Declining reserve and cash balances have restricted the use of internal borrowing and left authorities open to greater financing risks, experts have said.
The absence of funding reforms and rising costs have restricted council finances and could prevent authorities from hosting major sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, an expert has said.
Concerns over weak financial management and poor procurement have prompted Audit Wales to publish rare public interest reports against two authorities.
Hosting the Commonwealth Games took officer and councillor attention away from delivering financial stability to Birmingham City Council, a former advisor has said.
High inflation and rising service demand could put Suffolk County Council in a “financially challenging situation” next year and at risk of an intervention from its finance director.
The council in the country’s second-largest city has issued a Section 114 notice as it faces down an £87m budget gap this year and an equal pay liability of three-quarters of a billion pounds.
Rising borrowing costs and inflation have led Spelthorne Borough Council to consider shelving its planned housing investments and seeking out an alternative way to deliver them.
Rishi Sunak cut funding for rebuilding schools with dangerous concrete construction while chancellor despite warnings of “a critical risk to life”, a former permanent secretary has claimed.
A reliance on a faltering “high-risk alternative funding strategy” to balance budgets in the medium term has put Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s financial stability at risk, its...
Depleting reserves and rising service demand mean Kirklees Council will need to find cuts or additional income worth almost £48m in 2024-25, officers have said.
Reserves will soon fall below the minimum threshold at Maldon District Council without action to curb spending, and a Local Government Association review found the authority needs a “robust” plan to...
Only around a quarter of councils’ usable reserves can be used to shore up services and meet demand, despite government figures suggesting larger sums might be available, experts have said.
A “completely broken” local government funding system has put 21 councils at risk of issuing Section 114 notices this year and next, the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities has warned.
Rising interest rates and government restrictions on commercial developments have prompted Mid Devon District Council to begin winding down a housing subsidiary.
Falling council reserves are pushing many towards issuing a Section 114 notice, but people in central government often misunderstand their importance – making the issue “challenging”, an expert has...
Spending controls are needed to help Kent County Council meet a forecast £44m budget gap this year, as it works to cut overspends in adult social care and children’s services in the long term,...
Rising care demands and tightening budgets risk reducing the quality of Welsh care and ministers must have honest conversations over the future of healthcare, a service leader has said.
Now-defunct districts relying on short-term borrowing to finance commercial investments have left Somerset Council exposed to higher interest rates and with assets currently losing money, its finance...
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.
Transferring Local Enterprise Partnerships powers to councils will give them a bigger role in developing their economies and avoid duplicating work, the government has said.
An overly optimistic reform plan has left Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s financial stability at risk, according to an expert the government asked to assess the council.
