Mark Conrad

• Finance settlement has 'gravest implications'

  Councils have dismissed today’s Welsh Government’s finance settlement as a ‘bread and butter budget’ in which town halls ‘get the crumbs again’.

  

• Missed savings could lead to overspend

  Kingston upon Thames LBC is expected to overspend by £4m this year after finding a third of planned savings may not be delivered on time.

• EXCLUSIVE: Future of new homes bonus cast in doubt

  The future of the £7bn New Homes Bonus is in doubt, after Treasury ministers revealed they believe the policy has failed.

  

• Welfare support has 'collapsed' for many in England

  One in six top-tier councils are not providing vital welfare services devolved to them just as the sector’s budget cuts hit hard.

  

• Auditors warn councils over debt chasing

  Funding pressures in local government could mean councils are pursuing debt repayments ‘too quickly and too aggressively,’ a report by national auditors suggested today.

  

• Crunch time for municipal bonds

  The struggling Municipal Bonds Agency has pleaded for councils to ‘pull behind us’ amid warnings it could run out of money before issuing a bond.

  

• LEPs face race against time

  Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) face a race against time to reconfigure and register as legal entities, amid a threat from ministers to withhold growth fund cash.

  

• Ministers to 'super charge' LEP performance

  Ministers have published plans to ‘super charge’ the performance and accountability of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) following a review.

  

• Working homeless figures soar over five years

  The number of families described as ‘working homeless’ has soared over the past five years, housing charity Shelter has warned.

  

• Brokenshire considering new devolution models

  James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted.