Budgets and efficiency
EXCLUSIVE: Improvement grant talks to start with zero-based review
A zero-based budgeting review will take place as part of talks on next year’s sector-led improvement grant, The MJ understands.
Brum commissioners warn council will need further help to agree lawful budget
Commissioners at Birmingham City Council have warned it will struggle to agree a lawful budget next year without further help.
DLUHC to be hit by real term budget cuts, think-tank warns
The levelling up department is to be hit by real term budget cuts over the next five years despite buoyant tax revenues, a pre-Autumn Statement report from the Resolution Foundation think-tank has warned.
Council looks to address £100m ‘black hole’
Somerset Council is considering measures, including reducing staffing and cutting services to statutory levels, to cover a £100m funding gap.
One in 10 county councils facing effective bankruptcy
England’s county and unitary authorities are ‘running out of road’ to prevent insolvency, with one in 10 not sure they can balance their budgets this year.
Bradford latest to issue section 114 warning
Bradford City Council has warned it may become the latest to declare an emergency section 114 notice unless it takes urgent action to cut spending.
Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings
More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.
Section 114 ‘almost inevitable’ for Leicester
Leicester City Council is ‘rapidly running out of options’ to cut costs and faces financial crisis ahead of its 2025-26 budget, its mayor has warned local government secretary Michael Gove.
Lansley critcises public health funding levels
The architect of the transfer of public health to local government has blamed the failure of budgets to grow for stunting the move’s benefits.
Welsh councils face £750m shortfall
Local government finances in Wales are on an ‘unsustainable path,’ according to a report from Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre.
EXCLUSIVE: Nightmare before Christmas?
The provisional local government finance settlement will be published just before Christmas, council chiefs have been told.
DCN in cuts warning
Cultural services, community support and parks and green spaces are all at risk of cuts without a boost to the local government finance settlement, respondents to a District Councils’ Network (DCN) survey have warned.
Council to limit non-essential spending amid s114 threat
Windsor & Maidenhead BC is to limit all non-essential spending as it raised the risk of a section 114.
Brum kicks off job cuts
Birmingham City Council has started a wide-ranging programme of job cuts under emergency plans discussed by councillors last night.
Ministers turn down Tandridge capitalisation bid
Ministers have refused requests for a capitalisation direction at Tandridge DC as they said efforts to bolster the council’s finances were working.
Woking entered s114 territory in 2018
Woking BC may have faced a section 114 notice at least four years before it declared effective bankruptcy, senior councillors have been told.
Brum braced for Government intervention
Birmingham City Council is braced for a wide-ranging Government intervention to help rescue the authority’s bleak finances, and improve political and officer leadership.
Political swing points to partnership working
Justin Galliford, Chief Executive Officer of Norse Group, considers the implications of the recent local election results on frontline service delivery, and offers an alternative approach.
Long-term solution sought to drainage board pressure
Councils are seeking a ‘long-term solution’ as internal drainage boards (IDB) warn increasing energy costs will pile further pressure on local authority budgets.
Harris to take interest in Oflog-audit interplay
The Financial Reporting Council’s first director of local audit wants to take a closer look at the Government’s emerging plans for a new watchdog.
