London Councils | LocalGov


London’s boroughs call for ‘seat at the table’ in devo settlement 03/04/2025 London’s councils have called for joint decision-making arrangements between the mayor and the capital’s boroughs as part of a new devolution settlement.
London’s high streets get £21m regeneration boost 28/02/2025 London’s high streets are to benefit from £21m additional funding this year aimed at regenerating the capital’s high streets.
London Councils pushes back on call to halve number of boroughs 12/02/2025 London Councils has hit back after the Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group called for the number of London boroughs to be halved.
Biggest barrier to inclusive education is lack of funding, report finds 05/11/2024 Schools in the capital must become ‘genuinely inclusive’ to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a new report has argued.
Homeless youths missing from official stats 10/10/2024 The number of homeless young people in London is at a record high but is likely to be much higher than official figures suggest, a homelessness charity has warned.
Several London councils ‘edging closer towards effective bankruptcy’ 12/09/2024 Boroughs in the capital are set to overspend by more than £600m this year as housing and homelessness pressures ‘wreak havoc’ on their finances, according to London Councils.
London Councils moves office to improve ‘financial footing’ 28/08/2024 London Councils, the collective of local government in the capital, is moving to a new office to help make savings.
How to tackle London’s housing crisis 18/07/2024 Piali Das Gupta, London Councils’ Strategy Director – London’s Future, looks at what the new government should do to solve the capital’s housing shortage.
Lambeth leader elected chair of London Councils 17/07/2024 Lambeth Council leader Claire Holland has been elected chair of the cross-party London Councils.
King recognises council chiefs in honours 17/06/2024 Current and former local authority bosses have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils given 100,000 asylum housing target 21/05/2024 Councils have been told to identify an extra 100,000 bedspaces for asylum seekers amid Home Office expectations of a surge in arrivals, The MJ can reveal.
Short-term lets plans could ‘worsen’ housing shortage 20/05/2024 London boroughs have warned that government plans for regulating the short-term lets sector could worsen the capital’s housing crisis.
Online sales tax not priority for London 20/03/2024 London Councils has decided it will not prioritise an online sales tax (OST) as part of its lobbying effort.
Local government launches cultural services alliance 01/03/2024 Organisations representing local government have joined forces to form a new National Alliance for Cultural Services.
Boroughs have ‘nothing to offer’ as refugee homelessness rises 07/12/2023 New research has found that an increasing number of refugees are rough sleeping in London after leaving Home Office accommodation.
London Councils to step back support for land value tax plans 23/11/2023 London Councils is expected to distance itself from backing the idea of a land value tax when its leaders meet next month.
Homelessness warning over LHA freeze 09/11/2023 A maintained freeze on local housing allowance (LHA) rates could push 60,000 Londoners into homelessness over the next six years, according to new analysis.
DLUHC blasted over levelling up failure 08/11/2023 The levelling up department has been blasted for failing to deliver its remit by a senior sector figure.
London borough trials pothole repair machine 06/11/2023 Redbridge Council is trialling a spray injection patching machine to fix potholes across the borough.
Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings 31/10/2023 More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.
Councils ‘held back’ on net zero 24/10/2023 The organisations that represent English councils have collaborated in a call for the Government to change its approach on delivering net zero.
London councils face £400m shortfall 11/10/2023 The capital’s boroughs face a £400m funding gap this year, set to rise to £500m in 2024-25, new analysis from London Councils reveals.
London Councils eyes apprenticeship levy devolution 09/10/2023 London Councils has named securing devolution of the apprenticeship levy to its boroughs to fund skills and employment activity as a key short-term priority.
Councils press for more stringent air quality targets 06/09/2023 Local authorities have dismissed claims air pollution targets cannot be met by 2030.
South East Councils to consider devolution of vehicle excise duty 01/09/2023 The devolution of vehicle excise duty (VED) will be among the options expected to be considered by a London Finance Commission-style investigation.
Homeless London families evicted as emergency housing deals end 30/08/2023 More landlords are quitting the temporary accommodation sector in London, causing homeless families to be evicted from emergency housing.
Fresh calls to raise local housing allowance 23/08/2023 Calls have been made for ministers to increase local housing allowance (LHA) after research revealed 85% of English councils are facing a rise in homelessness.
One in 50 Londoners homeless as councils struggle with costs 03/08/2023 London is facing an ‘unmanageable’ crisis, with one in 50 people in temporary accommodation and a forecast deficit of £2.5m across homelessness services.
London Councils signals hike in parking and traffic penalties 01/08/2023 Cross-party group London Councils is consulting on penalty charges for parking and traffic offences, and says current charges are not high enough.
London boroughs call for more powers to oversee in-year school admissions 19/07/2023 Pupils who change schools during term-time run the risk of missing out on education because of a complex in-year admissions system, London boroughs warn.
London’s consumption-based emissions not decreasing fast enough 26/06/2023 The emissions created by the lifestyles of Londoners have decreased each year but more needs to be done if net zero targets are to be met, council chiefs say.
'No progress' on devolution to London 21/06/2023 The capital appears to have ‘taken a step backwards’ on devolution, a former chair of London Councils has said.
Abuse victims ‘exposed to risk’ due to funding issues 24/05/2023 Funding to tackle violence against women and girls in London is fragmented, complex and difficult to understand, according to a new report.
London boroughs agree first infrastructure framework 17/05/2023 All 33 local authorities across London have agreed an infrastructure framework on a cross-party, pan-London basis for the first time.
London boroughs call for ‘emergency action’ on homelessness 12/05/2023 Council leaders in London have called for emergency action to tackle homelessness which they warn is ‘spiralling out of control’.
Councils concerned over Afghan removal plan 12/04/2023 Councils have expressed deep concerns about Government plans to remove Afghan refugees from hotel accommodation amid ‘chronic’ shortage of affordable housing.
London councils set out ‘shared vision’ to improve social housing 12/04/2023 London boroughs have vowed to do better for tenants in social housing after acknowledging the poor state of many homes.
Report into Met’s misogyny and racism ‘bleak', say council chiefs 22/03/2023 London council leaders have pledged to work with the capital’s police force in rebuiliding trust with the public after the damning report by Baroness Casey.
MPs call for more power to be granted to London’s councils 13/03/2023 MPs have called for more power and resources to be devolved to London’s local authorities in order to boost the capital’s productivity.
Women’s rough sleeping often ‘hidden’, council chiefs say 08/03/2023 Council leaders in London have called for action to address ‘systemic inequalities’ creating barriers to women accessing support and housing.
LGA to beef up council oversight amid Oflog fears 07/03/2023 The Local Government Association (LGA) today revealed plans to beef up its oversight of councils in an effort to stave off Government interference.
London councils collaborating to avoid ‘bidding wars’ 09/02/2023 The capital's councils are collaborating more than ever to avoid the costs of expensive agency staff for children’s social care, according to London Councils.
Plans floated to tackle secure children's home shortage 21/11/2022 Plans have been floated for a secure children’s home that could be used by councils across London.
London councils face £700m funding gap 01/11/2022 Councils in London will be forced to find £700m of savings unless the Government boosts funding for local services in the capital, cross-party group says.
London boroughs call for ‘emergency’ social care funding 20/10/2022 Local authorities across London have called for ‘immediate emergency’ funding to boost adult social care provision across the capital ahead of winter.
London boroughs call for COVID-style level of support 22/09/2022 Local authorities in London have called for a package of financial support that is similar to the one that helped councils through the worst of the pandemic.
London boroughs warn of homelessness funding cut 02/09/2022 London’s councils could lose almost a third of their homelessness funding under potential reforms at a time of economic uncertainty, cross-party group warns.
Inaccurate census could cost Londoners 29/06/2022 Census data on London’s population figures underestimates the capital's population and should be treated with ‘extreme caution’, council chiefs warn.
London council chiefs welcome 24% drop in rough sleeping 28/06/2022 Council leaders in London have welcomed a dramatic decrease of nearly a quarter of the number of people who have been forced to sleep rough in the capital.
‘Skyrocketing inflation’ driving £400m budget pressures in London 20/06/2022 Inflation is driving hundreds of millions of pounds of additional budget pressures on local government in London, the capital’s council chiefs have warned.
Levelling up means making ‘sad Londoners happier’ 11/05/2022 The Government’s levelling up agenda should focus more on affluent local authority areas in London that have low levels of wellbeing, think tank says.
Boroughs ‘deeply concerned’ by nearly 30% reduction in homelessness funds 25/03/2022 London boroughs have warned that a reduction in Government funding risks undermining homelessness prevention work in the capital.
London boroughs commit to work for a ‘more sustainable’ city 24/03/2022 Local authorities in London have committed to work collaboratively to reach net zero targets across the capital.
National industrial action prospects over pay fade 07/02/2022 A nationally-coordinated wave of industrial action over this year’s pay claim looks increasingly unlikely as the outcome of trade union ballots emerged.
Over 86,000 London children in temporary accommodation over Christmas 24/12/2021 More than 86,000 children in the capital will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough, London council leaders have revealed.
London flash flooding review launched 21/12/2021 An independent review examining the flash flooding that affected many parts of the capital in July 2021 has launched.
London boroughs agree retrofitting housing plan 15/10/2021 A new plan to upgrade all housing stock in the capital has been agreed by all the London boroughs.
London needs 100,000 new homes each year to tackle housing crisis 16/08/2021 London needs 90-100,000 new homes each year to tackle the ongoing shortage of housing in the capital – double the number currently being built.
Coalition calls for reforms to ‘flawed’ apprenticeship levy 09/07/2021 The Government has been urged to make urgent reforms to the apprenticeship levy by a coalition by local government and major employers in London.
Net zero could generate £330bn investment into UK, commission finds 02/07/2021 Meeting net zero in London and the UK’s Core Cities could bring up to £330bn of investment into the UK, new analysis has revealed.
Boroughs call for ‘fit for purpose’ fire safety regime 15/06/2021 London boroughs marked the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire yesterday by calling on the Government to put in place a fire safety regime that is ‘fit for purpose’.
London's 'triple whammy' risks homelessness crisis 20/05/2021 London Councils has warned there is a ‘triple whammy’ of impending risks that threaten to push homelessness to record levels this summer.
London repairs backlog hits 'staggering' £1bn 19/05/2021 The cost of the road maintenance backlog on London’s roads has now passed £1bn, according to the fourth annual ‘State of the City’ report from the London Technical Advisers Group (LoTAG).
London councils awarded £150,000 for digital projects 17/02/2021 Two local authority digital projects in London aimed at making smarter use of data have been awarded £75,000 each.
Nearly 90,000 children set to spend Christmas in temporary housing, warns London Councils 14/12/2020 Nearly 90,000 children in the capital will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation organised by their local council, new figures have warned today.
London boroughs vow to do more to tackle racial inequalities 09/12/2020 The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on ethnic minorities shows there’s ‘so much more to do’ to promote racial equality, London borough leaders have said.
Apprenticeship levy is 'flawed' says London Councils 02/12/2020 ’Flaws’ in the apprenticeship levy are stopping councils from making use of the funds, London Councils has warned today.
London boroughs face £600m adult social care shortfall by 2025 23/11/2020 Local authorities in London have called on the Government to ensure adult social care receives the same funding increases as the NHS in the upcoming spending review.
Crisis call for return of Everyone In 04/11/2020 The chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis has called for ring-fenced funding for councils to provide COVID-safe accommodation for anyone at risk of rough sleeping.
London boroughs call for £115m to retrofit energy inefficient buildings 03/11/2020 Local authorities in London are calling on the Government to ‘secure London’s environmental and economic future’ by increasing funding for councils to retrofit energy inefficient buildings.
London boroughs meet digital apprentices target 28/08/2020 Councils in London have met their target of recruiting 100 digital apprentices by September 2020.
Income compensation scheme fails to cover the cost of Covid 25/08/2020 Government plans to compensate councils for income lost due to COVID-19 are only likely to cover half the cost of the losses, it is claimed.
Evictions ban extended 21/08/2020 The Government has extended the ban on evictions of renters for a further month following lobbying by councils.
Councils warn of ‘avalanche of evictions’ 21/08/2020 The local government sector is braced for a deluge of homelessness following the end of the evictions ban.
London councils triple the number of apprenticeships created by boroughs 18/08/2020 Local authorities in London have this year increased the number of apprenticeships created directly by boroughs by 14%, according to new data released by London Councils.
London boroughs face £23m rent arrears due to Universal Credit 22/07/2020 The rollout of Universal Credit is leading to thousands of council tenants falling behind on rent payments, new research commissioned by London Councils has found.
London Councils warn spending on homelessness is 'unsustainable' 08/06/2020 London boroughs are spending an extra £50m on homelessness services due to Covid-19, new figures have revealed.
London boroughs call for urgent increase to rateable value threshold 29/04/2020 London Councils has called for the rateable value threshold to be increased to help more businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic.
PPE supplies to 'run out within days' 24/04/2020 Dwindling supplies of vital life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline care workers will run out within days, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned today.
London has highest poverty rates, report shows 21/04/2020 London has greater levels of poverty than any other region in the UK, new figures have revealed today.
Next London mayor must ‘forge’ new template for devolution 24/02/2020 London boroughs have called on the next mayor to ‘reset’ the relationship between central Government and Britain’s cities and counties.
London Councils drives forward co-ordinated approach to car clubs 20/02/2020 London Councils has launched a new online resource to help boroughs take a more co-ordinated approach to car clubs.
London aims to be ‘first city’ to stop new HIV infections 05/02/2020 Over 30 organisations have joined together in an effort to make London the first city in the world to stop new HIV infections.
Boroughs in GP estate devolution call 24/01/2020 London Councils has called for more devolution to boroughs of decisions on the GP estate.
Sector presses for further action on cladding 21/01/2020 Building safety reforms billed as the ‘biggest change for a generation’ do not go far enough to clamp down on potentially dangerous cladding, councils argued this week.
Welfare provision ‘overly centralised’, London council chiefs say 17/10/2019 Council leaders in London have called on Whitehall to give them the powers to deliver local welfare support to residents.
Pledging to make air pollution a national priority 09/10/2019 Cllr Julian Bell explains how the capital's local government is leading the way by raising awareness of air pollution, and tackling it with innovative projects.
London boroughs warn of £540m care crisis 21/08/2019 A report has warned that unless Whitehall addresses the national social care crisis London’s adult social care system faces a funding gap of £540m by 2025.
Drug poisoning deaths up 16% in face of public health cuts 16/08/2019 Council chiefs warn that cuts to public health grants are a ‘false economy’ which make it more difficult to provide support and treatment to drug users.
Financial risk for children's services across London is 'unsustainable' 22/07/2019 Children’s services across London are facing an unsustainable level of financial risk, a new report commissioned by London Councils has warned.
Criminals making £100m a year from London’s illegal tobacco trade 28/06/2019 Illegal tobacco trade in London is bringing crime into communities and undermining stop smoking efforts, London Councils has warned today.
London Councils welcomes ‘new era of digital transformation’ 10/06/2019 The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has officially launched today to help the digital transformation of public service.
Council tax system needs 'fundamental reform' 16/05/2019 The council tax system is ‘highly regressive and unsustainable,’ and needs ‘fundamental reform,’ progressive think-tank IPPR has argued.
London council budgets slashed 17% over last decade 13/05/2019 London’s local authority budgets have dropped by nearly a fifth – or 17% – per head over the last eight years, a new study has revealed.
Housing benefits should be ‘at least’ 30% of market rates, London Councils says 09/05/2019 London boroughs have called on Whitehall to lift the Local Housing Allowance to at least 30% of local market rates for private sector accommodation to help ease the pressure on councils.
Modular homes to be developed for homeless families in London 16/04/2019 Temporary modular homes are to be developed for homeless families in the capital following a £11m investment by mayor Sadiq Khan.
Councils collaborate to address homelessness crisis 14/03/2019 Over a dozen London boroughs have joined the collaborative programme Capital Letters, which aims to support homeless households across the capital.
Place jobcentres next to council services, London boroughs urge 24/01/2019 Jobcentre support should be placed alongside council services to help tackle long-term unemployment and in-work poverty, London Councils have said today.
London Councils forms company to tackle homelessness 02/01/2019 A not-for-profit company will be created to provide housing for homeless families in 11 London boroughs.
Capital's councils demand 'fair share' of new roads cash 13/11/2018 London’s boroughs have said they are not getting a fair share of road maintenance cash after they were awarded only £17m of the extra £420m for local authority roads announced during the budget.