External auditors for Warrington Borough Council are considering issuing a rare statutory recommendation in coming weeks over the way the authority has accounted for its investment properties.
CIPFA has launched two new consultations on its Prudential Code and Treasury Management Code, focusing on commercial investment and officer training respectively.
Nottingham City Council members have been warned that the use of reserves to balance its budget this year “is not recommended”, after a forecast £11m gap emerged.
An administrative error at a London borough saw more than £700,000 of incorrect payments made to businesses and a social care provider, according to external auditors.
PF speaks to Michael Hudson, chief finance officer and section 151 officer at Worcestershire County Council, to discusses the treasury management challenges he faces as part of his role.
Thanet District Council’s leader has requested central government support to improve governance at the authority, following disciplinary issues and legal disputes.
Durham County Council has approved plans to fund the expansion of a local science and technology centre, which will be funded through its own resources.
Local authorities will require a centralised strategy to ensure that net zero commitments are met, and councils are not forced to “go it alone”, according to a senior peer.
Sheffield City Council expects social care pressures to make up more than 70% of a £43m funding gap this year, with further government support needed to ensure medium-term viability.
Tight funding settlements will leave Welsh authorities with difficult decisions on which services to prioritise, as the nation recovers from Covid-19, according to its spending watchdog.
The level of scrutiny and financial management placed on the government’s £37bn Test and Trace programme was “disappointing”, according to a senior Treasury official.
Local authorities in the UK will receive additional funding to help with the cost of resettling Afghan refugees, following the recent coup in the nation.
Central government has no understanding of the scale and funding challenges facing local authorities in implementing net zero objectives, senior councillors have told MPs.
Cambridgeshire County Council will need to establish a clear strategy on council tax after missing out on much-needed income in recent years, according to the Local Government Association.
The London Borough of Merton is set to relinquish property sale income on a £1.2bn joint-venture, after a funding gap emerged in the project last year.
The new levy to help fund social care reforms will only provide one sixth of the expected £36bn income for care, “short-changing” the sector, according to experts.
Nottinghamshire County Council has reported a 12.5% increase in the cost of its flagship highways project, which one councillor warned could become “its HS2”.
Nottingham City Council’s scrutiny of wholly-owned companies remains “superficial and inadequate” a year after its auditors raised similar concerns, according to an independent report.
