Analysis

• Crowdsourcing for ideas

  Local authority workforces are goldmines of innovative ideas. How can councils best access this untapped resource?

  

• Bookmakers: a boost for the high street

  High streets risk losing another full rate paying high street retailer as betting shops come under pressure.

  

• Stepping up to the plate

  The Manchester Arena attack showed local government at its best. Mark Whitehead spoke to the city council’s leader Joanne Roney.

  

• Preventing progress

  Ashley Bijster argues that outdated legislation has become a barrier to smarter urban living.

  

• CIL: A golden opportunity?

  Kirk Taylor argues that local authorities are failing to fully capitalise on investment opportunities to improve local infrastructure.

  

• Dealing with large-scale abuse claims, part 2

  In part two of a review of claims against Local Authority Social Services Departments, Kella Bowers and Andrew Ellis consider types of claims and defences.

  

• Time to support our ‘non-statutory’ economic development practitioners

  Economic development practitioners should be provided with the right skills in order to ensure success of interventions, argues Suzanne Malcolm.

  

• Councils to boost revenues collection with real-time intelligence

  Find out why authorities are investing in innovative new technology that provides up to date intelligence that sits alongside their own data, helping them make more informed decisions on recovery and forecasting.

  

• Making life easier for care leavers

  Local authorities have been urged to make care leavers exempt from paying council tax until the age of 25. Tom Redfearn explains why.

  

• Local government told to boost reserves

  Should councils ignore government pressure to trim down their cash reserves? Sam Clayden investigates.