County councils have claimed that local government reorganisation plans pose a “significant risk” to essential services, and are more costly, less stable and less effective than the current system.
The government must engage with the looming impact of greatly increased SEND home-to-school transport costs, the County Councils Network insisted while publishing its estimate of the future financial...
Councils in county areas face a ‘cliff edge’ for economic growth funding next year as the government prepares to close its UK Shared Prosperity Fund, jeopardising their ability to support small...
Rural areas are being overlooked in national strategies to embrace the shift to a clean energy, low-carbon, regenerative economy, despite being uniquely placed to drive the green transition, a new EY...
Mounting debts from supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities effectively “hidden away” in council accounts could lead to nine in 10 affected authorities issuing a Section...
County councils have warned that thousands of vulnerable people could face a triple whammy of diminished services once the authorities are split into multiple smaller unitaries.
Housing leaders have warned of “significant” infrastructure gaps in county areas as the government pushes ahead with a raft of changes to the planning system to help deliver its housebuilding...
Plans to overhaul the funding of local government fail to address the extreme financial pressure under which the sector is operating, the government has been warned.
England’s county councils could get over £4bn in revenue if given devolved taxation powers over housing, income and tourism in a suggested sweeping departure from the current system.
The government faces a warning that the Spending Review will “make or break” council budgets with three-fifths of counties and rural unitaries fearing they will be unable to balance the books next...
The government will need to overhaul land value capture policies if it is to meet its targets on housebuilding and the delivery of public infrastructure, councils have warned.
Councils have warned they face financial catastrophe in a year’s time unless the government takes action to remove “unmanageable” high-needs deficits from their balance sheets.
It is arguably an “abdication of responsibility” to not have a local plan in place setting out the communities’ needs, according to England’s former chief planner Steve Quartermain.
Councils have welcomed the extra £1.3bn earmarked for local government in the Budget, but warned that without greater certainty over funding in the longer term, the outlook for local services remains...
Local government services need urgent and fundamental reform if they are to be made sustainable, the County Councils Network has said as the 2024 general election campaign moves forward.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said councils deserve “sufficiently generous” funding and hinted more devolution deals could be announced in the Autumn Statement.
The removal of rural bus routes has forced authorities to provide unsustainable ‘demand-responsive’ services and prompted the County Councils Network to call for additional money.
Not increasing funding for virtual schools to match their new expanded remit could see them become a “victim of their own success”, the County Councils Network has warned.
Giving county councils funding and power to encourage business growth and regional development could see rural areas close the gap with their city counterparts, leaders have said.
