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Laura Sharman 10 December 2019

Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2019

From calls to a 10% pay rise for council staff to declaring a climate change emergency, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2019.

1. In a nutshell: the 2020-21 local government pay claim

2. Unions set to propose 10% pay rise for council staff

3. Benefit assessors convicted of £1m housing benefit fraud

4. The top ten things for local government to be aware of in 2019

5. Council officer fined nearly £700 for data breach

6. Council of the Year shortlist revealed

7. ‘Well-run’ council faces £15m budget gap

8. Decision on council staff pay rise delayed until the New Year

9. Recognition for council pair in Queen's Birthday Honours

10. Three-quarters of councils move to insource services

11. Caerphilly chief executive fired for ‘unlawful’ pay rises

12. More than a third of councils face financial failure

13. Spring Statement 2019: Chancellor pledges three-year spending review

14. Lawyers warn 100 local authorities over climate change plans

15. Javid announces £600m housing infrastructure winners

16. The winners of the 2019 Street Design Awards

17. Review launched into handling of alleged misconduct of senior council officers

18. Birmingham to axe over 1,000 jobs due to ‘brutal’ Whitehall cuts

19. Council worker jailed for £1m pension fund theft

20. Council-employed gang convicted of £1m benefit fraud

21. Council chiefs defend £100,000 plus pay cheques

22. Councils exposed following Kier profit warning

23. Lord warns 'deadly' street design is increasing vehicle speeds

24. Superhead ordered to repay council over £1m stolen from his school

25. Over half of councils declare ‘climate emergency’

26. Council-owned solar farm generates £1.2m for frontline services

27. Three UK cities up for European Capital of Innovation 2019

28. Council denies ‘litany of failures’ in Shamima Begum case

29. Hike in PWLB rate will cost councils £70m a year

30. Treasury moves to ban six-figure ‘golden goodbyes’ in local government

31. Outsourced council workers to have pensions protected

32. Campaigners question validity of survey on transgender rights

33. Council workers to lobby for 10% pay rise

34. Popular council services could be swallowed by £8bn funding black hole

35. Double the number of providers handing back care contracts to councils

36. Whitehall announces preparations for EU elections

37. Towns to receive £3.6bn to ‘level up’ power across England

38. South Ribble Council chief executive placed on ‘special leave’

39. Kier to cut 1,200 jobs and ditch housing division

40. Labour considers abolishing council tax for renters

41. Council fined over £1m after child suffers ‘life-changing head injury'

42. Amazon awarded £460m in public sector contracts since 2015

43. Parish council shuts down after abusive calls and hate mail

44. Birmingham City Council and Amey reach £300m deal

45. Councils to publish deals done with developers

46. IDS think tank calls for raise in pension age to 75

47. The planning shakeup - what it means

48. Chancellor announces fast-tracked Spending Review

49. High Court overturns Highworth election result

50. Five things to consider when declaring a climate emergency

51. Prevention green paper blasted as ‘shopping list of half-complete ideas’

52. Westminster inaction prompts pavement parking inquiry

53. Call for power to ban councillors

54. Council calls ‘extraordinary meeting’ over £9m fraud allegations

55. 'Huge' increase in voter registration

56. Amey facing £200m Birmingham divorce bill

57. Councils to receive 56.5m to prepare for Brexit

58. Teenager stabbed to death at council offices

59. Eight million people missing from electoral register, report warns

60. ‘Shockingly small’ number of councils embrace automation, study reveals

61. Thomas Cook collapse could cost councils £12m a year

62. Report highlights nine inspirational towns

63. Resignations at Sheffield Council in support of referendum

64. ‘Permitted development’ undermines local planning, council chiefs say

65. Councils urged to take control of bus services

66. MPs call for a ban on pavement parking

67. Nearly £300,000 paid to member of public due to typing error

68. A pay rise for local government workers?

69. Next PM has ‘100 days’ to save local government

70. Capping exit payments in the public sector

71. Councils could lose millions in utilities repayments after court ruling

72. ‘Unlawful’ council-owned cafe racks up £234,000 of debt

73. Around 25% of local government jobs ‘slashed’ due to austerity

74. Local government employment at ‘record low’

75. Dorset Council confirms over 550 council jobs are ‘at risk’

76. Spending Round 2019: Chancellor pledges £1.5bn 'down payment' for social care

77. Declaring a climate change emergency

78. ‘Rethink’ changes to local government pension scheme, Unison warns

79. Queen's Speech 19: Brexit, health and devo at the heart of Government plans

80. Council overspends £100k due to ‘poor financial management’

81. Council considers selling assets to pay £500m equal pay deal

82. Six councils conned into spending thousands of pounds on illegal school

83. Black Country ban on 'car cruising' upheld in court

84. The rise of the ‘super’ parish council

85. Councillors apologise to staff over 'pagan ritual' offer

86. Buckinghamshire unitary authority deal concluded

87. Councils urged to only cut road verges twice a year

88. Debenhams’ CVA to cost councils £8.5m in rates

89. Village halls urged to bid for share of £3m refurbishment fund

90. Council makes ‘radical move’ to buy town centre

91. Birmingham CC and Capita ‘dissolve’ long-standing partnership

92. Council confirms piranha carcasses found in local lake

93. Campaigners warn of ‘democracy deserts’ in council elections

94. Whitehall announces £16.4m to ‘boost’ town centres

95. Court rules voting provision for blind people is 'unlawful'

96. Councils 'struggling to cope' with Homelessness Reduction Act

97. Government pays £15m to councils after business rate 'error'

98. Council fined for leak of its gang database

99. DWP’s interpretation of Universal Credit regulations ‘unlawful’, court rules

100. Councils set for £1bn parking income

#Housing #Pay #Council staff #Transport #Economic growth #Regeneration #social care #Finance

Analysis

Opinion

Most Popular News

Councils prepare for political turmoil image
Councils prepare for political turmoil
Councils’ wood burning campaign prompts stove industry backlash image
Councils’ wood burning campaign prompts stove industry backlash
Coventry sets aside £27m to cover potential equal pay claims image
Coventry sets aside £27m to cover potential equal pay claims
Government publishes social cohesion action plan image
Government publishes social cohesion action plan
Croydon LTNs to be scrapped by order of judge image
Croydon LTNs to be scrapped by order of judge

New Products

Safeguarding Children - the AAT Way

MSL enhances hygiene auditing with air quality testing for Awaab’s Law compliance

Cadcorp launches Mapestry

Bolton Council Upgrades 120+ School Crossings with Smart CMS Control by Lucy Zodion

NEC CONTRACTS HAS GONE DIGITAL: PAPERLESS, TO GIVE YOU MORE

Vent-Axia Delivers Social Housing a Smart Ventilation Solution Ahead of Awaab’s Law

New remotely lockable cabinet will help manage medication for people with mental health issues

Case Studies

Acrospire Delivers Seamless Heritage Lighting Upgrade on Bath’s North Parade Bridge

Acrospire Delivers Retrofit Lighting for Newbridge’s Joe Calzaghe Footbridge

Acrospire Delivers PIR-Controlled Lighting at Ruislip Lido Car Park

Spennymoor Market Place and Consett Middle Street revitalised using Thorn Lighting’s Thor Lanterns and Customisable Gobo Projectors

Acrospire Partners with Bath & North East Somerset Council to Illuminate Historic Film Location with LED Upgrade

Believ to install 22 charge points across Redcar and Cleveland

Acrospire Enhances Harlington Underpass with Energy-Saving Vandal-Resistant Lighting

Company Anouncements

AAT helps Councils step up to address children’s social care

CU Phosco Approved as a Crown Commercial Service Supplier

Acrospire triumphs at the 2025 HEA Awards with Sustainable Project of the Year

TRT Lighting retrofit helps Lincolnshire County Council cut street lighting energy use by over 65%

Vent-Axia Welcomes Healthy Homes Standard

Vent-Axia Helps Tackle Condensation and Mould this World Ventilation Day

Airtech Calls For Urgent Government Action to Support Radon Awareness Week

Popular Topics

#Workforce #Waste management #Unions #Transport #Transformation #Tourism #Think tank #Tax #social care #Skills #SEND #Scotland #Schools #Safety #Regeneration
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