Council to bring housing management back in-house
Council peer reviews go virtual
Seize the transport moment, says new report
Think tank calls for sweeping reforms to local taxes
Fostering innovation in UK local councils
Giles K Bailey and Dr Ali Ahmad call on councils to bring the brightest and best minds together in order to develop creative solutions to the challenges they face.
Construction spend must deliver social value, argues report
30/06/2020 Construction spend must deliver more ‘tangible social impact’ to support disadvantaged communities post-Covid, according to a new report. |
County set to approve £102m waste contract
29/06/2020 Norfolk County Council is set to approve a new six-year waste management deal with Veolia, worth £102m. |
Sheffield devolution deal set to be passed by Parliament
29/06/2020 A new devolution deal for South Yorkshire will be laid before Parliament today, handing new powers and millions of pounds of funding to the region. |
Mitie and Interserve Support Services to merge
26/06/2020 Outsourcer Mitie has proposed to merge with facilities management firm Interserve Support Services by the end of the year in a £271m deal. |
Councils pledge to deliver inclusive growth post-Covid-19
24/06/2020 Councils are taking steps to ensure their communities and local economies are more inclusive post-Covid-19, a new report has revealed. |
Calls for a flexible zoning system to end housing crisis
23/06/2020 A flexible zoning system would help build more homes in the UK and end the housing crisis, a new report has argued. |
Government announces measures to prevent company evictions
19/06/2020 The Government has extended measures to prevent struggling companies from eviction over the summer until the end of September. |
Government launches consultation on accelerating tree planting
19/06/2020 The Government has launched a consultation on ways to accelerate tree planting in an effort to combat the biodiversity and climate crises. |
Local groups urge PM to support a ‘community-powered’ post-Covid recovery
16/06/2020 Over 100 organisations have called on the Government to support a community-powered economic recovery which they argue would help revive local areas. |
EXCLUSIVE: 'Make local elections a "mini-referendum" on fair funding'
16/06/2020 The main parties at the Local Government Association could turn next year’s local elections into a ‘mini referendum on fair funding for all councils’, according to the director of the Political Skills Forum. |
Government appoints Arup-led consortium for £3.6bn Towns Fund delivery
15/06/2020 The engineering company Arup has been appointed to lead a consortium to help local authorities access the £3.6bn Towns Fund. |
Council sets up new development company
10/06/2020 Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) has launched a new development company to help deliver new homes, create more jobs and grow the local economy across the borough. |
More funding will not fix 'broken' social care system, says think tank
09/06/2020 New taxes or extra spending are not enough to fix the 'dysfunctional' social care system, a think tank has said. |
Councils get new advice to combat procurement fraud
09/06/2020 New advice to help councils in England fight procurement fraud has been published by the Government. |
London Councils warn spending on homelessness is 'unsustainable'
08/06/2020 London boroughs are spending an extra £50m on homelessness services due to Covid-19, new figures have revealed. |
Free community groups to take on assets - think-tank
03/06/2020 Powers allowing community groups to take on local assets should be kick-started to build on the volunteer spirit generated by Covid says a report released today. |
Council-owned housing company set for approval
02/06/2020 Manchester City Council is set to approve plans for a new housing development company to deliver at least 500 new homes every year. |
Campaigners call for voting age to be lowered to 16 across all of the UK
01/06/2020 The right to vote should be extended to include 16 and 17 year olds in England, campaigners have said today. |
Councils urged to create ‘school streets’
29/05/2020 Councils have been urged to close roads to cars during school pick up and drop off times to make journeys safer and manage social distancing at the school gates by ten NGOs. |
Commission warns infrastructure must prepare for future challenges
28/05/2020 Climate change and extreme weather conditions could test the future resilience of the UK's infrastructure, according to a new report by the National Infrastructure Commission. |
Local lockdown powers up in the air
27/05/2020 Council powers over calling a local lockdown are still to be thrashed out as the NHS’ test and trace system is formally launched. |
Kent leader warns of migrant crossing ‘crisis’
26/05/2020 The council's leader has asked the home secretary to make it mandatory for authorities to provide support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). |
‘Golden opportunity’ to end rough sleeping
22/05/2020 The Government has been urged to commit £100m to councils in a bid to end rough sleeping in England. |
Research finds councils still vulnerable to ransomware attacks
20/05/2020 Nearly half of local government workers do not know what ransomware is, making councils more vulnerable to cyber attacks new research has warned. |
Council considers community bond scheme
20/05/2020 Warrington Borough Council has put forward plans for a Community Municipal Bond (CMB) scheme to help deliver a new solar farm. |
Report suggests a new tax for people living near to public parks
18/05/2020 Homeowners living near to public parks should pay councils a small tax to help cover the cost of their upkeep, a think tank has said. |
Government backs merger of two council pension funds
14/05/2020 The Government has given the go-ahead to merge two local government pension funds. |
Jenrick launches plans to kickstart housing market
13/05/2020 Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has restarted the housing market as part of the Government’s plans to ease lockdown. |
Burnham calls for more Covid-19 support for English regions
12/05/2020 The Government has been urged to provide extra support for cities outside London to deal with the cost of easing lockdown restrictions. |
Councils call for access to data for effective contact tracing
11/05/2020 Crucial data must be shared with councils in order for effective contact tracing to take place, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. |
Government announces £250m emergency active travel fund
11/05/2020 The Government has announced the largest ever funding boost to create a ‘new era’ for cycling and walking. |
Welsh councils given funding to tackle cyber crime
04/05/2020 Each council in Wales will receive a £9,000 grant to tackle the increase in cyber crime during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Electoral reform could make system more inclusive, researchers say
29/04/2020 Assisted Voter Registration (AVR) could deliver a more inclusive democracy, researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found. |
Debt collection needs reform, says think tank
27/04/2020 Local government should follow the lead of the private sector when it comes to debt collection, the latest report from the Centre for Social Justice think tank has claimed. |
Government confirms extension to council accounts deadline
23/04/2020 Councils will be given more time to publish their audited accounts due to the increasing demands of dealing with Covid-19. |
Politicians calls for universal basic income to jumpstart economy
22/04/2020 The Government has been urged to make Universal Basic Income a crucial part of its coronavirus recovery plan by 110 MPs and Peers. |
Councils call for more ambition on tree cover target
21/04/2020 Six councils have called on the Government to double the tree cover target in England. |
Laptops to be made available for disadvantaged children
20/04/2020 Disadvantaged children across England are to receive laptops and tablets to ensure they can continue their education from home during lockdown. |
Call for lifting of immigration rules
20/04/2020 Council leaders in England, Scotland and Wales have called for a temporary lifting of the immigration rules that stop some migrants accessing public funds. |
Councils' commissioning must boost communities says report
15/04/2020 The public sector should adopt Community Value Charters as a standardised way of evaluating social value and improving the lives of local residents, a new report has urged. |
Councils call for suspension of academy conversions during Covid-19 crisis
14/04/2020 Council leaders have warned the time and resources being spent on converting schools into academies is undermining efforts to provide enough school places for children during the Covid-19 crisis. |
Think tank calls for benefit cap to be suspended to protect renters
09/04/2020 Social housing tenants are the most likely to be affected by the current economic crisis, a new report has found today. |
Leeds City Council fast tracks plan for temporary mortuary
08/04/2020 Leeds City Council is to build a £800,000 temporary mortuary as part of emergency planning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Councils given power to hold meetings remotely
03/04/2020 Local authorities will be allowed to hold public meetings remotely by video or telephone, under new powers introduced today. |
Launch of new Buckinghamshire Council
02/04/2020 The new unitary authority for Buckinghamshire has been launched, bringing together five district and county councils. |
Video conferencing first at council meeting
02/04/2020 A council used software to help decide key planning applications in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind in the country. |
Gateshead to look at bring housing back in-house
30/03/2020 Gateshead MBC is to formally consult on proposals to bring its housing services back in-house. |
Grenfell taskforce to ‘stand down’
27/03/2020 The Government has announced that the taskforce set up to help the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea respond to the Grenfell tragedy is to stand down at the end of the month. |
Council elects new leader to help battle COVID-19
25/03/2020 Kingston Council has chosen a new leader who has a background in health emergencies to help during the coronavirus crisis. |
West Yorkshire devolution deal moves to next stage
25/03/2020 The West Yorkshire devolution deal has taken a step forward after receiving backing from Bradford Council and Kirklees Council. |
A new whitepaper – produced by BT - looks set to dispel the myths surrounding ‘future networks’ and achieving a smarter digital future for organisations.
Download a new White Paper on dealing with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation
Empowering change: join BT experts and customers live on 25 June
Empowering change: How digital transformation can help you work smarter.
BT: Providing more superfast connections than ever
In the coming years, we are going to see more and more smart devices connecting to mobile and broadband networks. BT Group is one of the major players in this space and is at the heart of the growing tech sector in Wales.
BT: helping businesses to adapt and stay secure
BT has stepped in to support the public sector to adapt to ever-changing conditions.
Accelerating change: Join BT experts and customers live on 21 May, in partnership with Cisco
This free series of live-streamed events, in partnership with Cisco, will feature expert analysis from our key people, alongside stories from our customers.
Keeping local government online in the fight against coronavirus
Michael White and Simon Haston explain how BT’s core network, a key part of the nation’s infrastructure, is helping local authorities tackle the coronavirus.
Successful homeworking: from BT’s people to you
Homeworking might be new to your organisation, but there are lots of ways to make it work for you says Dr Nicola Millard.
