Finance

Liverpool tourism tax gets the green light

28/04/2025

Hoteliers in Liverpool have backed plans to introduce a £2 overnight visitor charge.

Newcastle chief defends Saudi investment

Council rejects Farage bankruptcy claim

Mayors' integrated settlements published

Call for action on economic inequalities

Finance News


Government to set out SEND deficit plans 04/04/2025 The Government is to set out how it will tackle the £6bn special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficit crisis later this year.
Spring Statement: Chancellor banks on house building adding £6.8bn to economy 26/03/2025 The Spring Statement has highlighted the benefit of housebuilding for improving public finances and focused on defence investment for regional growth.
Somerset could be in need of exceptional financial support 25/03/2025 Somerset Council has been found to have 45 ‘key risks' that mean it may need exceptional financial support from the Government.
Government green lights Plymouth financial support 25/03/2025 The Government has green lighted Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) worth £72m for Plymouth City Council following a review of its finances.
Council chiefs warn Chancellor of ‘devastating’ financial pressures 24/03/2025 Nearly three quarters of local authorities in England have warned it will be very or fairly difficult to set a balanced budget this financial year.
SEND deficits ‘ticking’ clock, CCN warns 20/03/2025 Council leaders have warned ‘unmanageable’ special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits risk bankrupting half of England’s largest councils.
Overstretched finances threaten 1.5m housebuilding target 20/03/2025 The pressure on social housing finances at the local level could undermine the Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million houses this parliament, LGA warns.
'Devil in the details' of welfare reform plans, says SIGOMA 19/03/2025 The ‘devil will be in the details' of the Government's proposed reforms to welfare, says SIGOMA leader.
Spring Statement: No more cash for councils 19/03/2025 The Spring Statement will give a flavour of the financial pressures councils will face after the Spending Review, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says.
Woking recovery hindered by capacity issues 10/03/2025 Capacity issues are hindering the financial recovery of Woking BC, commissioners have warned.
CCN: Splitting up social care could cost £500m a year 07/03/2025 The annual cost of splitting up social care services into multiple smaller councils could exceed half a billion pounds, says County Councils' Network (CCN).
Council chiefs call for £452m for free bus passes 05/03/2025 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to plug the nearly half a billion pound shortfall caused by the funding of free bus passes.
Shortfall worsens after allocation changes 04/03/2025 Councils are facing an additional £76m shortfall in their temporary accommodation budgets following changes to the allocation of £440m homelessness grant.
Woking approves ‘business as usual’ budget 04/03/2025 Cash-strapped Woking Borough Council has signed off on a budget aimed at ensuring the council ‘operates within its financial means.’
Councils welcome ‘gamechanger’ regeneration funding 03/03/2025 Oldham Council and Rochdale Borough Council have been granted £20m each to support a range of regeneration schemes.
Council bailouts could ‘create longer-term risk’, warns NAO 27/02/2025 The spending watchdog has called for a ‘whole-system’ approach to fixing local government finance and warned that bailouts could ‘create longer-term risk.’
Call to scrap ringfence in homelessness funding 27/02/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the Government to scrap a new ringfence within the homelessness prevention grant.
Parking charges driving people away from high street 25/02/2025 Almost two thirds of drivers are put off visiting their local high street due to parking charges, a new survey has revealed.
Funding floor for Welsh councils 24/02/2025 Councils in Wales are to see an average funding increase of 4.3%, following the announcement of the Welsh Government's Budget.
IT woes to cost Birmingham City Council more than £90m 21/02/2025 The failed implementation of Birmingham City Council’s new IT system could cost the taxpayer £90m more than was originally budgeted, auditors have revealed.
Councils granted £1.5bn in Exceptional Financial Support 20/02/2025 Thirty cash-strapped local authorities have been granted more than £1.5bn in Exceptional Financial Support (EFS).
Councillor barred from budget vote over unpaid tax 20/02/2025 A borough councillor in Lancashire owes almost £4,000 in council tax, making him unable to vote on the authority’s budget.
Sector calls for data and evidence to drive fair funding 19/02/2025 The Government should use the best available evidence and most up-to-date data to calculate local authority funding allocations, sector groups have said.
Hollinrake: Leaders to blame for s114 notices 19/02/2025 Conservative local government spokesperson Kevin Hollinrake has said council leaders are primarily responsible for their authorities having to issue section 114 notices.
End of statutory override could leave half of councils insolvent 19/02/2025 More than half of unitary and upper tier councils could be unable to balance their books when the statutory override for special needs spending expires, a survey has found.
Rules change proposed to boost social housing supply 18/02/2025 Changes to financial rules that could unlock funds for council investment in social housing are to be put before ministers.
'Significant weaknesses' at Cumberland and Dorset 17/02/2025 Cumberland and Dorset councils have both being found to have ‘significant weaknesses' by auditors Grant Thornton.
Labour awards half of Tories’ ‘unfunded’ culture cash 17/02/2025 Ministers have announced today that £50m will be awarded to a string of culture projects – about half the level of funding promised by the Tories.
‘Regressive’ council tax is a growing burden on poorest, report says 17/02/2025 The average council tax bill rose by 77% in real terms between 1994 and 2020, analysis has found.
£300m active travel funding allocated 14/02/2025 The Government has confirmed £291m for active travel over the next two years as well as reforms to Active Travel England's (ATE) local funding model.
Croydon in fresh call for debt write off 12/02/2025 Croydon LBC is lobbying the Government to write off its debt despite suggestions a decision will not be made until the summer.
Scottish Government to consult on council tax reform 11/02/2025 The Scottish Government has announced plans to review the devolved nation’s council tax system to make it ‘fairer’.
Minister told districts funding level 'just not acceptable' 07/02/2025 Local government minister Jim McMahon has responded to claims district authorities will see little increase in their funding this year.
Port Talbot receives £8m of regeneration funding 06/02/2025 Port Talbot is set to receive £8.2m of regeneration funding in a move expected to deliver 100 jobs.
National Insurance compensation allocations 'sensible' 05/02/2025 The Government's approach to distributing compensation to councils for higher National Insurance Contribution bills has been described as ‘sensible' by a think-tank.
LGA: Council tax increases no substitute for fixing funding 04/02/2025 Council leaders have warned council tax increases place ‘more financial burden on households’ without fixing the long-term pressures facing local government.
Peer warning over councillor financial understanding 04/02/2025 Not all 39 councillors at a Nottinghamshire council are fully getting to grips with the financial challenges for the local authority, peer review has warned.
Council set to make £8.6m in savings 30/01/2025 Blackpool City Council is set to make £8.6m in savings but emphasises there will be no job losses at the current time.
Bournemouth could borrow £57.5m to cover SEND deficit 30/01/2025 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has proposed borrowing £57.5m to tackle a funding gap for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
New unitary seeks exceptional financial support 30/01/2025 A unitary council that is less than two years old is seeking exceptional financial support from Government.
DCN: Triple drainage board funding 29/01/2025 The District Councils' Network (DCN) has called on the Government to increase its funding to help local authorities struggling to pay drainage board levies.
HMRC does not know how much National Insurance it collects from councils 29/01/2025 HMRC has said it does not hold data on employers National Insurance Contribution (NIC) payments received from principal local authorities.
Three boroughs seek more than £120m financial support 28/01/2025 Three London boroughs have announced in the past week they are seeking exceptional financial support from the Government.
Brighton to take on £51m debt from i360 tower 27/01/2025 Brighton and Hove City Council has agreed to take on £51m of debt from the i360 tower after the firm behind the attraction went into administration.
Havering to house homeless people in empty Essex office block 27/01/2025 Cash-strapped Havering Council has approved plans to convert an office block outside the borough into residential units for homeless families.
Councillor threatens legal action over ‘Rayner's rural robbery’ 23/01/2025 The deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council has accused the Government of ‘rural robbery’ over a reduction in funding and raised the spectre of legal action.
Study reveals high costs of PFI contracts 23/01/2025 Payments to private companies for public assets have exceeded construction costs by over three times, research into PFI contracts has revealed.
Council forced to rethink HQ refurb due to reorganisation plans 21/01/2025 The prospect of local government reorganisation in Hampshire has forced New Forest District Council to rethink a major refurbishment of its headquarters.
High street businesses brace for business rates hike 21/01/2025 Thousands of high street businesses are set to see their rates bill more than double this year, financial experts warn.
Lancashire set to spend £14m on repairs at 61 schools 16/01/2025 Lancashire County Council has set out plans to spend a government grant on ‘urgent’ repairs at 61 schools.