Charity calls for more inclusivity in schools
22/05/2025 A charity has called for more diversity to be included in the national curriculum to promote racial inclusion in schools and prevent children from being left behind. |
Short-term funding threatens household support scheme
21/05/2025 The effectiveness of the Household Support Fund has been undermined by ‘chaotic and declining’ funding, according to a think tank. |
Starmer announces U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts
21/05/2025 Keir Starmer has said he would review the winter fuel entitlement policy after critics warned it would impact pensioners struggling with the cost of living. |
MHCLG: Grenfell demolition to start in autumn
21/05/2025 Preparation work for the demolition of Grenfell Tower is expected to begin in August, the Government has confirmed. |
Legal threats to Reform ambitions
21/05/2025 Reform UK's ambitions to shake up local government could be stymied by legal hurdles, an expert warned this week. |
'Poor' awareness of election reforms
20/05/2025 There was ‘poor' awareness of extra measures to help disabled voters and those without ID in last year's General Election, according to an official report. |
Ball game disruption costs council £1,000
20/05/2025 Hampshire County Council has been told to pay a couple £1,000 in damages due to the inconvenience caused by the neighbouring school’s play area. |
Plans to deliver new towns could cost £48bn
20/05/2025 Government plans to build up to 12 new towns in England could cost £48bn, a new study estimates. |
Ministers accused of 'centralising zeal'
20/05/2025 Ministers have been accused of ‘taking away decision-making powers from local people' in a new amendment to its Planning and Infrastructure Bill. |
Wealthy boroughs place homeless families in deprived areas
19/05/2025 Wealthier London boroughs are increasingly placing homeless families in more deprived areas, charities warn. |
Reform vows ‘large-scale reversal’ of LTNs
19/05/2025 Reform UK has said it will axe low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the councils it controls. |
Judge rules in favour of campaigner in Battle for Brockwell
16/05/2025 A judge has ruled in favour of a campaigner who took legal action against Lambeth Council to stop it allowing the use of a local park for festivals. |
Council fined £3k for woman’s rent increases
16/05/2025 A council has been ordered to pay a woman more than £3,000 in compensation for charging her unaffordable rent while she was in temporary accommodation. |
EXCLUSIVE: Push for local PACs slows amid Whitehall scepticism
16/05/2025 Support for establishing local versions of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) across England is softening as the Government ponders whether to push the idea. |
Council told to apologise to homeless abuse survivor
15/05/2025 The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has asked Halton Borough Council to apologise and pay monthly reparations to a homeless domestic abuse survivor they failed to help. |
Councils urged to ringfence housing for women prison leavers
15/05/2025 Local authorities should ringfence a proportion of their supported housing units for women released from prison, a new report says. |
Surrey reorganisation plan based on ‘flawed data’, opponents claim
14/05/2025 A plan for two new unitary authorities in Surrey is based on ‘inconsistent, incomplete and flawed data’, opposition councillors say. |
Debt hurdle remains for reorganisation plans
14/05/2025 Multi-billion pound debts remain a point of contention in reorganisation negotiations as the deadline passed for the first of the final plans to be submitted. |
MPs call for oversight of Grenfell inquiry recommendations
14/05/2025 MPs have called for an independent national oversight mechanism to ensure the recommendations made by the Grenfell inquiry are implemented. |
Skyrocketing Right to Buy applications threaten social housing projects
13/05/2025 A recent rise in Right to Buy (RTB) applications is putting pressure on councils attempting to deliver affordable social housing, the LGA warns. |
Flood victims missing out on support
13/05/2025 Thousands of flood victims are not receiving essential Government support to help protect their homes against future storms, new research reveals. |
Council’s anti-slavery policy used to fight solar farm
12/05/2025 Locals opposed to a solar panel project on the Hampshire-Berkshire border are attempting to stop it by arguing it could breach anti-slavery commitments. |
Welsh councils prepare to transform community spaces
12/05/2025 Nine councils in Wales are due to receive £31.5m to support ongoing development projects in local towns and communities. |
Number of children living in hygiene poverty surges
12/05/2025 A recent study has revealed a staggering number of children are living in hygiene poverty, with over one million children unable to access essential products such as shower gel, deodorant and toothpaste. |
Spelthorne commissioners named
09/05/2025 The Government has announced the appointment of four commissioners at Spelthorne BC. |
Mayor of London unveils ‘ambitious’ green belt plans
09/05/2025 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced plans to build tens of thousands of new homes on green belt land despite his previous opposition to green belt developments |
Council ordered to investigate nursery payment policies
08/05/2025 BCP Council has been told it needs to do better when it comes to overseeing nursery fees when they are providing the Government’s free places scheme. |
‘Watchdogs with bite’ needed to hold mayors to account
08/05/2025 More scrutiny is needed to ensure that increasingly powerful mayors are held to account, think tank says. |
Political balance of LGA confirmed
08/05/2025 The political proportionality of the Local Government Association (LGA) following the local elections has been confirmed. |
Reform UK urged to take responsibilities seriously
07/05/2025 Sector leaders have called on Reform UK councillors to take their responsibilities seriously following the party's sweeping success in the local elections. |
Skills England 'needs time to prove itself'
06/05/2025 The agency created by the Government to boost post-16 skills in England needs a year to show whether it will be effective, a prominent educationalist says. |
Government launches support network to help local veterans
06/05/2025 Local authority leaders have welcomed a new system designed to make it easier for veterans to access care and support but cautioned against the duplication of services. |
Reform criticised after flag ban proposal
06/05/2025 Reform has sparked controversy after declaring the only flags that will be flown by councils it controls will be the Union Jack and St. George’s Cross. |
Reform gains in English local elections
02/05/2025 Labour has held onto key mayoralties even though it looks like Nigel Farage's Reform UK will make significant gains in local elections across England. |
Rural areas deprived of affordable homes, says Princess Anne
02/05/2025 HRH The Princess Royal has highlighted the urgency of the rural housing crisis, following statistics that reveal waiting lists for affordable rural housing increased by 20% between 2020-2023. |
Exclusive: Community duty mooted
02/05/2025 The Government is looking to hand all councils an extra duty to involve community groups in their decision-making, The MJ has learnt. |
Surrey councils stand firm in reorganisation plans
30/04/2025 District and borough councils across Surrey have published proposals for local government reorganisation, defying the Government’s requests for unity on final proposals. |
Councils struggling to cover animal welfare costs
30/04/2025 Local authority efforts to enforce animal welfare legislation are undermined by cost restraints, according to a report by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). |
Council takes legal advice over listed building blaze
30/04/2025 Wiltshire Council is taking legal advice over a fire at a listed building at the centre of a planning dispute. |
Climate change due to wreak havoc on properties
30/04/2025 More than six million properties in England are in areas that are at risk of flooding, the Climate Change Committee has warned. |
Fly-tippers to be charged for cost of seizing vehicles
30/04/2025 The Government is encouraging councils to work with the police to seize and crush vehicles used by waste criminals as part of a crack-down on fly-tipping. |
200k children risk being trapped in temporary accommodation
29/04/2025 Over 200,000 children could be in temporary accommodation by the end of this Parliament if more isn’t done to build social housing, homelessness charity warns. |
Council chiefs call for solar panels on new builds
28/04/2025 All new homes should have solar panels installed to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs for households, council leaders say. |
Call for kerbside collections amidst battery-fire crisis
28/04/2025 Universal kerbside collections for waste batteries and electricals across the UK could save £6bn by boosting recycling and tackling the battery fire 'epidemic'. |
Brighton and Hove takes steps to combat elm disease
28/04/2025 Brighton and Hove City Council is set to launch its annual inoculation programme to protect thousands of historic trees from elm disease. |
Carbon tax could cost councils billions, LGA warns
25/04/2025 A scheme aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the burning of waste could place ‘billions of pounds’ of unavoidable costs on local authorities, LGA warns. |
RAC fears private parking firms are escaping scrutiny
25/04/2025 Private firms that run local car parks are set to issue a record 14.5 million tickets to drivers this year. |
Directors of children’s services criticise pepper spray policy
24/04/2025 Council directors working in children’s services have criticized the Government’s decision to allow the use of pepper spray in young offender institutions. |
Councils risk being 'fleeced' over reorg, says former commissioner
24/04/2025 Councils facing reorganisation face being ‘fleeced' by consultants keen to profit from the process, a former Northamptonshire CC commissioner has claimed. |
Call for caution over land value capture reform
24/04/2025 Experts have urged against wholesale reform of developer contributions, despite the flaws within the current system. |
Rayner: Mayors must be accountable
Council wrong to evict Romani Gypsy families, judge says
Council defers net zero target for nine years
Hackney warned of ‘positivity prism’ danger
