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.
The transformers
07/09/2012 Outsourcing alone will not solve all the problems local authorities face in juggling the pressures of budget and service demands, according to a roundtable debate organised by The MJ and Interserve, reports Dermott Calpin. |
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Data points to fall in social housing build
01/05/2012 A major reduction in the number of social housing starts has led to a 4% fall in the latest Glenigan Index of construction projects. |
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‘Speed Commission’ to throw spotlight on academies
11/04/2012 The growth of academy schools leaving local authority control is to come under scrutiny of a ‘Speed Commission’ set up by the Royal Society of Arts and the Pearson Centre for Policy and Learning. |
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£10m shops scheme leaves town centres 'without hope'
05/04/2012 The High Street Innovation Fund, has come under fire for allocating cash unfairly and leaving hundreds of high streets without hope. |
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MJ Awards finalists announced
05/04/2012 A total of 102 finalists have been selected for this year’s The MJ Local Government Achievement Awards, which attracted the highest ever number of entries. |
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New right-to-buy discounts reflect house prices
03/04/2012 Prime minister David Cameron has announced discounts of up to £75,000 will be available in a ‘new-style’ right to buy scheme for council and housing association tenants. |
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The future of zero carbon
29/03/2012 A new report examines the growing public support for energy efficient homes, and explains how local authorities can drive forward the zero carbon agenda. |
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Gloomy outlook for public sector jobs
06/03/2012 The public sector faces a very difficult year with continued pressure to cut staff levels, reduce pay and freeze recruitment, new figures suggest. |
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Report backs case for council tenancy fraud plans
06/03/2012 A report to be published later this month concludes that around 90 per cent of all tenancy fraud in council homes goes undetected. |
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Survey finds falling confidence in council finances
24/02/2012 Local government finance officers have mounting concerns about council finances and public services delivery faced with a new round of budget cuts. |
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Pickles urged to rethink business rate proposals
24/10/2011 The City Finance Commission has urged Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to re-think his proposals for the local retention of business rates. |
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HS2 and the planning process
23/09/2011 MPs' verdict on HS2 is likely to prove a key test for the Government’s streamlining of the planning process, says Dermott Calpin. |
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Clicking on to care
08/09/2011 Staffordshire’s pioneering single portal for information on social care and health service which has proved a popular hit with local people, writes Dernmott Calpin. |
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Councils could face ‘Californication’ future
08/09/2011 The New Local Government Network has warned that councils may undergo a radical but shrinking process of ‘Californication’ in response to the pressure of budget cuts. |
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Councils to drive expansion of rural broadband
17/08/2011 Local authorities will be at the cutting edge of Government plans for a major expansion of broadband in rural areas. |
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Co-operative notes
10/08/2011 One particular organisation has had a major influence on the popularity of mutuals and employee ownership, as Dermott Calpin reports |
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Housing services report sparks row
10/08/2011 The Audit Commission has clashed with Tory-controlled Birmingham City Council over a critical verdict on the quality of its housing services for council tenants. |
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Wanted: Bright ideas by councils
05/08/2011 Dermott Calpin reports on a recent, detailed analysis of applications for the Creative Council programme |
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Housing policies could trigger exodus of low income families from London
02/08/2011 London’s largest public sector landlords has warned that Government housing policies could trigger an exodus of low income families from the capital. |
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Grant funding: Does it all add up?
28/07/2011 A new study by the National Audit Office suggests the complexity of funding formulae used to calculate council grant funding reduces transparency, reports Dermott Calpin. |
