forced to divert at least £1.5m a month from frontline services to ‘subsidise’ the drinks industry, town hall chiefs are warning. |
Councils ‘overlooked’ on community energy policies
14/01/2015 Local authorities are being left out of government discussions on community energy policy, academics are claiming. |
Lewis launches plain speaking planning guide
05/01/2015 A ‘plain English’ guide to the planning system has been published by the Government in a bid to get more communities involved in the planning process. |
Give England’s councils same gambling powers as Scotland, says LGA
09/12/2014 Powers over local gambling proposed for Scotland must now be devolved to councils in England as well, town hall chiefs have said. |
Dorset leader quits ahead of trial
04/12/2014 Dorset County Council’s leader has quit ahead of a trial over his alleged failure to declare interests in two property companies. |
Dorset County Council leader to face trial
02/12/2014 Dorset County Council’s leader is to stand trial after pleading not guilty to three charges of failing to declare interests in two housing companies. |
Leaders of 119 councils demand devolution and end to austerity
01/12/2014 The leaders of 119 councils in England have united to demand an end to austerity and greater power to match Scottish devolution commitments. |
Report: London’s diversity makes neighbourhood plans ‘too difficult’
20/11/2014 Legislation brought in to help communities influence planning decisions has had little impact in London because it does not fit with the capital’s diversity. |
Dorset leader steps down to fight charges
20/11/2014 The leader of Dorset County Council is facing charges of failing to disclose financial interests in a property company when he took office. |
Community energy schemes receive £10m boost
13/11/2014 A £10m fund has been launched to help communities across England set up their own renewable energy schemes. |
Council demands independent inquiry into alleged attacks by Libyan cadets
10/11/2014 Cambridge City Council has demanded a full independent inquiry into circumstances surrounding recent alleged sexual attacks involving Libyan cadet soldiers. |
Councils unite to call for devolved powers
06/11/2014 Council leaders across all parts of the UK have joined together in calling for an ‘urgent’ meeting with White Hall to discuss devolution of power to local government. |
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.