Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
The key role local authorities play in the mental health of young migrants and refugees
07/05/2021 Amy Spiller explains how accessing mental health support through their local authorities can have a transformative effect on young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. |
Government tells councils to ‘do their bit’ for child asylum seekers
21/08/2020 The Home Office has called on local authorities to do more to support vulnerable children seeking asylum in the UK. |
Extending support for refugees could save millions, research finds
18/02/2020 Helping new refugees for longer could help save the public purse millions of pounds every year, new research has revealed today. |
Providing sanctuary for refugees
10/12/2019 Neil Merrick finds out what councils across the country are doing to welcome and resettle Syrian refugees. |
Helping young migrants settle in the UK
04/11/2019 Amy Spiller explains how young people from migrant backgrounds are inspiring newcomers to the UK. |
London boroughs warn refugee scheme ‘is not working’
08/07/2019 The Government scheme for distributing refugee children throughout the country is not working, according to London Councils. |
Javid commits to resettling 5,000 refugees next year
18/06/2019 Sajid Javid has announced that the UK will resettle 5,000 more refugees under a new, expanded resettlement scheme that will come into force next year. |
Government publishes guide on how to treat refugees
04/06/2019 A framework giving advice on how to treat refugees and migrants has been produced by the Home Office. |
Councils ‘lose confidence’ in system for housing asylum seekers
17/12/2018 Inspection of housing for asylum seekers should be carried out by councils rather than civil servants, MPs have recommended. |
Government acted ‘unlawfully’ over Dubs Amendment
04/10/2018 The Court of Appeal ruled yesterday that the Government acted ‘unlawfully’ in not giving reasons to children refused entry to Britain under the Dubs Amendment. |
Children from Calais refugee camp granted leave to stay in UK
14/09/2018 The Government has announced a new form of leave for children transferred to the UK during the 2016 clearance of the Calais refugee camp. |
Asylum seeker evictions will create 'humanitarian crisis’, Scottish politicians warn
31/07/2018 Politicians are urging the home secretary to prevent a 'humanitarian crisis' by halting outsourcing company's plans to evict hundreds of failed asylum seekers. |
Resettled Syrian refugees report ‘positive experiences’ with councils
27/07/2018 Syrian refugees who have been resettled in the UK with the support of councils report ‘more positive experiences’ than those coming through the asylum route. |
UK half way to meeting target of resettling 20,000 refugees
22/02/2018 The UK has passed the half way mark in its commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020. |
Council ‘struggling’ to resettle refugees
11/01/2018 A Welsh authority is struggling to rehouse Syrian refugees because of a shortage of suitable housing. |
Councils must be ‘fully resourced’ to house refugees, open letter says
15/12/2017 The Government must ensure local authorities are ‘fairly and fully financially resourced’ to house asylum seekers, an open letter from refugee groups says. |
Councils resettle over one third of Gov’s Syrian refugee target
29/08/2017 Over 8,500 Syrian refugees have been resettled by more than 200 local authorities under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme, new figures have revealed. |
Whitehall announces £1m of refugee support funds
19/07/2017 The home secretary today announced £1m of extra funding to help communities support Syrian refugees. |
Asylum seekers face destitution due to lack of Gov support, charity warns
10/07/2017 The Government is going against its own guidance and allowing asylum seekers to fall into destitution, charity warns. |
MPs condemn ‘unfair’ two-tier system of refugee protection
25/04/2017 MPs have condemned the ‘two-tier system of refugee protection’ which is leaving refugees homeless and destitute, undermining their integration prospects. |
Councils can take 4,000 unaccompanied child migrants, MPs claim
06/03/2017 Councils have the capacity to take up to 4,000 unaccompanied child migrants providing they are handed Government cash to support any new scheme, MPs report. |
200 councils house Syrian refugees, figures reveal
23/02/2017 More than 200 local authorities across the UK have housed Syrian refugees in the last one and a half years, new figures reveal. |
Whitehall’s war on unaccompanied minors
14/02/2017 William Eichler argues the decision to scrap the Dubs scheme for child refugee should come as no surprise. |
Government announces U-turn over child refugees
09/02/2017 The Government has announced it will end its commitment to take in thousands of unaccompanied child refugees after only 350 have been brought to Britain. |
Government asylum accommodation a ‘disgrace’, MPs say
31/01/2017 MPs have branded the state of some asylum accommodation provided by Government contractors a ‘disgrace’ and called for more local authorities to take in asylum seekers. |
Council responsibilities towards Syrian refugees ‘too vague’ warn MPs
13/01/2017 A lack of clarity on what local authorities should provide to Syrian refugees poses a threat to the long-term success of the Government’s resettlement programme, committee says. |
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children – the local authority conundrum
29/11/2016 With one in four local authorities allegedly refusing to accept refugee children from the Calais Jungle, what obligations do councils have regarding unaccompanied migrant children? |
Councils covering half the cost of caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children
03/11/2016 The Home Office is only providing local authorities with half the cost of caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, according to new analysis. |
Government pledges support to councils to help refugee children
25/10/2016 The Government will work with councils to help children from the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais who are eligible to enter the UK, home secretary pledged. |
Unaccompanied refugee children: an interview with a Kent councillor
25/10/2016 Closure of the Calais camp means the UK will receive more unaccompanied children. Cllr Peter Oakford talks about the challenges this may pose for councils. |
Devon to host temporary refugee facility
24/10/2016 Devon is to host a temporary respite facility for up to 70 young people from the refugee camp in Calais. |
Support for unaccompanied refugee children must be ‘properly funded’, LGA says
14/10/2016 The Government should ensure ‘long-term funding arrangements’ are in place to help councils as they look after children arriving from the Calais refugee camp. |
Red tape leaving child refugees stranded in Calais 'Jungle' warns report
10/10/2016 Unaccompanied refugee children in the Calais ‘Jungle’ are not being reunited with their family in the UK quickly enough due to too much bureaucracy, a new report had warned. |
Future of Syrian resettlement programme ‘at risk’, auditors say
13/09/2016 The future of the Syrian resettlement programme could be put at risk by local authorities’ lack of suitable accommodation and school places, auditors warn. |
Councils caring for 62% more children seeking asylum
07/09/2016 There has been a 62% increase in the number of unaccompanied children seeking asylum being looked after by councils in the past year, new figures have revealed. |
Councils ‘confident’ they can meet Government’s refugee resettlement target
05/09/2016 Local authorities are ‘confident’ they will be able to fulfil the Government’s pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020. |
London council offers help to refugee children
18/08/2016 Lambeth has committed itself to resettling unaccompanied refugee children and has urged central Government to provide the necessary funding. |
Council chiefs to visit ‘Calais jungle’ migrant camp
17/08/2016 Senior councillors will visit the ‘Calais jungle’ migrant camp tomorrow as part of a trip aimed at considering measures to keep unaccompanied children and young people safe. |
Councils not ‘pulling their weight’ in rehousing Syrian refugees, say MPs
03/08/2016 Some local authorities are failing to do enough to help resettle Syrian refugees, leading to a ‘two-tier system’ of support, MPs have warned today. |
Community sponsorship scheme to support refugees launched
19/07/2016 A new scheme encouraging community groups to sponsor refugee families was launched today by the Home Secretary and the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
Only five Welsh councils re-settling Syrian refugees
06/06/2016 Welsh councils have accused of failing to 'step up to the plate' after the latest figures revealed only five had rehoused Syrian refugees so far - despite all 22 pledging to do so. |
Coventry City Council takes in the most Syrian refugees
27/05/2016 New figures from the Home Office reveal Coventry City Council has supported more Syrian refugees than any other local authority since the expansion of the resettlement programme |
Cameron does u-turn on lone child refugees
05/05/2016 Prime minister David Cameron has backed down on plans not to accept unaccompanied refugee children who were already in Europe, after fears of a Tory revolt. |
Restricting support for migrant families puts children at risk, report says
28/04/2016 Moves to further restrict support to migrant families could leave children homeless and put them at risk of exploitation and abuse, a new report argues. |
Home Office-contracted housing provider told to reduce ‘overcrowding’ in its homes
29/02/2016 The housing provider that was embroiled in the coloured wristband controversy last January has been issued with a legal notice to reduce overcrowding at its premises, the Guardian reports. |
Homes earmarked for refugees needed for flood-stricken residents, council says
25/01/2016 Council ‘exempted’ from housing refugees because homes are needed for victims of the recent floods, The Westmorland Gazette reports. |
MPs urge Government to accept an additional 3,000 refugee children
05/01/2016 A commons select committee has urged the Government to accept an additional 3,000 Syrian refugee children after a two-year-old boy drowned off the Greek coast becoming the first refugee casualty of 2016. |
Minister thanks local authorities for their efforts resettling Syrian refugees
22/12/2015 The minister for Syrian refugees has followed the Prime Minister in thanking local authorities for their work resettling Syrians who have fled an increasingly brutal civil war. |
Councils demand help with the ‘huge bills’ to look after refugee children
22/12/2015 Local government leaders have demanded action to help councils facing huge bills to look after refugee children. |
PM praises councils for resettling 1,000 Syrian refugees
16/12/2015 More than 50 local authorities have helped resettle 1,000 Syrian refugees, meeting the government's target of re-housing 1,000 refugees by Christmas. |
Council leaders set up 'one-stop' web page to help with refugee crisis
15/09/2015 Local authority leaders have created a special page on their website to deal with the pressure of enquiries about how to help refugees fleeing from the Middle East. |
Government to act fast on refugees
14/09/2015 The Government said it was fully committed to settling Syrian refugees ‘as quickly as possible’ following a meeting with local authority leaders on Friday. |
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.
