Economic growth
Andrew Burns: We must be better at justifying our commercial decisions
Andrew Burns outlines some of the key principles enshrined in the upcoming revised CIPFA Prudential Code amid fears the Autumn Budget may restrict councils’ ability to make commercial investments in property, especially outside their own area.
Martin Reeves: What I learned from my time as a twin hatter
Reflecting on his time leading the West Midlands Combined Authority, Martin Reeves reveals what he learned about trust, identity and leadership.
Give councils powers to tackle skills gaps post-Brexit
South East England Councils makes the call for local government to have a direct role in skills development after the UK leaves the EU. Cllr Nicolas Heslop explains.
Commercialisation: learning from experience
Professor Malcolm Morley gathers the experience and learning of key figures in the public and not-for-profit distribution sectors on how local government can successfully pursue commercialisation.
Putting homes at the heart of the agenda for growth
For the first time Hertfordshire CC is in a position to see a complete picture of the county’s growth over the next 20 years. Cllr Derrick Ashley explains.
May must fan the embers at the Conservative conference
In advance of this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Liam Booth-Smith asks if an embattled Theresa May is capable of using her platform address to reignite her premiership by tackling the burning injustices of housing and social care.
SMEs in a quandary over their funding rights
Small businesses are confused and often unaware of the funding available to them, an independent commission launched by a London council has found.
Blurring of responsibilities could undermine growth
Combined authorities must work with local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to overcome the ‘institutional blurring’ of responsibilities that threaten to undermine growth prospects, experts have warned.
A culture shock for Aylesbury Vale
As part of its transformation programme, Aylesbury Vale DC asked all its staff to reapply for newly designed job roles in the pursuit of a single vision. Andrew Grant explains why.
Who’s ready to go commercial in the ICT sector?
The IT managers’ society Socitm has been surveying local authorities looking at their approach to commercial development, and finds that ICT in particular has been a slow area to make progress. Geoff Connell discusses.
Act as a united sector on commercialisation - or face regulations
If local authorities act with individual self-interest in the pursuit of commercial ventures, they could ruin it for the whole sector, warns Abdool Kara.
Core Cities’ bold move amid a Brexit-focused tide
We are living with a one-policy government with complete inertia when it comes to anything outside Brexit, writes Heather Jameson as Core Cities are forced to bypass ministers to meet with EU negotiator Michael Barnier.
There's still room to liberate resources from existing assets
While many councils are making the case for fresh resources to meet oncoming challenges, Malcolm Morley argues there are opportunities to liberate significant resources from existing assets and activities.
Devo could boost the economy by £90bn, say Core Cities
Devolving more power to our cities could boost the country’s economy by up to £90bn a year, the Core Cities have suggested.
Why the capital needs skills devolution
Cllr Peter John makes the case for comprehensive devolution of skills policy to the capital.
Big-ticket projects shouldn’t come at expense of effective policies
Andrew Carter argues local leaders should be prioritising education, housing, skills and transport issues over headline-grabbing projects.
Council backed bank launches
The first bank part owned by a council, Redwood Bank, has opened for business.
From wasteland to playground – it’s the rebirth of Lee Valley
Fifty years since the creation of the Lee Valley Regional Park and the authority that is responsible for it, Shaun Dawson explains how partnership working with local authorities has been crucial for the park’s development.
Councils need to lead regeneration projects
When budgets are tight and markets are volatile, how can councils generate funding and mitigate risk to deliver what’s best for their districts? Teresa Lane explains.
Northern prosperity is national prosperity
Ed Cox calls on all regions and all sectors to demand fairer transport spending and help rebalance the national economy.