Business
Gateshead to look at bring housing back in-house
Gateshead MBC is to formally consult on proposals to bring its housing services back in-house.
Finance directors told to get cash to firms quickly
Whitehall officials have suggested that English council finance directors redeploy resources and take on temporary staff to ensure businesses receive promised government grants quickly.
Manchester to create housing company
Manchester City Council is to create its own development company in a bid to meet ambitious housing targets.
Local government spends £3.8bn with strategic suppliers
The Government’s strategic suppliers received a quarter of their public sector income from local authorities last year, new figures have revealed.
Coronavirus forces developers to down tools
Infrastructure and development projects are beginning to stall as construction firms cease work in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Union and council end dispute amid coronavirus crisis
Trade union Unite has said its dispute with Veolia over holiday pay for refuse staff working at Tower Hamlets LBC has been resolved.
Tourist attraction firm expected to miss next council loan deadline
The company behind Brighton’s 450-foot tall seafront attraction is expected to miss its next loan payment to Brighton & Hove City Council.
Union brands protective promise 'too little too late'
Trade union Unite has branded the Government’s promise that social care workers would have full protective equipment in a week as ‘too little too late’.
Government working to ensure 'networks remain resilient'
The Government has said it is ‘in regular contact’ with broadband and mobile operators to make sure ‘networks remain resilient’ during the coronavirus pandemic.
Make payments to suppliers quickly, councils told
The Government has told the public sector to make payments to suppliers quickly to maintain cash flow and protect jobs amid the coronavirus crisis.
Firms say government needs to do more
Key firms providing services to councils have welcomed measures to mitigate the damaging effects of the Covid-19 crisis but said more needs to be done.
Race to implement economic support package
Council finance officials and civil servants have raced to work out how to implement the Government’s enhanced package of economic support for coronavirus-affected businesses.
Buoyant tax income ahead of coronavirus crisis
The last set of public finance figures before the Government’s £350bn injection to combat coronavirus’ economic impact shows a buoyant month for tax income.
Cratus creates coronavirus hotline
Cratus Communications has created a hotline service for council leaders and chief executives to help them through the Covid-19 crisis.
McLaughlin & Harvey wins Commonwealth council contract
The contract to redevelop a stadium for the 2022 Commonwealth Games has been awarded by Birmingham City Council to McLaughlin & Harvey.
Serco strike action averted
Strike action by refuse workers in Sandwell has been averted after Serco withdrew planned changes to collections.
Watchdog scolds developer over £94m accounting error
Galliford Try overstated its assets by tens of millions via a number of errors.
New sustainable fund for pension pool
The London collective investment vehicle (LCIV) has launched a new fund that offers pool members the opportunity to exclude investments in fossil fuels, tobacco and weapons.
Budget 2020: Councils compensated for rates bonanza
The Government has pledged to compensate local authorities for the entire loss of business rates caused by a raft of relief announcements in today’s Budget.
Sustainability of 'Cinderella' audit market hard to achieve - review
The sustainability of the ‘Cinderella’ local government audit market will be ‘difficult to achieve,’ an independent review has warned.