Improvement
Spelthorne undergoes finance peer review
A council branded reckless for excessively borrowing to buy up commercial property has undergone a finance peer review from the Local Government Association (LGA).
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.
Sector braced for more Whitehall interventions
Local government is braced for further Whitehall interventions in the wake of ministers launching reviews of two councils within days of each other.
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: Whitehall draws up early warning system
The Government is plotting to create an early warning system alerting Whitehall to councils that may be in trouble, The MJ can reveal.
Section 114 warning for troubled Thanet
The Section 151 officer of troubled Thanet DC has warned he may be forced to issue a Section 114 notice.
Moray Council remains 'deeply worrying', says Accounts Commission
Declining services at Moray Council are ‘deeply worrying’, the Accounts Commission has claimed, after nearly a decade and a half of concerns about the council.
Councils to receive cyber probe
One in 10 councils will be offered ‘penetration testing’ of their cyber security arrangements to ‘identify and potentially remediate’ vulnerabilities.
Advisers offer neat solution to the rocky road ahead
As a raft of councils could face difficulties from their commercial investment, or just failing finances, the Birmingham model of non executive advisers offers a solution to all out intervention, says Heather Jameson
Birmingham improvement model could be used elsewhere
An improvement model that has helped turn around Birmingham City Council could be rolled out to other struggling local authorities.
'Small minority' of councils have still not had a corporate peer challenge, report finds
The Local Government Association (LGA) should consider what further action it could take to encourage increased participation in sector-led improvement (SLI), an independent report has urged.
Ombudsman makes 12% more service improvement recommendations
Increasing systemic problems identified in residents’ complaints has led to the Local Government Ombudsman making more wider service improvement recommendations to councils than ever before.
Riordan promises more testing data
The chief executive drafted in to sort out the Government’s test and trace programme has promised councils more data to help control coronavirus flare ups.
LGA gets improvement boost in a bid to aid recovery
Ministers have given a boost to sector led improvement by allowing it a key role in helping councils recover from the coronavirus.
Watchdog urges faster improvement at Argyll and Bute
The council has been told it must ‘significantly increase’ the pace of improvement by the Accounts Commission.
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.
Bristol to bring back chief executive
Bristol City Council will bring back the role of chief executive – three years after scrapping the position.
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.
KPMG criticised for rejecting Northamptonshire public interest report pressure
Northamptonshire CC’s commissioners have criticised the council’s former auditors for deciding not to issue a rare public interest report.
