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Laura Sharman 16 December 2020

Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2020

Although the dispute over council pay caused the most stir in the local government sector this year, the impact of dealing with the pandemic obviously dominated the headlines as well. Here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2020:

1. Council workers offered a 2.75% pay rise

2. Local government pay deal agreed

3. Council staff will be deployed for Covid-19 contact tracing

4. Chancellor accused of 'selective memory' over council workers' pay

5. First food parcels for vulnerable people are delivered

6. Unions slam 'woefully low' council pay offer

7. A 10% council pay rise is 'affordable' says Unison

8. Council considers placing some staff on furlough

9. Councils close buildings and cancel meetings in response to coronavirus outbreak

10. Hotels supporting key workers and homeless to stay open

11. Town hall rich list branded 'inane and distasteful'

12. Thousands of council jobs at risk due to funding shortfall, union warns

13. Rejection of coronavirus bonus a 'slap in the face'

14. Councils to be fully funded for coronavirus costs

15. LGA split over worker bonus

16. Sector surprise at COVID marshal scheme

17. Council leaders recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

18. Councils report ‘sickening’ attacks on staff

19. Council planning powers under threat

20. 100 towns to share £80m regeneration funding

21. PM pledges extra £1bn for local government amid three-tier system

22. Councils put at heart of coronavirus response

23. Councils warn of ‘wave of waste’

24. Four-day week in public sector could create 500,000 new jobs, think tank argues

25. Four in five council staff working from home

26. Jenrick announces allocations for £1bn council funding

27. Jenrick announces more cash, income compensation and tax delay

28. Councils prepare to reopen recycling sites

29. Colchester Borough Council to furlough staff

30. Javid urges reorganisation and devolution post-COVID

31. Streamline local government under plans to save £30bn a year, think tank argues

32. Councils given direction on using £500m Hardship Fund

33. Councils urged to tackle corruption in the planning process

34. More than 50 councils to receive rapid COVID-19 tests

35. Councils given power to hold meetings remotely

36. Councils decide against re-opening schools

37. Councils welcome £170m COVID winter grant scheme

38. Leader of Northumberland Council is deposed

39. Government backs merger of two council pension funds

40. Five cities rated 'A' in fight against climate change

41. Councils pledge to 'keep it local'

42. Councils given £300m and key tracking role

43. Councils locked out of plans to lift lockdown

44. Report suggests a new tax for people living near to public parks

45. Council leader survives vote of no confidence

46. Housing Ombudsman names six councils with highest number of maladministration findings

47. Borough chief dies with Covid-19

48. Johnson launches planning reforms to help 'build, build, build'

49. Council launches UK’s first local government green bond

50. Refuse workers in Wirral walk out over coronavirus fears

51. Ministry was 'blind' to council investment risks says watchdog

52. Council clerk convicted of breaking Freedom of Information Act

53. Council test and trace teams to be rolled out

54. Government league table plan causes fury

55. Councils gain COVID enforcement powers

56. Councils urged to appoint chief foresight officers

57. Allocation of £3.6bn towns fund appears 'politically motivated', watchdog warns

58. Rapid review into Croydon’s ‘dysfunctional governance’

59. Video conferencing first at council meeting

60. Jenrick outlines new proposals to reform planning process

61. Government announces £250m emergency active travel fund

62. Planning for planning reform

63. Council chiefs call for ‘urgent clarity’ about self-isolation scheme funding

64. Council mows grass in two metre 'channels' to promote social distancing

65. Council saves £1m by using AI to repair roads

66. Child sexual exploitation cases in Greater Manchester ‘reopened’

67. Glasgow council seeks 1,500 voluntary redundancies

68. PM announces new powers for local lockdown

69. Council staff warn fraud is a major risk for local government

70. Sadiq Khan proposes City Hall move to save £55m

71. Union questions how refuse workers can practice social distancing within an RCV cab

72. Districts win in latest allocations

73. Somerset councils vote to establish two unitary authorities

74. 'Red Wall' areas most at risk of economic scarring, think tank warns

75. Countywide unitaries ‘could save £3bn’

76. Three areas invited to submit unitary proposals

77. An innovative approach to tackling homelessness

78. Budget 2020: Sunak reveals spending spree for first budget

79. Pilot areas announced as part of effort to ‘rejuvenate’ high streets

80. Circumventing PWLB funding

81. Eight in ten councils can't meet Covid-19 costs, report warns

82. Race for reorganisation gathers pace in Surrey and Somerset

83. Researchers propose a two-tier approach to ending lockdown

84. Whitehall issues new armed forces ID card

85. Borough seeking unitary status sparks spending row

86. Public sector exit cap signed into law

87. Hancock's new rules to halt COVID spread

88. Nottingham Council to cut more than 150 jobs

89. Councils told to prioritise black bag rubbish collections

90. Leicester could be first city to face local lockdown

91. Blackburn with Darwen announces new local measures to control virus

92. Poorer areas to lose 'hundreds of millions' under proposed changes

93. 'High risk' staff are being forced back, claims Unison

94. Covid-19: Wirral Council workforce case study

95. Norwich to bring services back in-house

96. Launch of new Buckinghamshire Council

97. Chancellor unveils his three-part plan for jobs

98. Council apologises following ‘serious’ issues with its financial situation

99. Think tank proposes pension-style social care system

100. Council declares major incident as thousands flock to beach

#Pay #Planning #Trade unions #Devolution #Council staff #environment #Schools #Jobs #Regeneration #health #social care #Finance #Coronavirus

Analysis

Opinion

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Reform UK council group leader arrested over nomination papers
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Council takes legal action to reclaim school sold in paperwork blunder
Council launches legal action to protect district in LGR row image
Council launches legal action to protect district in LGR row
Council warns of 150% council tax hike image
Council warns of 150% council tax hike
Future Sheffield: How one city council is upskilling its workforce image
Future Sheffield: How one city council is upskilling its workforce

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's Heritage Lighting Upgrade at Britannia Quay Balances Performance and Ecology

Acrospire Improves Safety Across Greenwich Subways with LED Lighting Upgrade

Cornwall’s Coastal Heritage Lighting Upgraded with Acrospire Lanterns

Acrospire Delivers Durable Handrail Lighting Upgrade for Historical Landmark Jacob’s Ladder

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

Company Anouncements

Siemens, Asset Management Software, Formerly Brightly Software, Expands Solutions Portfolio to More Connected Insights

Acrospire promotes LED retrofit for structurally viable lighting assets

Vent-Axia Welcomes the Future Homes Standard as Competency Takes Centre Stage

Apricorn Becomes First and Only Hardware-Encrypted USB Storage Device Manufacturer to Achieve AS9100 Certification

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

Popular Topics

#Workforce #Unions #Transport #Think tank #Temporary accommodation #social care #SEND #Scotland #Schools #Safety #Roads #Regeneration #Property #Politics #Planning
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