Pothole Claims: What Councils Need to Know
Councils face growing pothole claims. Georgia Milton of DWF highlights how strong inspections and AI tools can help balance legal duties, budgets and safety.
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. |
