Declaring a climate change emergency
Local authorities can play a key role in tackling climate change – and there is plenty for them to do. Never before has thinking globally and acting locally been more important, says Mark Whitehead.
IDS think tank calls for raise in pension age to 75
19/08/2019 The state pension age should be increased to 75 in order to boost the economy by £182bn, says a centre-right think tank which is close to the Government. |
More children being cared for in failing council services, says think tank
12/08/2019 Nearly 50,000 children are being cared for in areas where council services are failing, a think tank has warned today. |
Education disadvantage gap has ‘stopped closing’, think tank reveals
30/07/2019 Poorer pupils in the North are struggling to keep up with their peers, an education think tank reveals, as research shows the education disadvantage gap has stopped closing. |
Integrating migrants could boost economy by £7bn, think tank says
18/06/2019 A think tank has called for the setting up of ‘local integration funds’ to help migrants find jobs that match their skills as part of a series of proposals to improve integration. |
Planning system 'fuelling' North-South divide, says think tank
11/06/2019 The current planning system is increasing the North-South divide, according to a think tank. |
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. |
Healing the divisions through local economic power
16/05/2019 The nation is becoming increasingly divided, but a think tank report on Britain post-Brexit provides a positive vision for the future, says Mark Whitehead. |
Think tank calls for creation of a British Investment Bank
15/05/2019 An investment bank should be set up to 'kick start a productivity revolution' after Brexit, according to a local government think tank. |
Think tank calls for ‘new relationship’ between employers and communities
24/04/2019 A new relationship is needed between major employers and their local communities, according to a new report. |
Think tank calls for ‘major rethink’ of electric vehicles roll out
10/01/2019 The roll out of infrastructure for electric vehicles risks exacerbating the divide between rich and poor, creating ‘a tale of two cities’ in urban centres, a think tank has warned. |
One in 10 deprived areas ‘food deserts’, think tank says
15/10/2018 Nearly one in 10 deprived areas in England and Wales do not have easy access to healthy, affordable food products, new study shows. |
Councils urged to offer staff low interest loans
12/09/2018 Local authorities should offer staff low interest loans that could be paid back through their payroll system, according to a new report by ResPublica. |
Universal Credit entering ‘most difficult phase’, think tank warns
06/09/2018 The Government should speed up Universal Credit payments if it wants its flagship welfare reform to be successful, think tank says. |
Social care system demonstrates ‘remarkable resilience’
15/08/2018 Local social care services have demonstrated ‘remarkable resilience’ in the face of Government cut backs and demographic changes, think tank says. |
Think tank publishes scorecard for local government financing
23/07/2018 A new scorecard assessing the options of funding local government post 2020 has been published by a think tank. |
Public 'willing' to pay more tax for certain services
25/06/2018 Most people would be prepared to pay more in council tax or one-off voluntary levies to fund particular local services, a new poll has revealed today. |
Whitehall cuts ‘undermining’ support services for vulnerable children
01/05/2018 Government funding reductions have forced councils to cut back on early support services for vulnerable children, an education policy think tank has found. |
Report scathing on public sector accountability
23/04/2018 Britain’s system of public sector accountability is failing to keep up with the realities of modern government, a think-tank has warned. |
Housing shortage condemns ‘millennials' to renting for life
17/04/2018 A think tank has called for councils to receive more support to build affordable housing as report reveals a third of millennials face renting from ‘cradle to grave.’ |
Industrial strategy neglecting fortunes of ‘left-behind’ areas, think tank warns
26/03/2018 The Government’s decision to focus its industrial strategy on the most advanced areas of England risks neglecting the economic fortunes of the bulk of the country, think tank warns. |
Planning laws should be reformed to protect commercial space, think tank says
21/03/2018 Major cities in the North and Midlands are growing rapidly, but the Government needs to take action to protect the commercial space driving this growth, think tank says. |
Scrap 'outdated and regressive council tax, says think tank
20/03/2018 Council tax is ‘outdated and regressive’, and the Government should consider scrapping it in favour of a fairer system, according to a think tank. |
Think tank calls for 1% levy on gambling industry to help treat addictions
24/01/2018 Funding to help problem gamblers is three times less than funding to treat alcohol or drug abuse, a think tank has highlighted. |
Pause all outsourcing and PFI contracts, urges think tank
22/01/2018 A think tank has called for an end to the Government's 'love-in' with outsourcing and Public Finance Initiatives. |
Councils urged to adopt a ‘changemaking’ approach
04/01/2018 A think tank has warned that a radical cultural shift is needed in local government rather than the rigid redesign of structures. |
300,000 ‘forgotten unemployed’ missing out on benefits, think tank reveals
02/01/2018 An estimated 300,000 people are ‘falling through the cracks’ of the welfare system and missing out on the financial support they are entitled to, new research reveals. |
Single local councils could save £2.9bn a year, says think tank
17/11/2017 Abolishing district councils and replacing them with single unitary authorities could save £2.9bn a year, a think tank has argued. |
Think tank warns of huge disparities in productivity across the country
16/11/2017 Cities in the South East of England are nearly twice as productive as other places in Britain, according to new research. |
Report calls for land market reform
10/11/2017 Councils should be allowed to buy land at prices closer to its existing use value in order to unlock new social housing and generate extra income, a new report has argued. |
Councils should be given powers to ‘disrupt’ housing market, think tank says
16/10/2017 Local authorities should be given powers to re-designate greenbelt land and employers should auto-enrol the young to encourage saving for house deposit, think tank says. |
Think tank proposes establishment of mayors’ senate to deal with Brexit
12/10/2017 A local government think tank has told Whitehall they cannot ‘cherry pick’ what powers are handed down locally and has called for ‘radical change’ to help councils tackle major challenges. |
Benefit freeze ‘biggest policy driver’ of poverty, think tanks finds
10/10/2017 Real terms cuts to working-age benefits and tax credits are set to drive almost half a million more people into poverty in 2020, think tank reveals. |
Local government reforms undermined by ‘depressing’ lack of female representation, report finds
21/08/2017 Council chiefs say progress in achieving gender balance in local government should be made at a ‘faster pace’ after think tank warns of a lack of women in top jobs. |
‘Local industrial strategies’ needed to boost employment in cities, think tank says
16/08/2017 A think tank has called on the Government to devise ‘local industrial strategies’ in order to tackle unemployment and underemployment in the UK’s major cities. |
Local people should have control over new housing, argues think tank
11/08/2017 Up to five million new homes could be built if people in individual streets were given control over planning permission, according to the Adam Smith Institute. |
Nearly half of councils using powers to ban anti-social behaviour
31/07/2017 More than 100 councils have used new powers to curb a range of anti-social behaviour – from begging to swearing – in a 16-month time period, according to a new report. |
Excluded school pupils being failed by ‘broken system’ warns think tank
21/07/2017 At least half of pupils excluded from school have a mental health issue and are being failed by an ‘unjust system’, a new report has found. |
Regional cities must attract investment to rebalance economy, report says
19/07/2017 Regional cities must take the lead in rebalancing the London-centric investment market, think tank says as figures reveal London captures half of the country’s commercial property investment. |
Councils must tackle ‘killer fumes’ in the north, report says
18/07/2017 A progressive think tank has called on councils to do more to tackle pollution as it warns ‘killer fumes’ are blighting UK regional cities. |
Housing crisis risks causing ‘demographic time bomb’, report says
17/07/2017 High house prices are preventing a generation of people from having children and risk contributing to a ‘demographic time bomb’, think tank warns. |
Ending public sector pay cap would cost £10bn, think tank says
10/07/2017 Ending the public sector pay cap could cost nearly £10bn over the next five years, warns think tank. |
Think tank urges urgent health and social care ‘reboot’
05/07/2017 The integration of health and social care requires an urgent ‘reboot’ by Whitehall following last month’s General Election result, think tank says. |
Mental health system ‘failing’ young people warns think tank
21/06/2017 Councils should be able to retain a percentage of the pupil premium allowance to help provide school-based support services, a think tank has argued today. |
Mayors must unite behind devolution agenda, think tank says
05/05/2017 England’s mayors must unite to demand more devolved powers to improve local public services and boost trade post-Brexit, a leading think tank says. |
Think tank warns of 'complex and fragmented system' for HIV care
26/04/2017 People will HIV are being let down by the complexity of the health system in England, a new report has found. |
Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland
18/04/2017 A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation. |
Mayors can ‘transform’ city regions but need more power, report says
10/04/2017 The new metro mayors will have the power to transform their city regions, but there has been little policy development for this purpose, progressive think tank says. |
Small town England must have ‘radical powers’ to make Brexit a success, says think tank
22/03/2017 Whitehall must grant small town England ‘radical new powers’ to revive moribund local economies if the country is to make a success of Brexit, think tank says. |
Councils urged to adopt one of three standardised waste systems
01/03/2017 Brexit presents a 'huge opportunity' for the UK government to develop a new approach to waste and resources policy, according to the Policy Exchange think tank. |
Health service reforms ‘not credible’ without social care investment
21/02/2017 Local plans to reform health services to secure the future of the NHS are ‘not credible’ unless cuts in social care and public health budgets are reversed, think tank says. |
Think tank calls for creation of new Northern Infrastructure Bonds
20/02/2017 London will receive £1,500 more in transport spending per person than the North over the coming years, think tank says. |
Four million more people living below an ‘adequate income’
15/02/2017 Millions of just about managing families are on the ‘tipping point’ of falling into poverty, warns think tank. |
Whitehall should ‘abolish’ free childcare, think tank says
06/02/2017 The Government should abolish universal free childcare and directly target support at the most disadvantaged families, free-market think tank argues. |
IPPR: Lessons from German housing market could benefit UK
05/12/2016 Germany has higher rates of housebuilding, a much less volatile housing market, and a larger private rented sector than the UK, new report reveals. |
Cities suffer ‘brain drain’ as graduates move to London
21/11/2016 UK cities are suffering a ‘brain drain’ as high-achieving graduates critical to driving economic growth flock to London. |
Give councils more freedom on housing decisions says think tank
17/11/2016 Councils should be given the freedom to decide how and where new housing can be delivered, a think tank has argued. |
£100bn National Housing Fund could deliver thousands of homes
17/11/2016 A prominent think tank has proposed the creation of a long-term National Housing Fund to deliver up to 75,000 homes a year. |
Report sets out case for more independent local government
14/11/2016 A more independent local government with clear powers and vision is needed post Brexit, a report from a think tank has said today. |
Councillors should be ‘at the heart’ of designing STPs
14/11/2016 STPs are ‘important’ for redesigning local health and care services, but councillors need to be ‘at the heart’ of the planning process, council chiefs say. |
Apprenticeship target could undermine programme's credibility warns think tank
11/11/2016 Huge amounts of money will be spent on sub-standard apprenticeships unless new quality standards are imposed, a leading think-tank has warned. |
King’s Fund: Mental health services ‘under threat’
17/10/2016 Increased funding for mental health services has not been provided across the country, and services are ‘under threat’, according to a new report by The King’s Fund. |
Densification of estates could see ‘thousands’ of homes built in London
29/09/2016 The densification of large estates in London could help deliver thousands of new homes every year to the capital, new study finds. |
Corbyn ‘missed’ opportunity to propose devolution agenda
29/09/2016 Jeremy Corbyn ‘missed a prime opportunity’ to seize the devolution agenda from the Conservatives, says think tank. |
UK cities behind European counterparts in skills and innovation
22/09/2016 The UK’s cities are lagging behind their European counterparts in terms of skills, productivity and innovation, think tank warns. |
Scrap 'economically irresponsible' HS2 argues think tank
08/09/2016 The ‘costly and inefficient’ HS2 programme should be scrapped after figures showed it will cost the taxpayer in excess of £50bn, a think tank has claimed. |
Don’t backslide on the national living wage, warns foundation
07/09/2016 A think thank has warned Theresa May against watering down the National Living Wage (NLW), which it claims could leave low paid workers up to £1,000 a year worse off. |
Think tank sets out plan to eradicate poverty by 2030
06/09/2016 Councils should be given more powers to help tackle poverty, according to a new report published by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. |
People ‘pushed to the margins’ behind Brexit vote, think tank finds
31/08/2016 People who have been ‘pushed to the margins’ were the driving force behind the Brexit vote, think tank says. |
Young social care workers benefit from NLW, report finds
30/08/2016 Four out of five young social care workers benefit from the National Living Wage (NLW) despite no legal entitlement, according to think tank. |
Deprived communities missing out on Neighbourhood Plans says think tank
26/08/2016 Poorer communities are missing out on a government scheme to improve neighbourhoods, according to new research published by a think tank. |
National Living Wage should be ‘abandoned’, think-tank says
19/08/2016 The planned move to the National Living Wage (NLW) should be ‘abandoned’, free-market think-tank says. |
Health devolution closer to 'delegation' says think tank
12/08/2016 The devolution of health is more like 'delegation' than devolution, according to a new report from a think-tank. |
25,000 civil servants should leave London to boost devolution
04/08/2016 Thousands of civil servants should be moved out of London to ‘turbo charge devolution’, think tank says. |
Poverty costs UK billions every year, report reveals
01/08/2016 Dealing with the effects of poverty costs the UK £78bn per year, the equivalent of 4% of the country’s GDP, think tank finds. |
Brexit vote ‘clear message’ to build the Northern Powerhouse, chancellor says
08/07/2016 The result of the EU referendum was an instruction ‘to deliver the Northern Powerhouse and make it a reality’, chancellor says as think tank calls for the creation of a Northern council. |
New care roles are a distraction warn experts
30/06/2016 New integrated care jobs are not necessarily the best way of bringing services together, a leading think tank has warned. |
Think tank sets out new model for business rates reform
20/06/2016 Government plans to devolve business rates to local authorities fails to provide poorer areas with an incentive to grow their economies, a think tank has warned. |
Think tank warns northern schools are being underfunded
23/05/2016 Schools in the North of England should be given more cash to put them on a level playing field with the South, according to a think tank. |
Think tank calls for 'pink zones' to kickstart new housing
20/05/2016 A new wave of housebuilding should start now using 'pink zones' which would be less regulated than 'the current paralysed planning system', a new report has said. |
Public back extended powers for metro-mayors
12/05/2016 More than half of adults in the UK’s biggest city-regions believe new mayors should have more powers than local council leaders, a new poll has revealed. |
Warning that Universal Credit has 'serious design flaws'
03/05/2016 A think tank is warning that recent changes to Universal Credit have left it with ‘serious design flaws’ and major reforms should be made before it is fully rolled out. |
The June issue of Local Government News contains the full details of all the winning schemes in the 2019 Street Design Awards. From Children's Play to Pedestrian Environment, find out who has been recognised for their innovation and use of best practice.
This issue also explores how local government pension funds can hedge currency risk, how councils can best address the shortfall in school places, and an update on the number of authorities banning the use of Roundup over safety fears.
