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.
A history of “potentially unlawful” lending, underpinned by “wholly inadequate” governance arrangements, may have contributed to the financial collapse of Woking Borough Council, according to an...
More than four in five councils are expected to overspend their adult social care budgets this year, according to a new survey which reveals the “growing and urgent” strain under which services are...
MPs will look into the challenges faced by children living in temporary accommodation as the homelessness crisis puts council budgets under increasing strain.
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...
Owen Mapley has said the new government’s first Budget “will reassure some public service leaders and worry others”, and warned that there is lots more to do to get the sector fighting fit.
Growing pressure means nearly half of England’s upper-tier councils will struggle to balance their budgets within two years and are likely to need government support, a survey of chief executives has...
Councils should make the most of the Procurement Act as an “opportunity for a more strategic, socially minded” approach to public procurement when it comes into force next year, a think-tank has...
Excessive staff vacancies and rising turnover are putting “unsustainable pressure” on council finance teams, with pay being the main barrier to attracting qualified candidates, according to CIPFA...
Nearly £1bn of homelessness service funding is set to end next year, sector organisations have warned chancellor Rachel Reeves, asking for the money to be rolled over in the upcoming Budget.
The housing crisis will push Newham Council’s temporary accommodation bill to more than ten times its recent size, piling further pressure on an authority already looking for £70m of savings to cover...
Sustainable economic growth is urgently required to help deliver the funding for government to meet its commitments for national renewal, writes Nigel Wilcock, executive director of the Institute of...
The government is being urged to take “immediate and decisive” action to tackle a workforce crisis in adult social care that is putting councils under mounting financial strain.
Luton Borough Council has hit back after its external auditor claimed the authority cannot produce accurate accounts, criticising the report as “full of factual inaccuracies”.
Council development projects face a “cliff edge” if the government does not renew a multibillion-pound fund before it abruptly ends next year, the sector has warned.
A root and branch review of Scotland’s governance arrangements is needed to address the increasing unsustainability of local authority finances since devolution, a panel of experts has told the...
A £44.8m gap in next year’s budget poses a “significant challenge” to Norfolk County Council, officers have warned the cabinet as they set out proposed cuts.