Analysis

Councils click into the future of planning

In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.

Opinion

Making payment processes smarter

It can be challenging to find the right software to streamline payment processes. Lewis McKenna-Crisp argues SmarterPay has the ideal solution for councils.

Most Popular News

Council employee pay offer announced

Unite advises members to reject latest pay offer

London boroughs issue bankruptcy warning over £330m overspend

Toilet access depends on biological sex, watchdog says

Council launches lawsuit against Grenfell fire fridge maker

New Products

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

UK-first tool developed by Bluesky scores areas green credentials to aid urban planners

New partnership drives improved air quality and healthier homes in social housing

ShuttleID launches 90-day free trial for local authorities

New steps to keep tenants safe

Invision360 secures Innovate UK smart grant for VITA EHCP generator

New technology to revolutionise air quality monitoring

Case Studies

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

Croydon Council selects integrated corporate GIS to improve efficiencies

Bath & North East Somerset Council Shines Light on Heritage Preservation with Acrospire's LED Upgrade

Airtech Improves Indoor Air Quality and Tackles Mould for Mid-Devon Social Housing Resident

Acrospire's Sustainable Lighting Solution for Luton Bus Shelters

Company Anouncements

Believ excels in environmental responsibility and worker satisfaction in B Corp certification

Matrix Workforce Management Solutions Appoints Andrew Curry as Client Engagement Director for Health and Social Care

Stepping up to help disabled social housing tenants

Envirobed® CD534: The benchmark for bedding mortars since 2005

Vent-Axia Supports Global Recycling Day 2025

Vent-Axia Publishes Free eBook to Help Social Housing Landlords Navigate Awaab’s Law

Unlock Awaab’s Law compliance with audits

Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2021

The long-running dispute over council pay was by far the most read and talked about issue in 2021. However, our countdown of the most popular stories on LocalGov during the year also shows the level of interest in planning reforms, learning to live with COVID-19, and the levelling up agenda:

1. Unions call for 10% pay rise for council staff

2. Households of school aged children eligible for rapid COVID tests

3. Council pay offer increases to 1.75%

4. Employers branded a 'disgrace' over council pay delay

5. Budget 2021: Sunak unfreezes public sector pay

6. Unions rejects 'insulting' council pay offer

7. Budget 2021: £1bn confirmed for Town Deals

8. A new deal for workers in local government

9. EXCLUSIVE: Employers dig in as they refuse to reopen pay talks

10. More unions announce strike ballots

11. PM urged to intervene over council pay

12. Unison warns of strike action over council pay

13. Devolution White Paper to be replaced by levelling up proposals

14. Unions reject councils’ pay offer

15. COVID-19 self-test kits rolled out across Wales

16. Disruption warning as unions ask for pay talks to resume

17. Budget 2021: More money for youth services and 'family hubs'

18. 'Welcome back' fund launched for high streets and coastal areas

19. Hancock warns 86 council areas have five or more cases of Indian variant

20. Mass testing for asymptomatic COVID-19 rolled out to all local authorities

21. BREAKING: Slough becomes second council to issue Section 114 in a year

22. Union calls for libraries to be ‘completely closed’ during lockdown

23. Safer streets fund doubled after death of Sarah Everard

24. New index reveals most and least prosperous local authorities

25. Virtual council meeting challenge dismissed by High Court

26. More councils will be forced to issue Section 114 notices, MPs warn

27. Councils can issue traffic fines from December

28. COSLA pay offer ‘slap in the face’, union says

29. 13 councils chosen to pilot new ways of working

30. Free voter cards to be issued by councils under new bill

31. Thousands of council workers to strike over pay in Scotland

32. Labour calls for free school meals over holidays

33. Councils urged to tackle corruption in the planning process

34. Controversial planning laws threaten to do ‘more harm than good’

35. Eight councils to undergo independent financial reviews

36. New ‘Right to Regenerate’ proposals aim to turn derelict buildings into homes and community assets

37. Four councils get emergency bail out deal from Government

38. New pay deal ends long-running bin strikes in South London

39. COVID-19: How has the past year affected council staff?

40. Return of free school meals voucher scheme

41. Treasury scraps cap on public sector exit payments

42. Jenrick announces unitary deals

43. Scale of council deficits due to pandemic is revealed

44. Union calls for nurseries to be closed during lockdown

45. High Court rules London's Streetspace scheme was unlawful

46. Queen’s Speech: New law to ‘modernise’ planning system

47. Council tax collection deficit hits £500m

48. Council had 'truly toxic atmosphere,' tribunal hears

49. Sadiq Khan proposes 9.5% council tax increase

50. May elections to go ahead as council chiefs call for indemnity

51. County approves hybrid model of working for staff

52. Right to Buy-back fund launched

53. Research shows drop in council pay over past decade

54. Union starts ballot for strike action

55. Refuse workers strike against ‘ongoing attacks’ on pay and conditions

56. Eight more regions to become Project ADDER Accelerator sites

57. Former employees convicted of fraud against council

58. Controversial statues to require planning permission before removal

59. Lambeth to reimburse £27m of water bills

60. The future of rental in local government

61. Council ‘outraged’ by Unite decision to continue bin strike

62. Union calls for reversal of pay cuts to give economy £3.3bn boost

63. Social care should remain delivered by councils, says new report

64. Council housing chief resigns after anonymous Twitter account was exposed

65. New Year Honours awarded to local government workers

66. 10 councils chosen to pilot digital planning tools

67. Councils reported 700 data breaches last year

68. Councils back postponement of May local elections

69. Coastal towns have ‘worst health outcomes’, Whitty warns

70. Workers and communities deserve better than poverty pay and degraded services

71. Eleven UK cities named as global leaders on climate action

72. Hammersmith Bridge could reopen as ‘double-decker crossing’

73. Lincolnshire districts join forces in new partnership

74. The local government workforce: equal by default

75. High Court grants permission for ‘Levelling Up Fund’ legal challenge

76. Welsh council to end property joint venture

77. Ministry in rebrand to put levelling up centre stage

78. Norwich Council workers to strike over pay dispute