Chief executives
Councils given £300m and key tracking role
Councils in England will be handed £300m by the Government as they are given a central role in driving forward testing and tracing.
EXCLUSIVE: Ministers pile pressure on councils over business grants
Business secretary Alok Sharma has expressed concerns that some councils have paid out less than 80% of their grants to small firms.
EXCLUSIVE: Government considers bypassing councils to get cash to care providers
The Government is considering bypassing local authorities and channelling extra funding directly to care providers to ease cash flow concerns, The MJ understands.
EXCLUSIVE: Oldham chief in PPE warning
Oldham MBC’s chief executive, Carolyn Wilkins, has warned the issue of personal protective equipment (PPE) will continue for months.
Zoom with a view
One of the silver linings of this pandemic has been the opportunity Zoom meetings have provided to get a glimpse inside people’s homes.
Nottingham City announces new chief
Nottingham City Council has appointed a district council chief as its new permanent chief executive.
Treasury criticised for 'attack' on council sovereignty
A Treasury crackdown on local authorities using cheap finance to buy commercial property for rental income is an ‘attack on the sovereignty of councils,’ a senior councillor has said.
Warning over coronavirus and commercial investment cocktail
Worried finance chiefs have warned some councils that invested in commercial property have been put at increased risk by the coronavirus pandemic.
Shielding improvements on agenda for LGA and Whitehall
The Local Government Association is working with Whitehall to improve the support system for the more than two million people being shielded from coronavirus.
Chiefs to develop care home resilience plans
Council chief executives will be put in charge of developing and reviewing council-level care home resilience plans.
Government should create unitary system, think-tank urges
The Government should create a unitary system of local government based on functional economic areas, a think-tank has argued.
Bristol to bring back chief executive
Bristol City Council will bring back the role of chief executive – three years after scrapping the position.
Malvern Hills and Wychavon confirm new chief
Malvern Hills and Wychavon DCs have confirmed Vic Allison will be their new chief executive.
Joint chief executive for districts
Two districts hope to save more than £15m over 10 years by appointing a joint chief executive and forming a strategic alliance.
LGA 'rapidly refocuses' improvement work
The Local Government Association (LGA) has ‘rapidly refocused’ its improvement work to help councils deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PPE: Sent to the wrong place, delayed and low quality
Supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are being sent to the wrong location and arriving delayed, according to reports.
CIPFA: 17 years to work through council housing waiting list
It could take up to 17 years to re-house individuals and families on the waiting list for council housing, data analysis by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed.
Seven councils freed from Care Act duties
Seven English councils have taken advantage of temporary changes that allow them to reduce their Care Act duties as part of their response to coronavirus.
Supreme Court blocks Whitehall pensions interference
Government attempts to prevent councils boycotting Israel through their pension schemes have been blocked by the Supreme Court.
Pension funds urge Barclays to go further on climate action
Two local government pension funds have urged Barclays to go further on its climate commitments at its annual meeting next week.
