Funding
Council writes off £24m debt
Nottingham City Council has written-off £24m of debt owed by its energy company, newly-released figures have shown.
Government has ‘neglected’ care homes - report
Government action to support care homes during the coronavirus pandemic was too little, too late, a report has found.
Hackney’s Windrush legacy
Hackney will now have two pieces of public artwork that will act as a permanent reminder to everyone who walks past about how the Windrush generation has enriched Britain, says Cllr Carole Williams.
Light at the end of the uncertainty
Alison McKenzie-Folan describes how Wigan and Greater Manchester are sustaining arts and culture through a crisis, and says it’s imperative Government funding supplements this local and regional support.
Rebuilding Redbridge
Redbridge LBC is one of the areas likely to be hit with the double whammy of a high impact from COVID-19 and low resilience, says a report from the Social Market Foundation. Heather Jameson reports.
EXCLUSIVE: Stretched LRFs in cash plea
Stretched local resilience forums (LRF) have pleaded for cash amid warnings a lack of funding is hindering their planning for the next crisis.
As councils prepare for a second wave, they are held back by the centre
The NLGN’s latest Leadership Index survey shows councils are not getting enough support from the centre in their battle to tackle COVID-19 locally as they plan for a potential upsurge, says Pawda Tjoa.
‘Handful’ of councils at risk of Section 114 notices
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has concerns over a ‘handful’ of councils’ finances, MPs have heard.
Government launches Spending Review
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned of ‘tough choices’ as he launched the Comprehensive Spending Review today.
Long-term care in the wake of COVID-19
Baroness Sally Greengross says the care home sector should not have been ignored in planning for COVID-19, and it is now time for urgent reform to address fundamental structural problems.
Closing the gap
Jenny Coles, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, gives Ann McGauran a realistic picture of how local government will need to work to overcome the challenges faced by many children and families post-COVID.
Trust in the public realm really matters
Trust in public institutions cannot be rebuilt if different levels of government are seeking to divert blame on to each other, says Dr Jonathan Carr-West.
Minister hints at leisure centre support
Further Government support for leisure centres is being looked at following lobbying from councils
HRAs need certainty over their future sustainability
The absence of any funding for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) means the impact on the health of our communities could go beyond the COVID pandemic, according to Simone Hines.
Investing in people’s futures now
Disappointed not to have been given a nod last week in the chancellor’s summer statement? Sir Bob Neill says it should be seen as a prologue to the autumn Budget.
Build a country that works for all children - ADCS
Children and young people’s experience of COVID-19 should be front and centre of national recovery planning, says a new paper from the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS).
Councils issue warning over £730m of unspent EU funding
Nearly a quarter of the European Social Fund is at risk of being sent back to Brussels, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Councils at a crossroads: Local government in a post-COVID world
Looking beyond the pandemic, Nazeya Hussain and other contributors put forward the case for a new local economy and a new trust-based relationship between national, regional and local government.
‘Give places the funding to rebuild’
Nigel Riglar says we need to aim for more than a simple recovery, as our problems are too pressing, and councils must respond collectively to make the case for greater funding.
More burden-sharing than burden-busting
Last week’s funding announcement was ‘miles away from the Government’s initial vow to support local authorities in full’ - and the sector remains unsatisfied, says Dan Peters.
