Whitehall


Levelling up fund faces legal challenge 06/04/2021 The Government could face legal action over its ‘troublingly opaque’ allocation of the Levelling Up Fund.
Council tax revaluation would help level up, says IFS 31/03/2021 A new council tax revaluation would boost the Government’s levelling up agenda, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said.
Landmark judgement brings rough sleeping clarity 11/03/2021 Councils have the legal powers to help people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) who are sleeping rough during the pandemic after a landmark judgement.
Tear down devolution 'barriers,' APPG urges 09/03/2021 Powers should be devolved to councils before reorganisation takes place, a new report has concluded.
Councils left seriously underfunded, NAO finds 08/03/2021 Coronavirus has left local authorities seriously underfunded and facing budget cuts unless the Government can create a long-term financial plan for the sector, a study from the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.
Three Rivers tops recycling league 04/03/2021 Three Rivers DC in Hertfordshire has climbed to become the highest performing authority in England for household waste recycling, according to official government figures.
Budget 2021: Sunak vows to do 'whatever it takes' to help businesses 03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to ‘do whatever it takes’ to support businesses as the country looks to a post-coronavirus future.
Budget 2021: Sunak warns of pain to come 03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a budget to protect ‘livelihood and jobs’ – with a warning of public finance pain to come.
Unison call for election safety measures 01/03/2021 The Government needs to implement strict measures in May’s local elections to keep staff safe, trade union Unison urged today.
Employers branded a 'disgrace' over council pay delay 26/02/2021 Council employers have been branded a ‘disgrace’ after they said they would not respond to a union pay claim until after the May 6 elections.
MHCLG to make move from Whitehall to Wolverhampton 22/02/2021 The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is setting up a second headquarters in the Black Country as part of plans to shift civil servants away from the capital.
Government confirms May election date 05/02/2021 The Government has officially confirmed local elections will go ahead on May 6.
More councils will be forced to issue Section 114 notices, MPs warn 22/01/2021 More councils will ‘soon be unable to balance their books and be forced to issue Section 114 notices,’ the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned.
Councils asked to 'redouble efforts' on rough sleeping 08/01/2021 English councils have been asked to ‘redouble their efforts’ to help accommodate people sleeping rough, with the Government finding an additional £10m funding.
Major incidents over COVID declared 04/01/2021 Essex, Oxfordshire and Berkshire have declared major incidents amid fears the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases could overwhelm health services.
London enters tier three restrictions 14/12/2020 The Government’s timetable for COVID-19 tier reviews has been pre-empted with the imposition of extra restrictions on London, Essex and Hertfordshire.
Boost to local test and trace funding 11/12/2020 The increase of up to £200m per month follows criticism from the National Audit Office.
Flood funding for councils may not be enough, watchdog finds 27/11/2020 The Government is unable to prove councils have enough funding for flood defences, a spending watchdog has discovered.
Spending Review: UKSPF to reach £1.5bn a year 25/11/2020 The value of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will reach around £1.5bn a year on average, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
Spending Review: £2.9bn 'restart programme to help unemployed' 25/11/2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a three-year £2.9bn ‘restart programme’ to help more than one million people unemployed for more than a year find work.
Leisure centre collapse warning 20/11/2020 Under-pressure leisure centres will go under without further rescue funding on top of the £100m already pledged by the Government, district councils have warned.
Councils bid for vaccine role 16/11/2020 Councils have made a bid to play a key role in distributing the new coronavirus vaccine.
Think tank calls for new health and social care tax 11/11/2020 A new health and social care tax raising £17bn should be the centrepiece of sweeping tax increases to raise £40bn a year, according to a new report from think-tank the Resolution Foundation.
Councils call for clear lockdown exit strategy 04/11/2020 The Government has been urged to work with councils to develop a clear lockdown exit strategy by the Local Government Association (LGA).
Crisis call for return of Everyone In 04/11/2020 The chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis has called for ring-fenced funding for councils to provide COVID-safe accommodation for anyone at risk of rough sleeping.
Think-tank issues warning on Brexit readiness 03/11/2020 Local authorities and the devolved nations risk being overwhelmed by Brexit as they are trying to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, a think tank has claimed.
Rapid review into Croydon’s ‘dysfunctional governance’ 29/10/2020 The Government is conducting a rapid review into Croydon Council, focusing on its government, culture and risk management.
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.
Public sector exit cap signed into law 15/10/2020 The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments was signed into law last night and will come into force on November 4.
Three areas invited to submit unitary proposals 09/10/2020 The Government has today invited councils in three areas to submit proposals for the creation of unitary local authorities by April 2023.
Fragmented council funding risks to value for money, report warns 05/10/2020 The increasing fragmentation in council funding ‘undermines central government’s understanding of service delivery’ and ‘risks impeding value for money,’ a report has warned.
Planning proposals will 'disempower' councils 28/09/2020 The Lib Dems have used their autumn conference to warn that the Government’s planning proposals will ‘disempower’ councils.
Hundreds of homeless lives saved by emergency accommodation, researchers find 25/09/2020 More funding and emergency legal changes are ‘critical’ so local authorities can continue to support people in safe and secure accommodation, the chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis has said.
Sector surprise at COVID marshal scheme 09/09/2020 Local government has been blindsided by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that an army of COVID marshals will enforce tough new rules.
LEPs need capacity boost to improve delivery, research finds 07/09/2020 Local enterprise partnerships (LEP) would be better at delivering large-scale capital projects if they had more capacity, independent research for the Government has found.
Councils facing £2bn budget black hole 18/08/2020 Councils face a budget black hole of £2bn this year due to unfunded coronavirus costs, a new study has found.
Councils urge extension for grants support scheme 03/08/2020 Fresh calls have been made for councils to be allowed to dole out to businesses the £1.6bn unspent from the Government’s small firms grant funds.
Government handling of social care during pandemic attacked 29/07/2020 MPs have delivered a blistering attack on the Government’s handling of social care during coronavirus.
MPs slate ministers over local government funding 23/07/2020 MPs have slated ministers for failing to give local government sufficient funding and urged them to ensure a 'clear and timely financial settlement’ in readiness for the next phase of the pandemic.
Government launches Spending Review 21/07/2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned of ‘tough choices’ as he launched the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Better response to pandemic from European councils, says think-tank 16/07/2020 Local government across Europe has been able to react to the coronavirus crisis with greater power and autonomy than in the UK, a report published today has found.
Care chiefs reject Boris' COVID claims 07/07/2020 Care chiefs have rejected claims by Boris Johnson that it was their lack of vigilance that led to a high number of coronavirus deaths in care homes.
Councils in local virus data call 03/07/2020 Councils have called for the Government to go further after it finally started to publish more coronavirus testing data.
Jenrick announces more cash, income compensation and tax delay 02/07/2020 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has announced more cash and new ways councils will be reimbursed for income lost as a result of coronavirus.
Hand health powers to elected mayors, says report 23/06/2020 Health powers should be handed to elected mayors as part of a ‘rejuvenated and fortified wave of devolution,’ a think-tank report has suggested.
Combined authority 'spending reserves like it's going out of fashion' 17/06/2020 Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s chief executive has expressed doubts about whether his region would be able to cope with a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Luton forced into unavoidable cuts 17/06/2020 Luton BC’s boss has said the council has done all it can but has no other choice than to cut 365 jobs and frontline services.
Councils call for clarity on local lockdowns 16/06/2020 Councils this week called for clarity on the legal powers they will have if they are forced to implement local coronavirus lockdowns.
Councils back evictions ban in face of landlord criticism 15/06/2020 Councils have insisted police powers can still be used to evict perpetrators of domestic violence amid the evictions ban.
Councils call for leisure bail out 09/06/2020 District councils have called on the Government to bail out cash-strapped leisure centres as they face permanent closure because of lack of income due to the coronavirus shutdown.
Council planning powers under threat 08/06/2020 Planning powers could be shifted from local authorities to development corporations as part of an economic stimulus package to be announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson later this month.
Local lockdown powers up in the air 27/05/2020 Council powers over calling a local lockdown are still to be thrashed out as the NHS’ test and trace system is formally launched.
LGA split over worker bonus 26/05/2020 A cross-party agreement that the Local Government Association (LGA) would lobby for a coronavirus payment to staff was ditched after senior councillors blocked the move, The MJ can reveal.
Councils given £300m and key tracking role 22/05/2020 Councils in England will be handed £300m by the Government as they are given a key role in driving forward testing and tracing.
No-deal Brexit planning would 'overwhelm' emergency response 19/05/2020 Planning for a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year would ‘overwhelm’ the country’s emergency response capacity, the Government has been warned in a leaked report.
Councils resist government's changed 'stay alert' message 15/05/2020 Areas with higher coronavirus rates have urged residents to stay at home amid fears the Government’s change of message to ‘stay alert’ was confusing.
Leeds chief takes on key contract tracing role 13/05/2020 Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan will take on a key role in the Government’s contact tracing programme in the battle against coronavirus.
Unite expected to urge council pay offer rejection 11/05/2020 Trade union Unite is expected to recommend that its members reject the employers ‘final’ 2.75% pay offer at a national committee meeting later this week.
'Too early to tell' if councils need more cash, says Jenrick 07/05/2020 It is ‘too early to tell’ if councils will need more cash to tackle coronavirus, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has said.
MPs tell department to 'get a grip' on SEND 05/05/2020 The Department for Education (DfE) does not have a grip on mounting pressure in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, a watchdog has found.
Councils warn leisure providers at 'crisis point' 05/05/2020 Leisure providers are at a ‘crisis point’ as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, English and Welsh councils have warned.
Districts win in latest allocations 28/04/2020 Districts have won a significantly higher share of funding in the latest allocations of government cash to help councils cope with coronavirus.
Councils need another £12.8bn to cope with coronavirus - LGA 27/04/2020 Councils may need up to another £12.8bn from the Government to get through the coronavirus crisis, the chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) has suggested.
Coronavirus could cost Government £246bn this year, think tank warns 21/04/2020 The coronavirus crisis is likely to cost the Government £246bn this year, a think tank has predicted.
Call for lifting of immigration rules 20/04/2020 Council leaders in England, Scotland and Wales have called for a temporary lifting of the immigration rules that stop some migrants accessing public funds.
Government league table plan causes fury 17/04/2020 Plans to publish a league table of how quickly councils are doling out grants to help businesses have been met with anger from local government.
Jenrick moves to ease cash flow pressures 16/04/2020 New measures to help ease immediate financial pressures faced by councils in England due to the coronavirus outbreak have been announced by the Government.
More PPE promised for social care 15/04/2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has promised to increase supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to social care.
Thousands of firms receive financial help from councils 14/04/2020 Almost 100,000 small businesses across the country have already been paid a share of more than £1bn to help support them through the coronavirus crisis, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Former Lambeth leader takes on shadow communities role 06/04/2020 Former Lambeth LBC leader Steve Reed has become the new shadow communities and local government secretary replacing Andrew Gwynne.
Video conferencing first at council meeting 02/04/2020 A council used software to help decide key planning applications in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind in the country.
Care providers in law change call 01/04/2020 Care providers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the law to boost staff numbers in the sector during the COVID-19 outbreak.
End of week rough sleeping deadline 27/03/2020 Councils have been asked to support rough sleepers into accommodation by the end of the week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Councils put at heart of coronavirus response 23/03/2020 Councils will be put at the heart of the response to coronavirus by delivering a national network of support to people at very high risk.
£3bn bed blocking coronavirus cash injection 19/03/2020 Almost £3bn of the Government’s £5bn Covid-19 funding will go towards freeing up at least 15,000 English hospital beds by the end of next week, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
Budget 2020: Sunak reveals spending spree for first budget 11/03/2020 New chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a Budget to end austerity, boost productivity and tackle the problems created by coronavirus.
Budget 2020: New West Yorkshire mayor announced 11/03/2020 A new directly-elected West Yorkshire mayor has been announced with the Government signing a new devolution deal amid plans to ‘level up’ the UK economy.
IfG: Extend outsourcing reforms to councils 04/03/2020 Government reforms of outsourcing to avoid another Carillion collapse must be extended to local government where commercial skills lag behind Whitehall, a report from the Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank has said.
Government urged to 'think big' to tackle regional inequalities 02/03/2020 A comprehensive review of economic decline and social division has called for a ‘large-scale, comprehensive, long-term and devolved’ plan of action to deliver change.
City region deal to be signed 25/02/2020 The Stirling and Clackmannanshire city region deal will be signed by council leaders and representatives of the UK and Scottish governments today.
Councils demand extra planning powers 19/02/2020 Councils have called on the Government to use its White Paper to give them powers to take action on unbuilt land that has planning permission.
Ministers in Leeds to thrash out devo deal 28/01/2020 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is meeting with ministers today to start thrashing out a devolution deal for the Leeds City Region.
Councils sent back to drawing board on SEND 28/01/2020 Councils have been sent back to the drawing board after a quango ripped apart their plans to recover massive special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits.
Seven out of 10 councils overspend on homelessness 28/01/2020 Seven out of 10 English councils overspent their homelessness budgets in 2018/19 by a combined total of nearly £115m, Local Government Association (LGA) analysis has found.
Councils still being held back from building more homes finds report 07/01/2020 Local authorities are still being held back from providing more homes, a new report examining the future for council housing has argued.
Jenrick hails 'biggest multi-billion pound spending increase in a decade' 20/12/2019 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has confirmed what he describes as the ‘biggest multi-billion pound spending increase for councils in a decade’.
Whitehall silence as Gwynne calls for provisional settlement 17/12/2019 Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne has called on ministers to publish the provisional finance settlement immediately amid silence on its timing from Whitehall.
Devolution revolution expected after Johnson wins 13/12/2019 Local government was this morning expecting a devolution revolution after Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a sweeping election win.
Public spending still lower than pre-recession, says IFS 07/11/2019 Planned hikes in public spending would still leave spending in 2020-21 3% lower than it was in 2010-11, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Government launches care recruitment drive 16/10/2019 The Department of Health and Social Care is set to launch the second phase of its advertising campaign to help fill 122,000 vacancies in social care.
Queen's Speech 19: Councils promised new powers to tackle pollution 14/10/2019 The Queen’s Speech promised an Environment Bill which will establish a ‘world-leading’ independent regulator, the Office for Environmental Protection, and hand some new powers to councils.
Queen's Speech 19: Devolution White Paper to set out 'structural reform' 14/10/2019 An English devolution White Paper is planned by the Government, it has been confirmed in the Queen’s Speech.
Core Cities' £28bn Shared Prosperity Fund warning 26/09/2019 The proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) must be worth at least £28bn over seven years if the UK is to deliver its devolved policy objectives, a leading sector body has warned.
DfE drive to check council readiness for Brexit 19/09/2019 The Department for Education (DfE) is attempting to gain a better understanding of school sector and council readiness just weeks before the Government’s Brexit deadline.
Treasury 'wasting money' in funding of local government 17/09/2019 The Treasury is wasting money in its funding of local government and needs to have a more place-based focus, according to a report from the respected Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank.
'Cracks' starting to show in electoral system 16/09/2019 Election administrators have warned of ‘cracks’ beginning to show in the electoral system with the prospect of another poll on the horizon.
Government warned resilience forums could be stretched 04/09/2019 Local resilience forums (LRFs) would be stretched if Brexit forced them into 24/7 operations over an extended period, the Government has been warned in a report leaked to The MJ.
New rules to increase housing deal transparency 02/09/2019 Councils will be legally required to publish deals with housing developers after new rules were introduced.
Future of work survey to inform thinking 19/08/2019 Local government workers have been invited to take part in a new survey on the future of work.
Universal Credit draining council resources 15/07/2019 Universal Credit (UC) is draining resources from councils, a new survey has found.

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Bus Users explains what responsibilities local authorities will have for community engagement under the new National Bus Strategy.

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Public Property

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.