The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that 43 more schools in England were constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and need refurbishment, bringing the total to 214.
Additional funding to maintain and improve the NHS estate would play an important role in improving performance and productivity and stop staff working around a huge backlog, researchers have said.
The continued rise in construction costs and high interest rates have forced some councils to halt their capital projects, and some are unlikely to be restarted, a treasury advisor has told PF.
Faltering retail investments have saddled a council in levelling up secretary Michael Gove’s constituency with tens of millions of pounds of debt, and left it at risk of a Section 114 notice within...
The government will set the “most generous bar” when funding the costs of contingency and reconstruction works for schools affected by RAAC, a senior official has said.
A minister told Woking Borough Council it should review its mammoth capital programme in 2021 while rejecting the authority’s request for financial support.
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.
The failure of public bodies to adequately maintain their properties represents a ticking time bomb for local authorities, an expert told delegates at Public Finance live.
A huge drop in the value of Spelthorne Borough Council’s commercial investments has been revealed in its draft statement of accounts for 2022-23, but the income they generate is “holding up well”.
The council’s additional minimum revenue provision this year – after being under-calculated for more than a decade – is nearly six times its core funding.
The lack of good data on the location and occupancy of government properties is hindering Whitehall’s ability to manage its portfolio, the National Audit Office has said.
An English council could sell off some of its offices for redevelopment after flexible working arrangements and years of staff cuts left them surplus to requirements.
Cambridgeshire County Council has hinted that a function room intended to host full council meetings at a new £18m office could restrict disabled access and put members' personal safety at risk....
Extra cash will help councils revive their town centres, but targeting it effectively – not least on improving the built environment – is crucial for sustained success, says Nigel Wilcock.
