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.
Council tax collection deficit hits £500m
27/05/2021 Councils will need ‘additional help from taxpayers’ to balance their books, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has warned. |
Coronavirus leads to scrapping of three-year Spending Review
21/10/2020 Plans to create a three-year settlement for public spending have been abandoned as latest figures show the havoc coronavirus is wreaking on the public finances. |
Think tank calls for sweeping reforms to local taxes
06/07/2020 A group of former Treasury special advisers have called for revaluation of the council tax and reform of business rates to boost the economy post-COVID-19. |
Council celebrates ‘landmark’ ruling that will save museums thousands
18/06/2020 Exeter CC has welcomed a landmark ruling over the rateable valuation of a Grade II building in a court decision that could save museums thousands of pounds. |
Majority of people support tax rises to solve social care crisis
06/12/2019 Two thirds of people want tax increases to pay for health and social care, a new poll has revealed. |
Small businesses call for ‘radical’ business rates reform
21/10/2019 Representatives of small businesses have written to the chancellor calling on him to introduce business rates reform to help struggling firms. |
High street retailers call for reform of ‘broken’ business rates
13/08/2019 Over 50 high street retailers have signed a letter calling on Chancellor Sajid Javid to reform the business rates system. |
London boroughs eye £750 workplace parking charge
25/07/2019 Several London boroughs are considering introducing workplace parking levies (WPLs) of at least £750 a year to cut pollution and encourage active travel. |
Council backs campaign for procurement reform
11/07/2019 Oxford City Council has become the first authority to back a fair tax campaign. |
Councils spend £74m on empty properties in two years
03/06/2019 Local authorities have spent millions maintaining empty properties over the last couple of years, anti-tax campaigners have revealed. |
Impact of tourism tax
27/03/2019 Rory Alexander explores what the introduction of tourism tax in the UK could mean for local councils. |
It’s ‘business as usual’ at Mersey bridge, council defiantly insists
14/03/2019 Halton BC has said it is ‘business as usual’ at the Mersey Gateway despite a tribunal decision that the bridge’s crossing charge is 'not a tolling scheme’. |
Scotland’s landfill ban will be £100m tax gift to England, waste experts say
27/02/2019 Waste management experts have ‘expressed deep concern’ that Scotland is not prepared for a landfill ban which will lead to higher haulage costs for councils. |
Edinburgh council votes in favour of ‘tourist tax’
08/02/2019 City of Edinburgh councillors have voted in favour for what could be the UK’s first ‘tourist tax’. |
‘Tweaking’ wealth taxes could raise £7bn a year, think tank says
03/01/2019 Reforming Britain’s wealth taxes could help the Government raise £7bn a year by 2022-23 to help cover the cost of public services, a think tank has argued. |
Council chiefs call for national taxation to save care services
14/11/2018 Whitehall must start making the case for increases in national taxation in order to fund struggling adult social care services, local authority chiefs say. |
Tax increases ‘possible solution’ to social care crisis, council chiefs say
31/07/2018 Local government leaders have proposed a series of tax increases as ‘possible solutions’ to paying for adult social care over the long-term. |
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. |
Think tank calls for ‘skills levy’ on construction industry
01/12/2017 A leading think tank has called on the Government to introduce a levy in the construction industry to boost skills training as part of a plan for Brexit. |
Tax increases on insurance exposing public sector to ‘higher risk’, insurer warns
21/11/2017 Increases in the tax on insurance policies is leaving public sector and voluntary organisations exposed to higher risk, a leading insurer has warned. |
Councils defend spending on public health interventions
01/11/2017 Council chiefs have defended spending on tackling harmful lifestyle choices against ‘flawed’ study which accuses them of restricting individual freedom. |
Wales to replace stamp duty with ‘progressive’ land tax
04/10/2017 Most first-time buyers in Wales will no longer pay tax on their new home under plans announced by the devolved Welsh government. |
Council chiefs hit back at ‘stealth tax’ accusation
06/09/2017 Councils are imposing ‘stealth taxes’ on residents, think tank claims, but council chiefs argue they are bringing in less from fees than five years ago. |
Landlords dodge nearly £200m of tax in London borough
14/08/2017 Up to 13,000 landlords in one east London borough have failed to declare their rental income to the Government, the local council has found. |
Care home residents hit with 'top up' stealth tax
27/07/2017 A quarter of care home residents whose care is supposed to be free are being forced to pay top-up fees, according to Age UK. |
Private schools to get £522m in tax breaks
12/06/2017 More than half of all private schools in England and Wales are set to save millions thanks to charitable status and ‘lucrative’ tax breaks, research shows. |
Gov plans to cut welfare to impact ‘poorest families’
28/04/2017 Planned Government cuts will have a bigger effect on the entitlements of the poorest families than those made by the coalition, analysts say. |
New tax transparency App launched
02/11/2016 A campaign group has launched a new free-to-download App which provides access to local council data on mobile devices. |
County leader hits out at precept capping for town and parish councils
02/11/2016 Proposals forcing town and parish councils to hold costly referendums if they wish to increase tax by more than 2% have been labelled damaging by county leader. |
Holyrood should create ‘clear’ taxation framework
07/10/2016 The Scottish government should create a ‘clear framework’ to govern its approach to taxation and make local authorities more accountable, financial body says. |
Whilehall should scrap stamp duty, campaigners says
25/07/2016 The Government should abolish the ‘unfair’ stamp duty, campaign group says. |
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. |
Dispute over British Museum’s tax bill
17/06/2016 The British Museum has challenged Camden Council over a £720,000 tax bill. |
Charity urges councils to crack down on tax avoiding suppliers
08/01/2016 A campaign has been launched to encourage more local authorities to take into account a company’s tax record when awarding contracts. |
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.
