Devolution plans threaten councils' existence, Localis warns
01/10/2026 Devolution without decentralisation of decision-making powers risks marginalising local government to the point of an existential threat, warns Localis. |
London boroughs identify sites for 50,000 council homes
01/10/2026 London boroughs have identified sites for more than 50,000 new council homes in the capital, if enough funding is available, according to new analysis. |
Humberside PCC urges PM to back Humber-wide combined authority
30/09/2026 Humberside's Police and Crime Commissioner and his deputy have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to rethink devolution in the region and create a Humber-wide combined authority. |
Worcestershire reorganisation row erupts
30/09/2026 A row has erupted at Worcestershire CC over the future of reorganisation for the county. |
Two councils handed C3 housing grades by regulator
30/09/2026 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and Thanet District Council have each received a C3 consumer grade from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). |
Ashfield DC welcomes new leader after predecessor convicted
29/09/2026 A new leader of Ashfield District Council has been appointed to replace the former head, who was recently convicted of fraud. |
COSLA: Staff must shape Scottish council reform
29/09/2026 Council staff must have a meaningful say in the future of local services, COSLA has said. |
Traction gained in efforts to ban school attendance prosecutions
28/09/2026 A petition to ban fines and prosecutions for school non-attendance has reached nearly 140,000 signatures. |
£210m fund to revive derelict high streets
28/09/2026 Derelict shops, cinemas and shopping centres are to be transformed into cafes, shared workspaces and community hubs under a £210m Government package. |
Councils get powers to reclaim empty homes faster
28/09/2026 Councils in England will be able to step in much sooner on long-term empty properties under reforms announced by the Government. |
Gloucester City Council temporarily without leader
28/09/2026 The leader of Gloucester City Council has been ousted following a vote of no confidence. |
Building fraud gang jailed for more than 60 years after £1m scam
25/09/2026 Members of a 22-strong criminal network behind a £1m building fraud have been jailed for a combined total of more than 63 years at Teesside Crown Court. |
Scrap Jobcentre Plus and devolve support to Mayors, think tank urges
25/09/2026 Employment support should be devolved to mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs) and Jobcentre Plus scrapped entirely, according to a new report. |
Public backs devolution but wants deprived areas prioritised
25/09/2026 Devolution must deliver tangible economic change for England's left-behind towns and neighbourhoods if it is to retain public support, report argues. |
Council tightens governance after temporary accommodation procurement gap found
24/09/2026 Havant Borough Council (HBC) is introducing enhanced staff training and governance after officers identified a gap in its temporary accommodation procurement processes. |
Salisbury approves citywide rollout of children’s medals
24/09/2026 Salisbury City Council is expected to spend up to £30,000 on the delivery of anniversary medals for the city’s 800th anniversary. |
Londoners underpaying £3.1bn in property tax, think tank reveals
24/09/2026 Londoners are underpaying billions of pounds a year in property tax because council tax remains based on 1991 property valuations, think tank says. |
Reform seeks to withdraw Bradford Council’s sanctuary status
23/09/2026 Opposition councillors have criticised Bradford Reform UK Group’s proposals to withdraw the council from its Local Authority of Sanctuary status. |
Bristol council leader defends flight after banning high-carbon ads
23/09/2026 The leader of Bristol CC has defended flying to New York for a climate summit days after the council banned advertising for high-carbon industries. |
Five Leicestershire councils challenge Government’s LGR plans
23/09/2026 Five Leicestershire councils have issued a pre-action letter to the Government, the first formal step towards a possible legal challenge over reorganisation. |
London boroughs welcome devo plans but warn of £5.2bn funding gap
23/09/2026 London Councils has warned of a widening £5.2bn funding gap facing the capital's boroughs by 2030, even as it welcomes Government devolution plans. |
St Helens landlord hit with £35k fine over unlicensed HMO
23/09/2026 A landlord in St Helens has been fined £35,000 after failing to license a property let out to multiple tenants, following enforcement action by St Helens BC. |
Burnham 'growth in every postcode' ambition dismissed
23/09/2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been warned against awarding groundbreaking tax powers to every region. |
Barnham considers following suit with symbolic independence vote
22/09/2026 Barnham Parish Council is in talks about holding a symbolic independence referendum due to proposals to house asylum seekers at a site close by. |
Council leader quits after drunken conference incident
22/09/2026 Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council has resigned following claims he became intoxicated at a conference and made a threatening remark about Plaid Cymru. |
Scots council map to be torn up
22/09/2026 The Scottish Government has announced proposals for a major shake-up of councils. |
Over £20m confirmed in affordable home funding
21/09/2026 A cash injection of nearly £22m has been delivered to help councils accelerate housebuilding plans for affordable homes. |
West Bridgford residents to be consulted on possible town council
21/09/2026 Residents in West Bridgford are set to be asked whether the area should get its own town council. |
High-carbon advertising banned on council-owned sites in Bristol
21/09/2026 Bristol councillors have backed a move to end high-carbon advertising on local authority-owned sites. |
Councils warn reorg review must bring ‘material change of direction’
17/09/2026 The County Councils Network (CCN) has warned that the Government’s review of local government reorganisation must lead to a genuine shift in approach. |
Councils spend £8m a day on temporary accommodation
17/09/2026 Councils in England spent £2.93bn on temporary accommodation for homeless households between April 2025 and March 2026, new Government figures show. |
ADEPT urges Government to pause Deposit Return Scheme rollout
17/09/2026 ADEPT is calling on the Government to pause the rollout of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers and carry out a full review of its cost. |
Charity calls for cheaper compulsory purchase powers for councils
17/09/2026 The Wildlife Trusts is calling on the Government to make it more affordable for local authorities to use compulsory purchase powers to buy land for parks. |
Welsh councils agree shared vision for the future of local government
17/09/2026 Council leaders and chief executives across Wales have agreed a new vision for the future of local government, setting out how councils can work differently. |
Director issues warning following legal action
16/09/2026 A council director targeted by a member of the public with legal action has voiced fears others could be singled out in the same manner. |
Village residents to hold symbolic vote on leaving the UK
15/09/2026 A village in Oxfordshire is set to hold a symbolic referendum on its membership of the UK in protest at plans to house asylum seekers at a former barracks. |
Scottish councils press for more powers
14/09/2026 Councils in Scotland are pressing to gain powers over public health, transport and further education as part of a Government shake-up. |
Overgrown gardens are blocking road signs, RAC warn
14/09/2026 Almost one in five UK drivers (19%) have accidentally broken the speed limit because overgrown foliage was blocking a road sign, according to an RAC survey. |
New £1bn train fleet to create hundreds of jobs in Derby
11/09/2026 An investment of £1bn has been confirmed to support the delivery of 29 new battery-electric trains that will serve northern communities and boost local workforces. |
Temporary accommodation inquiry launched by NAO
11/09/2026 The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched an inquiry into the resilience of temporary accommodation amid soaring demand. |
Councillors call for emergency climate change briefing
10/09/2026 A televised emergency briefing on the national climate crisis is required, East Suffolk Council has argued. |
Mayors handed power to introduce overnight visitor levy
10/09/2026 Mayors and local leaders across England will be given the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy as part of the Government's fiscal devolution drive. |
EXCLUSIVE: Burnham wish for new settlement with sector
10/09/2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told council leaders he wants to ‘create a new settlement between central and local’. |
Greater Manchester mayor backs new regeneration bodies
10/09/2026 Mayor Bev Craig has thrown her support behind plans to create mayoral development corporations covering Oldham, Bolton, Middleton, and Ashton and Stalybridge. |
New registration service launched to support rogue landlord crackdown
10/09/2026 A new registration service has been developed to help councils identify rogue landlords more effectively. |
Nottingham cracks down on anti-social face coverings
10/09/2026 Nottingham is set to become one of the first cities in the UK to introduce powers aimed at tackling the intimidating use of face coverings. |
Concerns over reorganisation delay impact on devolution
09/09/2026 MPs have raised concerns around the impact that a delay to local government reorganisation (LGR) announced this week will have on the Government’s devolution agenda. |
JCB chairman denies backroom deal with Reform over Pothole Pro
08/09/2026 The chairman of JCB has dismissed accusations that Reform UK struck a deal involving a £200k donation and his company's pothole-repair machine. |
Healey: Fiscal devolution needed for successful cities
08/09/2026 Fiscal devolution is needed to ‘transfer power and resources from Whitehall to our regions’, chancellor John Healey has insisted. |
EXCLUSIVE: Croydon concerns over transformation
08/09/2026 Croydon LBC's corporate management team and commissioners have privately expressed concerns about the council's transformation pace, focus and outcomes. |
EXCLUSIVE: Reorganisation door open for 2028
New home building slows as planning approvals decline
Nearly £80m handed to communities for tree-planting
Homeless deaths rise to 1,720 in 2025, research finds
