Business
Tier three communities in north and Midlands ‘stretched to breaking point’
Tier three communities in the north and Midlands will be ‘stretched to breaking point’ once the grant aimed at supporting local business is cut at the end of the national lockdown, according to Labour.
Auditors probe gagging orders
Auditors have delayed signing off Thanet DC’s 2019/20 accounts while they investigate the council’s use of gagging orders in resolving grievances.
Gateshead to regain control of housing stock
Senior Gateshead MBC councillors have agreed to bring back housing stock under the council’s control from April after 16 years.
Leisure centre collapse warning
Under-pressure leisure centres will go under without further rescue funding on top of the £100m already pledged by the Government, district councils have warned.
Crisis-hit Croydon approves action plan
Croydon LBC has approved an action plan to put ‘strong financial management and governance right at the heart of the organisation’.
Green energy deal 'could be blueprint' for other councils
A £40m green energy deal could provide a blueprint for local authorities seeking to reduce carbon emissions and cut costs, according to the City of London Corporation.
EXCLUSIVE: Sector faces 'second lost decade'
The local government sector has been warned it faces a ‘second lost decade’ as a new index revealed the most financially vulnerable district councils.
Soft play hardball
As local authorities take on tougher coronavirus enforcement powers, they should perhaps be prepared for residents who think they’re cleverer than the law.
Council housing to return to met
Senior Kirklees MBC councillors have approved plans to transfer the management and maintenance of the borough’s council housing back to the local authority.
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked report warns sector less ready for Brexit transition
Local government is less ready for the end of the transition period than it was for a no-deal Brexit last October, a Whitehall document leaked to The MJ has warned.
Whiteman criticises 'reckless' council
A council has been criticised for making the first dive into the swaps market decades after a scandal involving Hammersmith & Fulham LBC.
Exit cap signed into law
The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments was signed into law last night and will come into force on November 4.
Tax increases more likely than austerity, says Flanders
A top economist has predicted that tax increases are more likely than another bout of austerity.
Labour would adopt 'local by default' approach
A Labour government would strike a ‘new settlement between citizens and the state’ and adopt a ‘local by default’ approach, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has pledged.
Spelthorne assets have 'continued to perform well'
A council criticised for borrowing millions of pounds to strike deals has said its assets have ‘continued to perform well’ despite the COVID-19 downturn.
Job losses at council-owned airports group
Council-owned Manchester Airports Group blamed the end of the Government’s furlough scheme as it announced plans for nearly 900 job losses.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Ridiculous constraints' mar high street fund
Councils may be left out of pocket after spending thousands of pounds on safety measures they cannot claim back from an economic recovery fund, it has emerged.
Grenfell surveyor quit over workload
The council surveyor in charge of checking that the refurbishment of tragic Grenfell Tower complied with building regulations quit due to workload pressures, a public inquiry has heard.
Kent councils take back control of housing stock
Four councils in east Kent have taken back control of housing management services.
Whiteman: Audit appointment system not independent enough
The system of appointing auditors needs to be independent and not driven by a politically-led organisation, finance expert Rob Whiteman has argued.
