Proposed capital flexibility could see councils explore more risky debt-backed projects at a time when capacity challenges have weakened local oversight, a senior finance officer has warned.
Below-inflation funding and “consistently high” spending pressures have weakened the financial flexibility of councils and contributed to the credit rating downgrade of five authorities by Moody’s.
More local authorities will be on the brink of issuing Section 114 notices this year if the government does not release additional funding to stabilise the sector, a chief executive has warned.
The government will fail to accelerate the transition to net zero without the devolution of funding and additional resources to boost local authority capacity, city leaders have warned.
Raising planning fees will do little to alleviate the current issues in the planning system without also changing how decisions are made, experts have warned.
Unsustainable spending and repeatedly missing savings targets could lead to Southampton City Council depleting its reserves by 2025, and the authority risks having to issue a section 114 notice.
Measures in the Autumn Statement favour councils in well-off areas that already raise lots of money from council tax, while those in deprived areas that already bore the brunt of austerity miss out,...
Levelling up secretary Simon Clarke has fired a warning signal to councils that there will be “consequences” for perceived mismanagement following a series of high-profile government interventions.
Using data more effectively can enable public bodies to better assess the shared outcomes of projects and reduce the cost of service delivery, delegates at Public Finance Live were told.
A lack of tax raising powers for devolved authorities in the ‘levelling up’ white paper means local areas will lack the resources needed to transform local economies, according to one local...
Councils' level of business rates income held in reserve to cover future appeals rose by almost a third last year – representing an increase of almost £1bn.
Local government fared better than many expected in Wednesday’s Budget and Spending Review – but a closer look reveals the sector is still likely to face funding pressures.
The lack of government transparency around councils in financial distress makes scrutiny impossible and leaves authorities and service users vulnerable in the wake of Covid-19, MPs have said.
Councils in Wales face funding pressures of £178m by 2022-23 as Covid-19 and slower growth in Welsh government funding impact on authority budgets, according to new analysis.
Council estimates for 2020-21 cost pressures resulting from Covid-19 have risen by 3.5% over the past month, according to statistics from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Westminster is to end the frustrations of the past and tell local authorities their settlement for the next year on a set date, the government has announced.
A government consultation into council finance has proposed the inclusion of more areas of funding within the four-year settlement offered to local authorities.
Councils are being forced to write off millions of pounds of debt owed to them in business rates because of a loophole in licensing laws, the Local Government Association has said today.
Council tax in England is set to rise by an average of 3.1% next year, according to an analysis by CIPFA, but residents in London will only see a 0.6% average increase.
Despised by some, pitied by others, being a local authority finance director can sometimes be hard to bear in the current climate. What qualities are needed to see the job through?
The new chair of the County Councils Network has called for the forthcoming Spending Review to put local authority finance on a more sustainable footing.
