What really caused the council funding crisis?
Max Mosley, NIESR, explores the origins of the local government funding crisis and warns the next government will have to act quickly to address it.
Croydon to wind down Brick by Brick
12/02/2024 Croydon LBC’s mayor is set to give the go-ahead to officially wind down the council’s development firm Brick by Brick. |
Council to axe development firm
18/08/2023 Mid Devon DC’s development firm is facing closure, having received £21m in loans from the authority. |
Thurrock commissioners call for sector-wide change
15/06/2023 The team from Essex CC led by Tony McArdle have made recommendations for the wider sector in its Best Value report on Thurrock, published today. |
Northumberland issues s114 over unlawful finances
23/05/2022 Northumberland CC has issued a section 114 notice for unlawful expenditure – including allowances paid to its chief executive Daljit Lally. |
DLUHC 'almost wilfully blind' to state of local government finances warn MPs
31/01/2022 A ‘chronic’ lack of funding for council services amid soaring demand means many communities face a ‘long slog’ out of the COVID-19 pandemic, MPs warned today. |
Council-backed energy firm collapses
18/01/2022 Together Energy has announced today it has ceased trading, exposing Labour-led Warrington Council to heavy financial losses. |
Middlesbrough Council purchases £12m shopping centre
12/01/2022 Middlesbrough Council has acquired a multi-million-pound shopping centre as part of a drive to secure the town centre's long-term future. |
Council-backed energy firm close to collapse
05/01/2022 Together Energy, which is 50% owned by Warrington Council, is close to running out of funding, according to reports. |
Croydon returns to drawing board on regeneration plans
17/08/2021 The council maintains delayed plans to develop a Westfield shopping centre are going ahead, despite planning permission for the development having expired. |
CIPFA to publish strengthened local government Prudential Code
25/06/2021 A new code of practice to ensure local authorities’ financial plans are 'affordable, prudent and sustainable' will be published by the end of the year. |
Councils urged to 'sharpen commercial edge'
15/06/2021 A new report has argued that allowing councils to sharpen their commercial edge will ‘unlock immense latent place potential’ and help ‘galvanise recovery’. |
Proposal for stronger local government Prudential Code
02/02/2021 Proposals to strengthen the Prudential Code and prevent local authorities from borrowing to generate yield have been put forward by CIPFA. |
Nottingham plans £100m asset sale
19/01/2021 The council has identified £100m of assets for sale as part of a plan to bring its finances under control. |
Nottingham agrees governance overhaul
28/08/2020 The council will implement a raft of measures in a bid to improve oversight of its companies after its energy firm incurred a £24m loss. |
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Ministry was 'blind' to council investment risks says watchdog
13/07/2020 Ministers have been blind to the risk of commercial investments by councils, Parliament’s spending watchdog has claimed. |
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Council to sell Bristol Energy
03/06/2020 Bristol City Council has given the go-ahead to put its loss-making energy company up for sale. |
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Flybe collapse hits council-owned airports
05/03/2020 The airline entered administration this morning, leading to the grounding of all flights. |
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London borough rejects insourcing children’s services
11/12/2019 Kingston LBC had considered returning services from a wholly-owned company when their contract ends in 2021. |
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Portsmouth’s energy firm sale falls through
29/08/2019 Portsmouth City Council has admitted defeat in its search for a buyer for its energy company. |
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Council buys office to generate income
15/04/2019 South Cambridgeshire DC has made a £13m investment in a high-quality office building to generate an initial net return of around 5.6%. |
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Harrogate to launch housing company
07/03/2019 Harrogate BC’s housing company will be up and running next month. |
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Reform outsourcing to avoid £30bn bill, think-tank warns
30/10/2018 Bringing outsourced services in-house would cost local government billions, a think-tank has calculated. |
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Channel 4 announces list of potential locations for new national headquarters
24/07/2018 Channel 4 has announced that Leeds, Greater Manchester and Birmingham are still in the running to host its new national headquarters. |
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Councils spend £3.8bn on commercial property, study reveals
12/04/2018 Local authorities spent nearly £4bn on commercial property assets in recent years, a new study into the issues facing the UK’s town centres has revealed. |
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Councils lack PFI management skills, claims report
18/01/2018 Local authorities lack the skills necessary to manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and risk not getting the best value for money, new research has warned. |
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
