Whitehall


Sheffield chief apologises for Whitehall leaving do 14/01/2022 The chief executive officer of Sheffield City Council has apologised for having her Whitehall leaving do while coronavirus restrictions were in place.
Shortcomings revealed in second child murder case 14/12/2021 A second court case in a month has revealed serious shortcomings in how local agencies responded to allegations of abuse shortly before a child’s murder.
Leaked White Paper reveals reorganisation master plan 09/12/2021 A leaked version of the Levelling Up White Paper has revealed plans to scrap two-tier local government in England.
Powers warning ahead of new deals 07/12/2021 A new report today warns areas reluctant to accept directly-elected leaders in the next wave of devolution deals may be offered ‘fewer powers and flexibilities’.
LGA warning over soaring care costs 23/11/2021 Soaring adult and children’s care costs mean councils could ‘soon fail to support everyone they need to,’ town halls have warned.
Transfer scheme for asylum children made mandatory 23/11/2021 Councils will have to take in asylum-seeking children as the national transfer scheme is made mandatory.
Gove warned of climate change floods risk 22/11/2021 Local government secretary Michael Gove was today urged to align UK housing policy with climate change.
No deal from last-ditch pay talks 16/11/2021 Last-ditch talks between local government employers and trade unions over this year’s 1.75% pay offer have broken up without agreement, The MJ understands.
Delayed SEND review to reduce 'local variation' 11/11/2021 Proposals coming out of the Government’s review of special educational needs and disability (SEND) will look to reduce ‘local variation,’ children and families minister Will Quince has suggested.
IFS reveals scope of Universal Credit 08/11/2021 Budget changes to Universal Credit mean families with well above-average earnings and even paying 40% rates of tax could be entitled to the benefit, according to an Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report.
Commissioners to monitor Slough improvement plan 26/10/2021 Mismanagement and a dysfunctional culture contributed to Slough Council’s financial meltdown, two Government-ordered reviews have concluded.
Pension funds urged to help achieve green economy switch 19/10/2021 Parliamentarians have urged local government pension funds to play an active role in achieving a ‘just transition’ to a green economy.
Sunak urged to tackle backlogs in public services or face greater costs 19/10/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak must swiftly invest in public services hit hardest by the pandemic or face much greater costs down the line, a report has warned.
Think-tank makes call for wellbeing budgets 18/10/2021 The Government should introduce ‘wellbeing budgets’ that look beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to reduce regional health inequalities, a think-tank has urged.
Counties in council tax warning 07/10/2021 County leaders have warned council tax bills would have to rise by almost a quarter over three years to get close to eliminating their deficit.
Slough approves asset fire sale 21/09/2021 Crisis-hit Slough Council has approved plans to flog around £600m worth of assets as it battles to get its finances under control.
Levelling up too focused on infrastructure, claims report 14/09/2021 Ministers’ ‘levelling up’ agenda is too focused on new infrastructure projects at the expense of improving key public services, councils representing English towns and cities have warned.
Districts call for government intervention over supported housing 03/09/2021 Three out of five district councils fear they do not have enough good quality supported housing for the next five years, a new survey has found.
Government set to hike NI to pay for care and health 03/09/2021 Government is set to plough ahead with plans to raise national insurance to fund health and social, with an announcement expected next week.
Khan pledges Afghan resettlement help 26/08/2021 The Mayor of London has pledged funding to help councils resettle Afghan refugees.
£3bn gap looms for councils 24/08/2021 Councils in England, Wales and Scotland are grappling with huge budget deficits totalling more than £3bn for the next financial year, according to research published by trade union Unison today.
Report attacks councils’ ‘shameful’ undermining of Right to Build laws 23/08/2021 Some authorities have been ‘subverting’ legislation designed to encourage self-built homes, an independent report has found.
County areas chase devo dream 17/08/2021 County areas are lining up to strike one of the first tranche of devolution deals.
Brighton & Hove raises concerns over support for asylum-seeking children 30/07/2021 The council said they had less than 24 hours’ notice before the Home Office placed a number of children in a hotel in the city.
Government threatens borrowing cap return 29/07/2021 The Government has threatened to apply statutory borrowing caps on councils that continue to expose themselves to excessive risk.
Johnson: Bring your devolution plans to me 15/07/2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for local leaders to take their devolution plans to him in a keynote speech from the West Midlands this morning.
Reed accuses government of dropping devolution 07/07/2021 Shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has accused the Government of dropping its commitment to devolution.
BREAKING: Slough becomes second council to issue Section 114 in a year 01/07/2021 Slough Council has become the second local authority in less than a year to issue a dreaded Section 114 notice.
Special needs deficits to grow to £1.3bn in two years 30/06/2021 A ‘spiralling deficit’ in special educational needs services (SEN) is expected to grow to an ‘unmanageable’ £1.3bn in just two years’ time, county councils have warned.
Councils can issue traffic fines from December 15/06/2021 Powers to enforce moving traffic offences will not be extended to local authorities in England outside London until the end of the year, a Department for Transport (DfT) minister has said.
Patel reveals rota replacement scheme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children 10/06/2021 A new rota scheme will better distribute responsibility for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) among councils, home secretary Priti Patel has revealed.
Controversial Somerset poll backs district plan 07/06/2021 A controversial poll on reorganisation in Somerset has come out in favour of a district-based proposal.
MHCLG is 'too optimistic' about councils' cash, says watchdog 04/06/2021 The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is overly optimistic about councils’ financial resilience after the pandemic, MPs have warned.
Wolverhampton's i9 selected to house MHCLG's Midlands base 28/05/2021 Two floors of Wolverhampton’s new i9 office building will be home to the first ministerial department outside of London, it has been announced.
Levelling up is 'meaningless' without devo, say Lords 20/05/2021 The Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda is meaningless without more devolution to councils and investment in local public services says a report from the House of Lords.
COVID crisis exposed council underfunding, says watchdog 19/05/2021 The COVID crisis exposed existing weaknesses in public services, including the underfunding of local government and the neglect of social care, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.
More than 100 leisure centres could go bust, DCN warns 13/05/2021 More than 100 leisure centres in England could go bust due to the coronavirus crisis, district councils have warned.
Queen's Speech: Controversial voter ID plans roll forward 11/05/2021 Voter ID is expected to be introduced by May 2023 after the Government pledged to introduce legislation to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’.
Devolution White Paper to be replaced by levelling up proposals 04/05/2021 A levelling up White Paper will replace the long-awaited policy document on devolution and local recovery.
Homelessness charity calls for Home Office rules to be scrapped 21/04/2021 Home Office rules ‘undermine’ efforts to end rough sleeping and should be ‘scrapped immediately,’ a charity has said.
No simple north-south divide, says report 19/04/2021 There is no simple north-south divide, a new report by Legal and General (L&G) has argued.
Vaccine may be made compulsory for care home staff 14/04/2021 Staff in English care homes with older adults may be required to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to tackle hesitancy within the sector.
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.

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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.