Questions over link between welfare and rent increases
18/08/2026 Unfreezing housing benefits would not drive increasing rents, according to newly-published analysis. |
New body launched to push for Leicester and Leicestershire mayor
18/08/2026 A new organisation, Devolution Leicestershire, has been launched to build the case for a regional mayor covering Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. |
Mother tells inquest son's fall from tower block was ‘preventable’
18/08/2026 The mother of a five-year-old boy who died after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window in east London has told an inquest his death was ‘preventable.’ |
Councils warn planning reforms will hand more power to developers
18/08/2026 County council leaders have warned that new planning rules risk weakening local communities' voices and shifting the balance of power towards developers. |
Legal threat to Burnham asylum plan
17/08/2026 Reform UK and the Conservatives could launch legal challenges to prevent PM Andy Burnham from spreading asylum accommodation more evenly across the country. |
Lewisham launches taskforce to crack down on rogue landlords
17/08/2026 Lewisham Council has launched an intelligence-led taskforce to target non-compliant landlords and raise standards across the borough's private rented sector. |
Defence firms could reindustrialise the North East, think tank claims
17/08/2026 Use the defence sector to drive local regeneration and reindustrialise the North East of England, a free market think tank says. |
Caution urged due to wildfire risk across communities
17/08/2026 The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has called for a long-term wildfire strategy amid the increasing risk of wildfires that are threatening homes. |
Devolution race exposes divisions over mayor question
13/08/2026 The Government was this week facing hurdles as it races to complete the devolution map across England by the end of 2028. |
West of England mayor allocates £500k to help buildings stay cool
13/08/2026 West of England mayor Helen Godwin is offering grants worth up to £15k to help care homes and community groups improve their energy efficiency and help people stay cool amid heatwaves. |
Action needed to avert reorganisation’s threat to councils’ links with charities, report warns
13/08/2026 Action is needed by councils undergoing local government reorganisation (LGR) to ensure the changes do not hinder partnerships with their local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. |
Council warns drivers over hazardous bin lorry undertaking
11/08/2026 Blaby District Council has issued a prosecution warning to ‘menace drivers’ who have been dangerously undertaking the local authority’s bin crews. |
Councils set to gain powers to block new betting and vape shops
11/08/2026 Councils are to be given strengthened powers to prevent new betting and vape shops from opening, the Prime Minister has announced. |
Local farmers and wildlife come under pressure as drought spreads
11/08/2026 A warning has been issued about the impacts of dry weather on local farmers and wildlife as nearly three quarters of England enters drought status. |
Half of LGA meetings shrouded in secrecy
11/08/2026 The Local Government Association (LGA) has insisted it is looking to ‘maximise transparency’ despite not making agendas publicly available for almost half of its meetings. |
Out of area placements continue to rise
10/08/2026 London boroughs top the list of councils exporting homeless households out of their areas as the practice grows, latest figures have shown. |
Six London councils warn new equality code risks excluding Trans+ people
10/08/2026 Six London councils have urged the Government to ensure Trans+ people are not excluded from public life following the commencement of new rules on single-sex spaces. |
Ofqual launches council-level exam results data
07/08/2026 Ofqual has updated its interactive analytics platform to show exam results broken down by local authority, ahead of this year's A Level and GCSE results days. |
Waste body warns fridge recycling system nearing breaking point
07/08/2026 NAWDO is calling on the Government to help local authorities cope with mounting pressure on the UK's fridge and freezer recycling infrastructure. |
EXCLUSIVE: Council denies senior officer suspensions amid chief executive exit row
06/08/2026 Two senior Derby City Council officers are ‘currently out of the office’ after a row over two fact finding exercises into the former chief executive, The MJ understands. |
Under-5s hit hardest by food poverty, EPI finds
06/08/2026 Nearly a quarter (24%) of households with children under the age of five experience food poverty, according to new analysis. |
Council receives objection to ‘deficient assessment’ of oil site expansion
05/08/2026 A campaign group has submitted an objection to Surrey County Council, in an attempt to prevent an oil site development being approved. |
Council takes ‘robust action’ following waste dumping arrests
05/08/2026 Four arrests have been made following a large-scale illegal waste dumping operation in Wigan, prompting the council to support enforcement action. |
New devo powers risk widening regional divide, report warns
04/08/2026 New fiscal powers allowing strategic authorities to retain income tax and business rates could deepen regional inequalities, a new report has warned. |
Parish councils urged to submit evidence to high streets inquiry
03/08/2026 The Society of Local Council Clerks is encouraging town and parish councils to engage with a new Parliamentary inquiry into the future of high streets. |
Rogue trader jailed for stealing £187k from 22 victims
03/08/2026 A rogue trader has been jailed for five years after stealing £187,000 from 22 victims across Stoke-on-Trent. |
Council demands tougher fly-tipping sentences after offender avoids jail
03/08/2026 Gravesham is calling for stronger sentencing powers in fly-tipping cases after a man behind one of the borough's worst offences received a suspended sentence. |
Oldham Council acting ‘unlawfully’, legal boss says
03/08/2026 Oldham Council is acting unlawfully by failing to elect a leader or cabinet, the council’s top legal boss says. |
EXCLUSIVE: Councils suffering from asylum data blackout
31/07/2026 A Government review of asylum accommodation data-sharing arrangements remains ongoing five months after Whitehall officials said they were ‘trying’ to restore council access to information, The MJ has learnt. |
Regional leaders consider £90m boost for new bus network
31/07/2026 A £90m funding boost for a fleet of new buses could be on the table for West Yorkshire. |
Norfolk deputy leader urges Rayner to halt £96m reorganisation
30/07/2026 Norfolk CC's deputy leader has written to newly appointed Secretary of State for local government Angela Rayner, urging her to halt reorganisation in Norfolk. |
North Northants launches consultation on town and parish council changes
30/07/2026 North Northants Council has launched the second stage of its community governance review, inviting residents to have their say on proposed changes. |
Reform UK councillor charged over offensive social media post
30/07/2026 Sunderland City Council's Reform UK councillor Glenn Gibbins has been charged with posting a grossly offensive comment on social media, police have confirmed. |
Fire chiefs urge public to follow local wildfire guidance
29/07/2026 Fire and rescue services are urging the public to follow local authority guidance on fire risks and restrictions as wildfire danger remains elevated. |
Cambridge City Council leads in litter enforcement
28/07/2026 Cambridgeshire councils have accumulated almost £100,000 in littering fines over the last three years. |
Local government handed role developing skills pipelines
28/07/2026 Councils and mayors will be given a role in developing skills pipelines for local industries under plans announced by the Government. |
Strong governance key to better social homes, regulator says
28/07/2026 Landlords with robust governance are best placed to deliver more and better social homes, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has said. |
South Tyneside prepares to abandon climate declaration
27/07/2026 Reform-led South Tyneside Council is voting this week on a proposal to rescind its Climate Emergency declaration. |
Gloucestershire CC requests funding for M5 junction upgrade
27/07/2026 Gloucestershire County Council has appealed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to urge him to back plans to create a new junction on the M5. |
Think tank warns of growing child poverty crisis
27/07/2026 Three and a half million children across England are facing relative poverty, research has found. |
Council votes to refuse support for immigration raids
24/07/2026 Lewisham Council has passed what is believed to be the UK's first motion committing a local authority to review its cooperation with immigration enforcement. |
McMahon returns to MHCLG
23/07/2026 Jim McMahon is returning to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) less than a year after Keir Starmer sacked him. |
Council supports clean-up operation for plastic pellet spillage
23/07/2026 South Tyneside Council has called for residents to report sightings of plastic pellets on the coastline after a spillage caused by a vessel collision on Sunday. |
Liverpool to upgrade communal bin stations in fly-tipping crackdown
23/07/2026 Liverpool's communal bin collection points are set for a major overhaul, with Cabinet members due to approve contractors to build permanent housing units. |
1.4 million children miss out on free holiday clubs
22/07/2026 Most children entitled to free holiday clubs, activities and a hot meal in England missed out last year, according to new research. |
Councils cautiously welcome £2 bus fare cap
22/07/2026 The Government has announced that single bus fares in England outside London will be capped at £2 from January to December 2027, replacing the £3 cap. |
Council depot visit unveils Norfolk’s bus network improvements
22/07/2026 A visit to First Bus’s Great Yarmouth depot has revealed the rewards of Norfolk County Council and First Bus’s £13.8m investment in the region’s bus services. |
Think tank urges Burnham to learn from past growth policy
22/07/2026 A new report from Localis is urging incoming PM Andy Burnham to draw on lessons from decades of local growth policy as he pursues ‘Manchesterism’. |
Council data prompts call for review of Dangerous Wild Animals Act
22/07/2026 More than 2,200 non-native wild animals are being kept under private ownership in Britain through council-issued licences. |
New Glasgow trail explores city's links to slavery and colonialism
22/07/2026 A new city centre trail has launched in Glasgow, highlighting the city's colonial history and the lasting impact of its role in the transatlantic slave trade. |
Marylebone households face losing affordable homes after court ruling
Oldham Council refers itself to MHCLG after failed leadership vote
West Midlands leaders empowered to run local bus network
PM announces £442m rough sleeping drive
