Sutton Council's IoT pilot project
David Grasty, head of digital strategy & portfolio for Kingston and Sutton Councils, outlines how in-home sensors have improved the safety of vulnerable residents living in social housing.
Mayoral elections to be 'first past the post'
16/09/2021 The Government has announced the 'first past the post' electoral system will be used for all local mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections. |
Metro mayors call for extension of housing pilot scheme
28/07/2021 The metro mayors for Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands have joined forces to call for an extension of the Housing First pilot scheme. |
Right to Buy-back fund launched
13/07/2021 London boroughs are to receive funding to purchase former council homes on the private market. |
Local elections 2021: Voters back mayors in referendums
09/05/2021 Tower Hamlets and Newham LBC have both voted to keep the post of directly elected mayor in referendums run alongside the local elections. |
English elections 2021: Conservatives make gains across country
07/05/2021 The Conservatives have taken control of 13 more councils in England in last week's local elections. |
Battle of the Smart Cities
04/05/2021 Piers Mulroney explores how the race to innovate, digitise and decarbonise is driving the mayoral elections in Birmingham and Manchester. |
Public back more city devolution
09/04/2021 More than eight in ten people support more devolution to England’s largest cities, a new poll has revealed. |
Burnham takes back control with bus franchising
26/03/2021 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed that he plans to implement bus franchising in the city region ‘as part of plans for a joined-up and truly passenger-focused transport network’. |
Mayoral votes to use ‘outdated’ system
16/03/2021 The Government plans to switch to the first-past-the-post system to elect mayors. |
Blackburn mayor resigns after COVID-19 breach
16/02/2021 The Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen has resigned after he received a police fine for breaching coronavirus restrictions. |
West Yorkshire’s devolution deal signed into law
01/02/2021 The £38m ‘historic’ devolution deal for West Yorkshire has been signed into law. |
Sadiq Khan proposes 9.5% council tax increase
08/01/2021 The mayor of London has announced council tax will increase by 9.5% to help fund free travel for young people and the over 60s. |
Combined authority expansion halted by ‘party politics’
09/11/2020 The expansion of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has stalled after leaders failed to reach an agreement. |
Khan calls for further devolution of adult education funding
28/10/2020 The mayor of London has urged the Government to devolve adult education funding to the capital or risk undermining its long-term recovery from the pandemic. |
'Dramatic' fall in London's air pollution since 2016, data shows
05/10/2020 Despite dramatic improvements in London's air quality since 2016, air pollution is still a major public health challenge, new data has revealed. |
Greater Manchester mayor calls for consultation on ‘three tier’ COVID-19 restrictions
05/10/2020 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the Government to open negotiations with mayors and local leaders on the leaked ‘three tiers’ policy paper concerning COVID-19 restrictions. |
Mayor 'rejects' government lockdown restrictions
02/10/2020 Middlesbrough Mayor, Andy Preston, has said he doesn't accept the new lockdown measures being imposed by the Government as they are based on ignorance and factual inaccuracies. |
Luton mayor resigns after breaking lockdown rules
06/08/2020 The mayor of Luton has resigned after being pictured at a social gathering during lockdown. |
Lancashire CC sets out plans for new combined authority
29/07/2020 Lancashire CC has put forward proposals for a new combined authority and an elected mayor for the county. |
Councillors in south east reject metro mayors, says poll
28/07/2020 Seven out of ten councillors in the South East of England are against plans for metro mayors, a poll has revealed. |
Mayor anticipates Covid-19 election disruption
20/07/2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged voters in the capital to register for postal ballots ahead of next year’s elections to avoid disruption from the COVID-19 crisis. |
Leicester mayor ‘frustrated’ by extended lockdown
17/07/2020 The Government has been accused of taking a ‘sledgehammer approach’ to the local lockdown of Leicester by mayor Sir Peter Soulsby. |
Mayors press for local furlough powers
08/06/2020 The mayors of Liverpool and Manchester have urged the Government to provide funds for ‘humanitarian assistance’ during local lockdowns as figures suggest COVID-19 is spreading. |
North West mayors call for regional data on Covid-19 infection rates
13/05/2020 Two mayors have called on the Government to publish a regional breakdown of the 'R' infection rate for coronavirus. |
Burnham calls for more Covid-19 support for English regions
12/05/2020 The Government has been urged to provide extra support for cities outside London to deal with the cost of easing lockdown restrictions. |
West Yorkshire devolution deal moves to next stage
25/03/2020 The West Yorkshire devolution deal has taken a step forward after receiving backing from Bradford Council and Kirklees Council. |
Mayoral governance in Bristol has 'boosted visibility' of leadership
18/03/2020 Mayoral governance in Bristol has boosted the visibility of city leadership but restricted the role of councillors, new research finds. |
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. |
Mayor calls for English Barnett Formula
21/02/2020 The Government should create an English version of the Barnett Formula to deliver fair funding outside of London, the mayor of Greater Manchester has said. |
Khan launches £25m ‘scrap for cash’ polluting vehicle scheme
24/10/2019 Low-income and disabled motorists in London will receive up to £2,000 for scrapping their old, polluting cars. |
Queen's Speech 19: Devolution White Paper to set out 'structural reform'
14/10/2019 An English devolution White Paper is planned by the Government, it has been confirmed in the Queen’s Speech. |
Changing Tynes
03/10/2019 Heather Jameson talks to Jamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Mayor, about the main challenges facing the combined authority, the region’s devolution deal, and putting party politics to one side. |
Mayor announces £90,000 to help homeless veterans
02/10/2019 Homeless veterans in Yorkshire are set to receive more support as the mayor of the Sheffield City Region announces £90,000 for a local homelessness charity. |
Metro Mayors make case for further devolution
02/10/2019 A group of directly-elected regional mayors have called on Whitehall to devolve more powers and responsibilities to local areas. |
Burnham announces £6m for homelessness scheme
09/09/2019 Mayor Andy Burnham has announced a £6m funding package for the second phase of Greater Manchester’s A Bed Every Night scheme. |
First black Lord Mayor of Liverpool ‘excited’ by opportunity
14/08/2019 Liverpool’s first black Lord Mayor has been announced after her predecessor was forced to step down for sharing a video containing offensive material. |
Liverpool submits £230m ‘Green City Deal’
30/07/2019 The mayor of Liverpool has submitted a proposal to the new prime minister for a £230m Green City Deal to tackle climate change and boost the economy. |
Drop ‘metro mayor’ devolution requirement, PM told
29/07/2019 County council leaders have called on Boris Johnson to ensure there is no mayoral requirement for a ‘full’ devolution deal. |
Liverpool development set to be ‘game-changer’, mayor says
28/02/2019 A plan for up to 1,500 new homes to be built at a prime waterfront spot in Liverpool is set to go ahead. |
Over 900 rough sleepers in Greater Manchester given ‘a bed every night’
21/01/2019 Greater Manchester’s scheme for helping rough sleepers has seen a ‘significant increase’ in the number of people it has helped in the last few months. |
Mayoral candidate steps down after wife’s GBH conviction revealed
16/01/2019 The mayor-elect of Redbridge has withdrawn his nomination after it was revealed that his wife was involved in the killing of a TV executive. |
Tributes paid after sudden death of mayor of Cambridge
14/01/2019 Condolences have been made following the sudden death of the mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Nigel Gawthrope. |
Burnham launches plan to make Greater Manchester an ‘ambitious hub’
07/01/2019 Greater Manchester’s leaders are today announcing ‘radical plans’ to deliver more affordable housing and better transport across the region. |
Metro mayors call for post-Brexit fiscal devolution
08/10/2018 Four of England’s metro mayors are demanding control over the cash set to replace Brussels funding in the wake of Britain’s exit from the European Union. |
Tory London mayoral candidate accused of Islamophobia
05/10/2018 The representative body for British Muslims has accused the Conservative’s mayoral candidate for London of using ‘grotesque language’ about Muslims and Hindus. |
Is local government falling out of love with mayors?
31/08/2018 If local government is to have a future, we need to be more confident in supporting directly-elected mayors at all levels, writes Paul Wheeler. |
Councils spend £4.5m on transport for mayors
21/08/2018 Local authorities have spent an estimated £4.5m over the last three years on cars to help mayors perform their official duties, anti-tax campaigners have revealed. |
Bristol’s lord mayor removes slave trader’s portrait from office
20/06/2018 A 316-year-old portrait of a prominent slave trader, responsible for the deaths of thousands, has been removed from the lord mayor of Bristol’s office. |
Tax-raising powers for mayors could help reduce health inequalities, report says
15/06/2018 A leading research group has called for cities to be given more powers to help improve public health. |
Scrap all districts says Heseltine
05/06/2018 District councils should be scrapped and 60 unitary counties created instead across England led by directly-elected mayors according to former Cabinet minister Lord Heseltine |
Housing should be a human right says Burnham
08/05/2018 Housing should be a made a human right in the same way as education and health, the mayor of Greater Manchester has said today. |
Burnham proposes ‘rogue landlord’ amnesty
25/04/2018 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has proposed an amnesty for ‘rogue landlords’ in an attempt to drive them out of the private rented sector. |
Think tank outlines priorities for Sheffield's metro mayor
09/03/2018 The new mayor of Sheffield City Region should quickly introduce a ‘clean air charge’ when they take office, address skills gaps and bolster commercial centres, according to a think tank. |
Residents on London estates will be balloted over regeneration plans
02/02/2018 Residents in London will be balloted on any new regeneration plans affecting their estates, under plans announced by the mayor today. |
Devolution - have the wheels fallen off the wagon?
17/01/2018 With the news that no new devolution deals were agreed last year, Mark Whitehead explores why the policy seems to have come to a grinding halt. |
Mayors call for ‘major’ devolution programme
02/11/2017 Seven regional and city-wide mayors have come together for the first time to call for a major new programme of devolution to city regions. |
Think tank proposes establishment of mayors’ senate to deal with Brexit
12/10/2017 A local government think tank has told Whitehall they cannot ‘cherry pick’ what powers are handed down locally and has called for ‘radical change’ to help councils tackle major challenges. |
New rules strengthen standards for councillors and mayors
19/09/2017 Anyone found guilty of serious crimes will be banned from serving on local councils under new rules, local government minister says. |
Charity urges mayors to create ‘golden age of civic philanthropy’
17/07/2017 England’s directly-elected mayors should create a ‘new golden age of civic philanthropy’ by attracting donations to their cities, charity says. |
The philanthropist mayor
17/07/2017 Rhodri Davies explores how mayors can jump-start a new culture of civic philanthropy. |
Burnham calls for metro mayors to have more role in Brexit
05/07/2017 The Government has failed to give the English regions any meaningful role in the Brexit negotiations, Andy Burnham, the directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester, has said today. |
Need for elected mayors are scrapped by all parties
19/05/2017 County council leaders have welcomed the requirement for newly-devolved local authorities to have directly-elected mayors being dropped. |
New mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sets out 100-day vision
12/05/2017 A string of new transport and infrastructure proposals have been unveiled by the new mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in his 100-day manifesto. |
New mayors urged to prioritise inclusive growth
12/05/2017 One of the greatest challenges facing the newly elected metro mayors is achieving inclusive growth, new research has revealed. |
Greater Manchester mayor donates 15% of salary to homelessness fund
08/05/2017 The newly elected mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has donated 15% of his salary to help eradicate homeless in the region. |
Mayors must unite behind devolution agenda, think tank says
05/05/2017 England’s mayors must unite to demand more devolved powers to improve local public services and boost trade post-Brexit, a leading think tank says. |
Conservatives win West of England's first mayoral election
05/05/2017 Conservative Tim Bowles has become the first mayor of the West of England Combined Authority. |
Metro mayors ‘potentially worrying’ products of secret deals
04/05/2017 The new regional mayors are the products of deals done ‘behind closed doors’ and are therefore ‘worrying’, warns academic. |
Fears as new era of metro mayors dawns
04/05/2017 Local government big hitters have voiced concerns about the accountability, effectiveness and necessity of the incoming combined authority mayors. |
New city-region mayors should be ‘integration champions’, think tank urges
02/05/2017 The new ‘metro mayors’ will be well placed to become integration ‘champions’ for their areas, report says. |
Metro mayors should place digital at ‘the heart’ of their plans
26/04/2017 The new metro mayors should put digital devolution at the ‘heart of their plans’, tech industry campaigners say. |
Combined authorities risk being 'preserve of men' finds report
18/04/2017 Nearly all (93%) of senior positions in the new combined authorities will be appointed to white men, new research has revealed. |
Mayors can ‘transform’ city regions but need more power, report says
10/04/2017 The new metro mayors will have the power to transform their city regions, but there has been little policy development for this purpose, progressive think tank says. |
Mayors: a powerful voice for local government?
24/03/2017 Will the rise of elected mayors lead to a rebirth of local democracy? Neil Merrick investigates. |
East Midlands devolution deal announced
17/03/2017 The communities secretary yesterday announced a new devolution deal for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which will see millions of pounds worth of investment in the region. |
Full control handed back to Tower Hamlets
17/03/2017 The Government has withdrawn its commissioners from Tower Hamlets LBC, handing full control back to the council. |
New Tees Valley mayor granted powers to ‘drive’ economic development
14/03/2017 Tees Valley Combined Authority has become the first authority outside of London to be granted the power to create locally-accountable Mayoral Development Corporations. |
Elected mayor saves £1m with revised sea defence scheme
23/02/2017 Council’s planning committee has given the green light to a North Tyneside sea defence scheme that will save £1m of public money. |
Combined authorities the ‘natural leaders’ for driving reform of criminal justice system
22/02/2017 Metro mayors should use newly-devolved criminal justice powers to cut reoffending rates, report urges. |
Bristol mayor vows to get a grip on city’s finances
09/02/2017 Bristol’s mayor has vowed to get the city’s finances under control after a report criticised the council for a ‘collective failure of leadership’ in achieving past savings. |
Metro mayor must show they ‘mean business’ from day one
09/02/2017 The West Midland’s metro mayor should make tackling traffic congestion a priority in order to get a ‘quick policy win’ on assuming office, report says. |
What to look out for in 2017
16/12/2016 As a turbulent 2016 draws to close what are the legal issues which loom on the 2017 horizon for local authorities? |
Elected mayors essential for ‘local accountability’—DCLG
08/11/2016 The Government has confirmed that it will not back down over directly elected mayors despite scepticism from county leaders. |
Metro mayors should be given ‘radical housing powers’
31/10/2016 Metro mayors should be given ‘radical housing powers’ to tackle housing crisis, think tank argues. |
Manchester launches People’s Plan to ‘amplify’ local voices
25/10/2016 A 'People's Plan' has been launched in Manchester to gather views on how the city should be run under an elected mayor and devolved powers. |
People reject elected mayor for Guildford in referendum
17/10/2016 Residents have rejected the idea of having a directly elected mayor in Guildford. |
Metro mayors 'a pill you take' to achieve devolution
04/10/2016 The point of a metro mayor is to 'take the blame' if something goes wrong, says chairman of the Local Government Association. |
North Lincolnshire Council set to join combined authority
29/09/2016 North Lincolnshire Council is set to accept a metro mayor by signing up to a Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority (GLCA). |
Khan calls for new powers over taxes and public services
21/09/2016 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is calling for more control over taxes and public services to match the powers given to the mayors of New York and Chicago. |
Elected mayor for combined authority 'done deal', Government insists
15/09/2016 The terms of the Sheffield City Region’s devolution deal are ‘absolutely clear’ and involve an elected mayor, Whitehall insists. |
‘Business as usual' amid end of metro mayor rumours
22/08/2016 Whitehall has denied claims that Theresa May is planning to axe plans to impose directly elected mayors on regions as a prerequisite to devolution. |
Where next for devolution?
18/08/2016 Will government demands for elected mayors in devolution deals survive in the post-Brexit shake-up and how will the agenda be shaped by the referendum result? Simon Goacher looks at the evidence. |
May urged to give mayors greater freedoms and powers
13/07/2016 New prime minister Theresa May has been urged to give new regional mayors more borrowing and taxation powers, and lift borrowing rates for councils. |
Clark hints support for devo deal without mayor
07/07/2016 Communities secretary Greg Clark has hinted he could back devolution in Leicestershire without enforcing a mayor. |
Demand for mayor in devo deals might ‘not last forever’
06/07/2016 The Government could scrap demands for an elected mayor in devolution deals, a local government academic has hinted. |
Need for elected mayor puts Cheshire devolution bid on hold
13/06/2016 The proposed devolution deal for Cheshire and Warrington has been put on hold, following concerns over the requirement to have an elected mayor. |
Council leaders accuses Government of 'lack of honesty' over devo deals
09/06/2016 North Somerset Council leader Cllr Nigel Ashton has launched a blistering attack on the Government’s ‘lack of honesty’ over devolution. |
Surrey council to vote on elected mayor
24/05/2016 Voters in Guildford are to be polled on whether or not they want to have a directly-elected mayor. |
LGA: Power over buses should be given to all councils
19/05/2016 All councils should be able to commission their own bus services, not just those with elected mayors, local government leaders have demanded. |
North East agree devolution deal
18/05/2016 Councillors in the North East have moved a step closer to launching a devolved authority with an elected mayor for the region. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
