Budgets
Devon facing £40m budget overspend
‘Unprecedented’ financial pressures have left Devon CC facing a £40m budget gap by the end of this financial year.
Fair cost of care: fix or fudge?
With implementation of fair cost of care now delayed, Natasha Curry highlights a gap between the policy’s welcome ambition and the realities of implementation.
Wrestling with uncertainty on budget setting
Adele Taylor says one key question for the Conservative leadership contenders is: ‘When will you consider multiple year settlements for local authorities are important, so we can plan our budgets better?’
Warrington could take £18m hit
The council is facing losses of up to £18m from the collapse of Together Energy.
Councils face record £2.4bn deficits in SEN this year
Local authority deficits in special educational needs (SEN) have reached an ‘unmanageable’ £2.4bn this year, new research has uncovered.
How to be an employer of choice
Maxine O’Mahony explains how creating a modern, welcoming office environment has boosted recruitment and made Breckland DC a sought-after place where people feel valued and a part of the organisation.
Inflation's impact is far-reaching
Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen says that for district councils 'to remain prudent, painful decisions will have to be made, and it is discretionary services which are likely to be hit hardest'.
BCP in finance talks with ministers
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is in talks with the Government as it attempts to balance its books.
New Somerset chief faces £44m deficit
Reining in a higher than expected budget gap will be among the priorities for the newly-announced chief executive of Somerset CC, Duncan Sharkey.
What lies ahead for the flagship agendas?
'Securing long-term funding was always needlessly tricky for local authorities, but will become even more challenging in the months ahead with the revolving doors to the Treasury and No10 about to come off their hinges', says Rob Whiteman.
Counting the cost of inflation
Tracy Bingham looks at the pressures facing district councils as inflationary costs hit council budgets hard and interest rates soar
Integration Joint Boards face ‘uncertain future’
The boards all face ‘significant' financial sustainability issues, according to a report by the Accounts Commission.
North Yorkshire unitary to inherit ‘frightening’ deficit
North Yorkshire’s new unitary council could inherit a budget deficit of £50m, it has been revealed.
Max calls councils out
Former London borough chief Max Caller has carved out a niche for himself as a serial reviewer of failing authorities. He tells Heather Jameson what he has learned – and how councils can avoid collapse.
Councillors ‘undermining’ improvements at Wirral
The actions of members at Wirral MBC are threatening efforts to improve the council’s finances, according to its Independent Assurance Panel.
Local Government Research Centre under threat from job losses
The future of the Local Government Research Centre (LGRC) is under threat following the announcement of jobs restructuring and redundancies at De Montfort University (DMU).
Putting purpose before profit for our children
Dominic Campbell says it’s time to build ventures that can put purpose ahead of profiteering – and fostering is just one of the areas being tackled by a new not-for-profit co-conceived with local authority partners.
I am confident our teams in Cornwall will ride the storm
It feels like Cornwall Council is more positive about its transformed future, despite having to achieve a budget reduction of £60m for 2022-23, says Tracie Langley.
'There's no more cash' warns Clarke
There will be no more cash to bail out public sector budgets hit by soaring inflation Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke has warned.
A critical time to secure funding – but help is at hand
There is willingness to rationalise the number of funding pots, but no sign of Government giving up on the competitive process. Local Partnerships is working with councils to help them prioritise and assess investment wishlists, says Martin Forbes.