The government has launched a bidding process to create at least seven ‘freeports’ in England – promising host councils the ability to retain business rates growth for 25 years.
The government’s business rates retention plans will exacerbate income inequality between councils in England in its first four years, analysis has shown.
A promised social care green paper, 100% business rates retention, further devolution - local government policy has been in the realm of fantasy for some time, says the LGIU’s Jonathan Carr-West.
The demands on upper-tier authorities to deliver costly social care services will be more accurately reflected in the forthcoming shake-up of local government funding, MPs have heard.
Local government services most likely to suffer from reductions in central government funding are mainly used by women, the director of the Women’s Budget Group Mary-Ann Stephenson says.
The third phase of business rate retention pilots will go ahead with just a 75% retention and the ‘no detriment’ clause scrapped, the government has announced.
A second round of councils began piloting so-called 100% rates retention this month. Neil Amin-Smith and David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies look at the financial implications of the...
