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.
Scrap Jobcentre Plus and devolve support to Mayors, think tank urges
25/09/2026 Employment support should be devolved to mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs) and Jobcentre Plus scrapped entirely, according to a new report. |
Concerns over reorganisation delay impact on devolution
09/09/2026 MPs have raised concerns around the impact that a delay to local government reorganisation (LGR) announced this week will have on the Government’s devolution agenda. |
Civil servants seconded to all mayoral authorities
24/08/2026 Civil servants are to be seconded to every mayoral authority in the country, the Government has announced. |
Devolution race exposes divisions over mayor question
13/08/2026 The Government was this week facing hurdles as it races to complete the devolution map across England by the end of 2028. |
Think tank urges Burnham to learn from past growth policy
22/07/2026 A new report from Localis is urging incoming PM Andy Burnham to draw on lessons from decades of local growth policy as he pursues ‘Manchesterism’. |
LGPS urged to back ‘balanced growth’ beyond London
08/07/2026 Local government minister Alison McGovern MP said the LGPS must work closely with England's strategic authorities to deliver ‘balanced growth’. |
Oxford CC slams Oxfordshire's Thames Valley devolution veto
01/07/2026 Oxford CC has voiced its disappointment after Oxfordshire CC vetoed a devolution deal which it argues could have brought billions in investment. |
Devolution progress strong, but scrutiny must be strengthened, auditors say
01/07/2026 Good progress has been made on English devolution, a National Audit Office report has found, but it also calls for strengthened local scrutiny arrangements. |
Call to bolster powers of strategic authorities
30/01/2026 Strategic authorities require more freedoms and capacity to drive growth and reform, a think-tank has urged. |
Government confirms mayoral election delays in four areas
04/12/2025 The Government has confirmed that it will be pushing back elections for mayors in four new strategic authorities by two years. |
Devolution needs ‘long-term plan’, report says
27/11/2025 England risks drifting into a fragmented local governance system unless ministers set out a clear long-term plan for devolution, new report argues. |
Local growth plans must show benefit to communities
08/09/2025 Experts have urged strategic authorities (SA) to ensure their blueprints for local growth ‘do more than pursue economic indicators'. |
