10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
NAO: SEND reforms must tackle £2.3bn school transport squeeze
30/10/2025 The NAO has warned that reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system must address growing pressures on home-to-school transport. |
Chancellor failed to get licence to rent out home
30/10/2025 The PM has declined calls for an investigation after Chancellor Reeves apologised for renting out her family home without a licence from Southwark Council. |
London councils face ‘eye-watering’ £4bn funding gap
30/10/2025 London’s town halls are warning of 'inevitable' service cuts and growing financial crisis as new analysis reveals a £4bn funding gap. |
Scrapping two-child limit could lift 330,000 children out of poverty, report finds
30/10/2025 The Government could reduce the number of children growing up in poverty by an estimated 330,000 if it scrapped the two-child limit, according to think tank. |
Councils accused of homelessness ‘gatekeeping’
29/10/2025 A third of young people in England who approached their local authority for help in 2023/24 were not assessed under the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) 2017. |
Councils need more backing to manage investment risks, Localis warns
29/10/2025 Think-tank calls for government action to help finance directors balance investment risk and growth goals. |
Warning issued after seizure of 3,600 illegal vehicle parts
29/10/2025 Authorities have seized more than 3,600 counterfeit vehicle parts worth over £100,000 from a self-storage facility in South Gloucestershire. |
Mayors call for real Living Wage for care workers
28/10/2025 Mayors Andy Burnham and Kim McGuinness have signed an open letter urging Government to guarantee all adult social care workers are paid the real Living Wage. |
MP calls for new mayors to take legal action on climate
28/10/2025 Green MP Siân Berry has proposed a new statutory duty on mayors created under the English Devolution Bill, urging them to take action on climate change. |
Community cohesion concerns over Inverness asylum plans
28/10/2025 Plans to house asylum seekers in Inverness have raised concerns over community cohesion within the relatively small community. |
MPs urge overhaul of developer levies
28/10/2025 The system for capturing developer contributions is failing communities, leaving vital public amenities like schools and GP surgeries underfunded, MPs say. |
Landmark bus bill becomes law
28/10/2025 The Bus Services Act has officially become law, giving local authorities the power to step in when vital routes are under threat. |
Reform UK councillors expelled after leaked video
28/10/2025 Two suspended Reform UK councillors from Kent have reportedly been expelled from the party due to misconduct allegations. |
Welsh Government launches consultation on local election rules
28/10/2025 The Welsh Government has opened a 12-week consultation on proposals to modernise local election rules ahead of the 2027 polls. |
Major consultation to reform council tax in Scotland launched
27/10/2025 The Scottish Government and COSLA have launched a major consultation on the future of council tax. |
LGA welcomes Awaab’s Law but flags resource gap
27/10/2025 Council chiefs have welcomed the introduction of Awaab’s Law, but called for more funding to support implementation. |
Three unitary councils proposed for Staffordshire shake up
27/10/2025 Three southern Staffordshire councils have unveiled a local government reorganisation plan aimed at creating three new unitary authorities. |
Billions wasted on ‘chaotic’ asylum accommodation system
27/10/2025 The Home Affairs Committee has called for a major overhaul of the ‘failed, chaotic and expensive’ asylum accommodation system. |
Deprived areas hit hardest by pharmacy closures
24/10/2025 England’s most deprived areas are bearing the brunt of pharmacy closures, new research from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has revealed. |
Scottish councils demand £750m social care lifeline
24/10/2025 Scotland’s political leaders have been told they face a ‘defining moment’ for local services — with social care at the centre of a new call for action. |
