New SIGOMA chair: ‘We need certainty’ on council funding
Mayor Chris Cooke, new chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), talks to LocalGov about collaborative governance and funding.
Burnham promises to give councils more powers as Reed resigns
20/07/2026 Andy Burnham has promised to give councils more powers to tackle problems such as rough sleeping and social care while moving decision-making from Whitehall. |
Suffolk CC to push on with LGR legal challenge
30/06/2026 Suffolk CC is pursuing its legal challenge to local government reorganisation (LGR) following revelations Steve Reed defied civil service advice. |
Call for fiscal devolution to be based on clear criteria
09/06/2026 Fiscal devolution must be based around local taxes or revenue rather than the existing grant system, a report has urged. |
Union raises alarm over bullying and harassment
08/06/2026 Social workers are raising the alarm over bullying or harassment at the same time as struggling with funding shortages. |
Chiefs take charge
04/06/2026 Uncertainty at several local authorities as recent elections leave chief executives presiding over a changing political landscape. |
Reform UK councillors back down in row over airport loan
11/05/2026 Doncaster City Council is to borrow £57m to help reopen its airport after Reform UK councillors backed down from a direct confrontation with its leadership. |
Mayor steps into chief executive row with Reform UK councillors
06/05/2026 Doncaster's Labour mayor has stepped into the row between chief executive Damian Allen and Reform UK councillors by backing her chief executive officer. |
Homeless handed rising proportion of social housing
14/04/2026 The proportion of social housing being allocated to homeless people has risen, according to data collated by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). |
LGPS performing well, pension advisers say
07/04/2026 The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is performing well and managing risk responsibly during a time of economic uncertainty, according to pension advisers Hymans Robertson. |
Further devolution plans unveiled
01/04/2026 Council leaders in the Midlands and West of England have begun responding to a call from ministers to reveal their devolution plans. |
Report finds 'optimism bias' in council projections
30/03/2026 Brighton and Hove city councillors were guilty of ‘optimism bias’ in forecasting the popularity of the i360 seafront tower, a report has found. |
Leaders united on devo despite reorg rivalry
12/03/2026 Council leaders in Hertfordshire have insisted they remain united over devolution despite presenting the Government with a range of reorganisation options. |
'Widespread lack of understanding' to blame for key worker oversight
03/03/2026 Failure to recognise council employees as key workers during the pandemic must be reviewed as part of planning for future emergencies, Covid inquiry told. |
Government rejects food waste transparency call
03/02/2026 The Government has rebuffed calls for transparency around funding for food waste collections, insisting it is not in the ‘public interest'. |
Report calls for slashing of London boroughs
03/02/2026 London boroughs should merge so the number of local authorities in the capital is reduced by about two-thirds, a report claimed today. |
National conversation on neighbourhoods needed
20/01/2026 A senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has called for a national conversation over the role of councils in improving neighbourhoods. |
DCN name change pressure
13/01/2026 The District Councils’ Network (DCN) is coming under increasing internal pressure to move quickly to change its name to secure the future relevance of the organisation. |
MHCLG blow as councils' housebuilding expansion comes to a halt
10/12/2025 A surge in housebuilding by councils is expected to grind to a halt – threatening the Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029. |
Reed U-turn over committee system abolition
25/11/2025 Local authorities that already use the committee system will be allowed to retain it under strict conditions detailed by the Government. |
Ministers accused of 'scapegoating' nature
17/11/2025 Ministers have been accused of ‘scapegoating' nature as they attempt to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. |
