Peterborough City Council’s external auditors have raised serious concerns about the financial situation of the authority, which has become reliant on additional government support.
Somerset County Council has approved plans to develop a £70m strategic partnership to provide 10 children care and foster homes, in a bid to reduce reliance on private operators.
Government figures released today show a sharp rise in business rate and council tax arrears - PF speaks to local authority finance officers about the factors behind the figures.
Leicestershire County Council is set to reject a £15m road grant from regeneration quango Homes England amid concerns over financing the costs of additional local infrastructure.
Local authorities commercial investment needs a change focus, to help unlock latent potential in region, says Jonathan Werran, chief executive of think tank Localis.
The coronavirus pandemic and tighter government lending rules led to a 41% real-terms contraction in councils' payments for land and buildings last year, according to provisional outturn figures.
A proposed liability benchmark to help local authorities manage their debt needs could save the sector tens of millions of pounds, according to an industry expert.
Proposed reforms by local audit administrator Public Sector Audit Appointments will fail to bring smaller companies into the sector, according to a senior partner at a 60-strong accountancy firm.
Amendments to international reporting standards to include a wider range of impacts must go well beyond environmental sustainability, according to CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman.
The UK Municipal Bond Agency has confirmed that it hopes to launch at least one bond on behalf of a pool of local authorities in September or October, more than a year after the first authorities...
A district council is planning to invest £56m in commercial property outside its boundaries this year, funded through borrowing from other local authorities.
CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman introduces a new collection of essays by leading sector figures on the government’s flagship economic policy, published by PF and CIPFA.
Productivity gaps between different regions of the UK are deep-rooted but reversible – with a significant amount of investment from central government.
Education and skills can play a fundamental role in reducing inequality – but the benefits of investing in schools and training go far beyond job creation.
