Local authorities must learn from failings that allowed a £1m fraud to go undetected for almost two decades, Scotland’s public spending watchdog has said.
Wirral Council is seeking an emergency government bailout after auditors warned that a deficit of over £26m and scant reserves place the authority in a “critical” financial situation.
Councils with ideas for approaching their finances “more flexibly” this year should feel able to speak with the government, secretary of state Angela Rayner has said, vowing to work collaboratively...
Experienced Section 151 officer Brendan Arnold reflects on the role and tells PF how a Section 114 notice can be an opportunity to tackle cultural, communication and commercial issues.
Local government funding is threatening essential services because of its “chronic short termism and complexity” , according to CIPFA’s chief executive.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has warned that a Section 114 notice is “almost inevitable” as it prepares residents for a council tax hike of up to a quarter.
Nottingham City Council operates “significantly beyond its means” and is currently “far from sustainable” six months after government-appointed commissioners were sent into the troubled authority.
New and immediate mandatory housing targets for councils have come into force alongside a “common sense” approach to the green belt through the updated National Planning Policy Framework.
Government plans to overhaul “the creaking local planning committee system” need to be backed up by resources, an expert has warned after Angela Rayner set out her reform ambitions.
Two Cumbrian councils have written to local government minister Jm McMahon setting out their commitment to discussions regarding the creation of a combined authority for the county.
A major shake-up of council funding that would shift resources to areas of higher deprivation has been set out as part of a wide-ranging package of reforms.
Fees for local government audits will rise by 9.5%, the body responsible for setting them has said while insisting measures to address the crisis in the system must make audit work more proportionate...
