Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
Coroner rejects anonymity request ahead of 10-year-old's murder inquest
21/09/2026 The coroner conducting the inquest into the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif has rejected a request for anonymity made on behalf of three Surrey CC staff. |
Reform UK pledge to slash planning regulation to boost house building
08/09/2026 Reform UK has announced proposals to slash planning regulations and requirements following a pledge to build 50,000 affordable homes a year. |
Out of area placements continue to rise
10/08/2026 London boroughs top the list of councils exporting homeless households out of their areas as the practice grows, latest figures have shown. |
McMahon returns to MHCLG
23/07/2026 Jim McMahon is returning to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) less than a year after Keir Starmer sacked him. |
EXCLUSIVE: Reorganisation shake-up
23/07/2026 Labour's local government reorganisation plans are likely to hit existing unitaries as ‘fierce competition' breaks out for chief executives, recruiter warns. |
Eshalomi appointed MHCLG minister
22/07/2026 Florence Eshalomi has been appointed as a minister at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). |
Call for stronger scrutiny of mayors
08/07/2026 Stronger accountability and scrutiny of mayors is needed should they be given greater fiscal powers under an Andy Burnham-led government, think-tank says. |
Reed defied officials' advice on DPP reorg plans
18/06/2026 Essex and Norfolk CCs have hit out at ministers ignoring the advice of Whitehall officials over reorganisation plans. |
Cowan to chair London Councils
17/06/2026 London Councils has confirmed Hammersmith and Fulham LBC leader Stephen Cowan as its new chair as well as announcing the group's executive committee. |
Review of Welsh funding formula already underway
05/06/2026 Wales’ new local government minister has said work has already started on reviewing the country’s local government funding formula. |
LGA chair to stand down
03/06/2026 Cllr Louise Gittins has today announced her intention to stand down as chair of the Local Government Association. |
Newcastle-under-Lyme to leave LGA
29/05/2026 Reform UK-led Newcastle-under-Lyme BC has announced it is ending its membership of the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Senior councillor calls for local veto on asylum placements
27/05/2026 Breckland DC's leader has called for a council veto on local asylum placements as tensions grow in the Norfolk district over the issue. |
Devo minister resigns
12/05/2026 Junior devolution minister Miatta Fahnbulleh has resigned and urged PM Keir Starmer to ‘do the right thing' and ‘set a timetable for an orderly transition'. |
Reform councillor believed to have stood down following allegations
11/05/2026 A Reform UK councillor is believed to have already resigned following his election last Thursday. |
Leeds City Council suffers huge fuel theft as Middle East conflict continues
30/04/2026 Leeds City Council has had 12,000 litres of fuel for its fleet of vehicles stolen as prices rise with continued conflict in the Middle East. |
Ministers still unconvinced by Tees Valley's Best Value
28/04/2026 The Government has said it continues to require assurances that Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is fulfilling its Best Value duty. |
LCN chair: CCN existence 'illogical'
09/04/2026 The chair of the Local Councils Network (LCN) has suggested it seems ‘illogical' for the County Councils Network (CCN) to exist in light of reorganisation. |
Legal threat looms as counties oppose Whitehall LGR ruling
02/04/2026 Disgruntled county councils could slow down local government reorganisation with legal challenges to Whitehall's verdict. |
Council tax goes up by £10bn in five years
25/03/2026 England's council tax bill has gone up by more than £10bn in five years, new government data has revealed. |
