A “broken” local government funding system has created an £8.5m gap in Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s budget, putting the authority at risk of a Section 114 notice.
First minister Humza Yousaf is set to let Scottish councils double council tax on second homes, and will develop “alternative governance arrangements” for island authorities.
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.
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 “groundbreaking” agreement between four local authorities on the England-Wales border could allow them to collaborate on services and unlock millions in government funding for regional investments...
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.
The statistics collected by the Office for Local Government “do not add value” beyond the current level of information gathered by councils, local leaders have said.
Rising interest rates and government restrictions on commercial developments have prompted Mid Devon District Council to begin winding down a housing subsidiary.
Daniella Barrow, senior director at Norse Consulting, believes many local authorities lack the resources necessary to make full use of levelling-up funding, and that partnership working holds the key.
Unexpected cuts and other financial pressures have been listed by integrated care system leaders as being among the biggest issues they face, despite them being proud of the work done so far.
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...
