Mark Smulian

is a freelance journalist

Recent articles

Councils able to increase planning fees by 20% this month

A long-awaited 20% increase in local authority planning fees will start on 17 January, a letter... Read more
Local government ‘in need of radical reinvention’

Radical reinvention is needed in local government or its future might come into question, a think-... Read more
Think-tank gives dire warning for Welsh economy in 2018

Wales’ economy shows little sign of improving this year and some indicators are heading into... Read more
Hospitals to delay routine operations due to winter pressures on NHS

NHS England has told hospitals to defer non-urgent elective care cases until the end of January to... Read more
NAO: ‘Inadequate’ training company kept on because of its size

The government kept funding training company Learndirect despite it being judged ’inadequate’... Read more
MPs call for council scrutiny shake up

Local government needs a cultural change to allow the scrutiny process to work properly, a... Read more
Think-tank recommends commissions to boost local prosperity

Every city and combined authority should set up an Inclusive Growth Investment Commission, the... Read more
Landlords increase investment in housing by 15%

Housing associations increased their investment in housing by 15% in the past year, regulator the... Read more
Ofsted warns of 130 schools failing to improve for 12 years

A hard-core of some 130 ‘intractable’ schools has stubbornly failed to improve since... Read more
LGA: Councils facing a financial cliff edge

A likely delay in 100% business rate retention has left councils facing a financial cliff edge in... Read more

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