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24 Nov 20
A council granted a capitalisation direction in March has warned it could be forced to deplete its usable reserves down to “unsustainable levels” to help meet an £11m funding gap.
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23 Nov 20
More than half of English councils could be at risk of financial failure by 2023 if the Spending Review merely maintains funding levels, a report from financial adviser Grant Thornton has found.
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18 Nov 20
Reports of the long-term death of the city centre might have been greatly exaggerated.
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18 Nov 20
London Borough of Bexley is in discussions with government over a possible application to use £15m of capital resources to fund revenue spending.
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18 Nov 20
Uncertainty surrounds Whitehall’s commitment to releasing its grip on spending levers. Rachel Wilcox reports.
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16 Nov 20
The Local Government Association has launched an investigation into whether disciplinary action should be taken in relation to senior management actions at financially-stricken London Borough of...
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16 Nov 20
Almost two-thirds of council asset managers think their organisation will be able to reduce office floorspace by more than a quarter when the Covid-19 pandemic is over.
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13 Nov 20
Ealing Council has approved plans to borrow more than £390m over 50 years to on-lend to its housing company to build more than 1,300 affordable homes over the next six years.
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13 Nov 20
Section 151 officers face a 'tipping point’ requiring tough decisions on whether to follow London Borough of Croydon in issuing a section 114 notice, CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman has told MPs.
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12 Nov 20
Around 80% of county and unitary authorities are expected to make cuts next year in order to set a balanced budget, according to a survey from the County Councils Network.
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12 Nov 20
The government has botched the introduction of the £95,000 exit cap for the Local Government Pension Scheme, says Ian Colvin.
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11 Nov 20
Croydon Council has issued a section 114 notice banning all non-essential spending, due to the “severe ongoing financial challenges” facing the authority.
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11 Nov 20
An investment strategy agreed by Cotswold District Council to borrow more than four times its annual budget has been labelled deeply concerning by its opposition leader.
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10 Nov 20
A 25% increase in audit fee variation rates for 2020-2021 is being proposed by the Public Sector Audit Appointments, following recommendations from the Redmond Review.
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9 Nov 20
Councils in England are set to receive an additional £170m in government funding following a government U-turn over additional support for low-income families this winter.
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6 Nov 20
Manchester City Council is set to fundamentally review its size and structure, warning that efficiency savings cannot not cover a forecast £135m funding gap next year.
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5 Nov 20
The UK government's planning white paper underestimates the complex relationship between new homes and the communities they are built in, says Dr Alison Knight.
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4 Nov 20
Sir Tony Redmond says that his proposals would improve England’s broken local authority audit system while improving financial transparency.
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4 Nov 20
Ipswich Borough Council has approved plans to use all but £50,000 of its usable reserves above its legal buffer by March 2024, to help offset future Covid-19 pressures.
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3 Nov 20
A bond totalling £250m, set to be issued by a London council has been priced at 1.7% – below the rate available from the Public Works Loan Board.
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2 Nov 20
The government has launched a 'rapid review' into governance at Nottingham City Council, its second review of this kind announced in under a week.
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2 Nov 20
The monthly financial impact of Covid-19 on councils in England has fallen below £1bn for the first time since the start of the crisis, running at 60% of the £1.5bn peaks in April and May.
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30 Oct 20
Audit firms Mazars and Grant Thornton have been asked to implement quality action plans after the Financial Reporting Council was critical of audit quality.
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30 Oct 20
A London council is set to launch a private placement bond through a digital platform to refinance debt and help fund its capital programme for the next four years.
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30 Oct 20
Council tax support is expected to cost councils an additional £586m this year, 7% more than the £500m allocated through a dedicated fund announced in March, according to the LGA.