Court upholds abortion clinic ‘buffer zone’
Children growing up in ‘B&Bs and shipping containers’, commissioner warns
Crime-fighting funds in scarce supply - survey
Council accused of acting ‘unlawfully’ over housing of homeless people
Declaring a climate change emergency
Local authorities can play a key role in tackling climate change – and there is plenty for them to do. Never before has thinking globally and acting locally been more important, says Mark Whitehead.
Future of work survey to inform thinking
19/08/2019 Local government workers have been invited to take part in a new survey on the future of work. |
Labour announce plans to ‘revive’ high street
19/08/2019 A Labour Government would give councils the power to reopen abandoned shops to ‘revive Britain’s struggling high streets’, it was announced over the weekend. |
IDS think tank calls for raise in pension age to 75
19/08/2019 The state pension age should be increased to 75 in order to boost the economy by £182bn, says a centre-right think tank which is close to the Government. |
London set for three times more transport investment than North
19/08/2019 London is in line for almost three times more transport investment per person than the North of England, according to IPPR North. |
Deal to secure British Steel nearly ‘over the line'
16/08/2019 A deal is close to being finalised that could see the struggling steel manufacturer British Steel brought out of insolvency. |
Tackle racial inequalities to promote growth in the North, think tanks says
16/08/2019 A new policy briefing has called for racial inequalities to be tackled as part of an inclusive economic growth agenda for the North. |
Council reviews beach safety after the deaths of two teenagers
15/08/2019 A district council has committed to a review into beach safety after the deaths of two teenagers who got into difficulty while swimming. |
Developer withdraws from multi-million Hove scheme
15/08/2019 Crest Nicholson has withdrawn from plans to deliver a £50m leisure centre and new housing in Hove. |
Councils received 700,000 pothole complaints last year
14/08/2019 Local authorities received 700,000 complaints last year about ptoholes and other road defects, new figures have revealed. |
First black Lord Mayor of Liverpool ‘excited’ by opportunity
14/08/2019 Liverpool’s first black Lord Mayor has been announced after her predecessor was forced to step down for sharing a video containing offensive material. |
Eight million people missing from electoral register, report warns
14/08/2019 Millions of people are not registered to vote correctly due to ‘persistent and serious’ problems with the way elections are run, a new report has warned today. |
Nearly one third of homeless fatalities occur in temporary accommodation
14/08/2019 New research has revealed that a person affected by homelessness is dying every 19 hours with nearly a third of fatalities occurring in emergency or temporary accommodation. |
Councils ‘enabling’ heir hunters to charge high fees
13/08/2019 Researchers have accused local authorities of helping heir hunting firms to rip-off families by charging excessive fees for tracking down inheritance claims. |
Braverman calls on Government to ‘double down’ on free schools
13/08/2019 Tory MP Suella Braverman has urged the Government to speed up the expansion of free schools which she argues act as ‘drivers of competition and innovation’. |
Council pauses Hereford bypass schemes
12/08/2019 Herefordshire County Council has announced it will pause the Hereford bypass and Southern link road schemes to review other options available. |
Councils call for tougher sentences for loan sharks
12/08/2019 Council leaders have warned people not to use loan sharks after latest figures show debt advice enquiries have hit a record high. |
More children being cared for in failing council services, says think tank
12/08/2019 Nearly 50,000 children are being cared for in areas where council services are failing, a think tank has warned today. |
280,000 approved homes not completed
09/08/2019 The number of planning permissions granted far outweighs the number of completions, according to new research. |
Khan announces 200 new homes for rough sleepers and victims of domestic abuse
09/08/2019 Up to 200 new homes will be built in London to help former rough sleeps and victims of domestic abuse to leave hostels and refuges. |
Council loses appeal to keep publishing fortnightly newspaper
09/08/2019 Hackney Council has lost its final legal appeal to keep publishing its fortnightly newsletter, Hackney Today. |
Local government ‘shut out’ of Brexit discussions, Labour warns
08/08/2019 Andrew Gwynne, the shadow secretary of state for communities and local government, has raised concerns that local authorities will not be represented on the Government’s EU Exit Operations Committee. |
DWP say ‘record’ levels of disabled peopled helped into work
08/08/2019 Over 36,000 disabled people were supported into work last year, a figure the Department for Work and Pensions says is a ‘record’. |
London Councils call for ‘adequate resources’ to fight knife crime
08/08/2019 London boroughs have backed a call urging the new prime minister to tackle knife crime and said the Government needs to ensure councils have ‘adequate resources’ for frontline services. |
Council apologises after anxious girl misses months of school
08/08/2019 Leeds City Council left a young girl without proper education for nine months after she started refusing to go to her primary school because of anxiety, the ombudsman has found. |
Welsh Government sets out development vision for next 20 years
07/08/2019 A new planning framework for Wales will aim to produce more council housing and increase the use of renewable energy. |
Cut road verges less to protect pollinators, research warns
06/08/2019 Roadside verges should be cut less to protect wildflowers and pollinators, new research has found. |
Cuadrilla asks for ‘additional time’ to frack in Lancashire
06/08/2019 The fracking company Cuadrilla has written to Lancashire County Council requesting ‘additional time’ for drilling at the contested Preston New Road site. |
‘Tombstoning’ youngsters risk death, council chiefs warn
05/08/2019 Local authority leaders have warned young people not to risk their lives jumping from great heights into the sea or rivers during the summer holidays. |
Calls for ugent investment in public playgrounds
05/08/2019 The decline in public playgrounds is ‘pushing’ children away from outdoor play, a new survey has revealed. |
Councils accused of ‘criminalising’ businesses over rates arrears
05/08/2019 Local authorities are ‘criminalising’ struggling businesses such as pubs and shops by taking them to court over non-payment of business rates, a real estate advisor claims. |
Havant BC calls for better water quality testing
02/08/2019 Havant Borough Council is proposing to form a partnership with other local authorities to lobby for further water quality testing and monitoring. |
Care home closed amid allegations of ‘child cruelty’
02/08/2019 A care home in the north Bristol area for children with special needs has been closed down amid allegations of child cruelty. |
Councils flout ancient woodland protections, campaigners say
01/08/2019 One year on from strengthened protection for ancient woodland in England, local planners are still 'failing to safeguard' the habitat, the Woodland Trust has claimed. |
Nearly 600,000 children affected by two-child limit on benefits
01/08/2019 Campaigners have called on the Government to lift the 'two child limit' for payment of benefits to families. |
Poverty result of ‘political decisions’, MPs say
31/07/2019 The poverty and destitution levels in the UK are the result of political decisions made since 2010, MPs have said. |
Sales of plastic bags drop 90% since fee was introduced
31/07/2019 Sales of single-use plastic bags have fallen by 90% since the introduction of the 5p charge in 2015, new figures have revealed. |
MPs declare youth violence to be ‘social emergency’
31/07/2019 Young people have been failed in the ‘most devastating way’ by the Government, MPs have said, as they warn that youth violence is a ‘social emergency’. |
London boroughs urge Whitehall to ‘turbocharge’ council housebuilding
31/07/2019 Local authorities in London have called on the Government to ‘turbocharge’ council housebuilding by lifting restrictions on the use of Right to Buy receipts. |
Over 14 million living in poverty, think tank reveals
30/07/2019 Millions of people, including children and pensioners, are living below the poverty line, new research into poverty has revealed. |
Education disadvantage gap has ‘stopped closing’, think tank reveals
30/07/2019 Poorer pupils in the North are struggling to keep up with their peers, an education think tank reveals, as research shows the education disadvantage gap has stopped closing. |
New Office of Veterans’ Affairs needs ‘teeth’, council chiefs say
30/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed the creation of a new position within the cabinet dedicated to veterans’ affairs, but warned it should be ‘given teeth’. |
Council tenant fined £100,000 for illegal sublet
30/07/2019 A council tenant has been fined £100,000 and evicted from his property by Westminster City Council after he illegally sublet his flat through Airbnb. |
Drop ‘metro mayor’ devolution requirement, PM told
29/07/2019 County council leaders have called on Boris Johnson to ensure there is no mayoral requirement for a ‘full’ devolution deal. |
Local leaders propose new ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution deal
29/07/2019 Local leaders in Yorkshire have presented the PM with proposals to ‘urgently unlock’ the benefits of devolution by opening way to a single deal for the county. |
Campaigners call for reform of ‘broken’ electoral system
29/07/2019 Electoral reform campaigners have warned of a ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in local elections as research reveals the first-past-the-post system leads to widespread disproportionality. |
PM announces £300m for devolved nations
29/07/2019 The prime minister has announced £300m of new funding to support the expansion of Growth Deals across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as he reassures the UK that Brexit will not threaten the union. |
Combined authority to pilot 'Uber-style' bus service
26/07/2019 Plans to pilot a ‘demand-responsive’ bus service across Tees Valley have been approved. |
Wales and Scotland identified as ‘rising stars’ in participative government
26/07/2019 A comprehensive review of participative, outcomes-based, joined-up policy making across the UK has identified Wales and Scotland as ‘rising stars’. |
Ombudsman reveals ‘gaps’ in the SEN redress system
25/07/2019 An investigation has revealed gaps in the Special Educational Needs redress system which prevent it from being transparent and accountable to parents. |
New secretary of state for local government told to ‘champion’ councils
25/07/2019 County councillors have called on the new housing, communities and local government secretary Robert Jenrick to 'champion their cause' for fairer funding. |
The June issue of Local Government News contains the full details of all the winning schemes in the 2019 Street Design Awards. From Children's Play to Pedestrian Environment, find out who has been recognised for their innovation and use of best practice.
This issue also explores how local government pension funds can hedge currency risk, how councils can best address the shortfall in school places, and an update on the number of authorities banning the use of Roundup over safety fears.
