LGA
Changing perceptions?
Councils are now looking for consistency on spending, as children's services continue to struggle. The annual ADCS conference picked up on this theme, as Dan Peters reports
Showtime by the seaside
Ministers, mandarins, town hall, Whitehall and more all met in Bournemouth last week for the Local Government Association conference. Michael Burton reports on the highlights
Rolling out a new institutionalism
Dr Jonathan Carr-West wonders if, alongside new localism, we need a new institutionalism too?
How can the financial settlement meet its deadline?
The clock is ticking on the countdown to publication of the financial settlement for 2020/21, says Michael Burton - but the timetable is 'spectacularly complex'.
Court date set for councils' £2bn tax dispute with NHS trusts
A court date has been set for the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief.
Non-metropolitan councils need the power to tackle barriers to growth
The Post-Brexit England Commission’s final report has set out a prospectus to Government of ‘tangible, practical proposals’ with the potential to ‘make a difference to local communities quickly’.
The clock is ticking on the push for devolution
There will be little bandwidth for local government policy in the coming months, says Heather Jameson. Her lesson to the victor of the LGA's very own leadership election is: don't wait.
More joined up approach is needed from central Government to tackle county lines
Central Government departments work in silos on tackling serious violence and county lines and need to work together ‘in a more smart way’, says a council expert.
Conquering housing’s many complexities
Cllr Martin Tett highlights how the LGA is working for councils to be given the powers and funding to fix Britain’s broken housing ladder by building new, social rented houses.
Bringing in the changes
If the Government fails to adequately fund local government there is a real risk to the future financial viability of some services and councils, writes Mark Lloyd as the LGA annual conference gets into full swing.
Time for a UK-wide debate on tourism levies
Cities south of the border including Birmingham have plans to consider tourism levies. Cllr Judith Blake says Core Cities UK believes it's time for a national discussion about whether one might work in the UK.
Banging on the Treasury’s door
The whole sector needs to get behind MHCLG to ensure it punches above its weight and ‘has the clout to bring home the goods’ from the Spending Review. And that means a few things, according to Bob Neill
LGA: exit pay cap could inflate 'golden goodbye' values
The cash value of local government 'golden goodbyes' could increase if the Treasury proceeds with plans to cap public sector exit payments, Smith Square has warned.
Bring it on – give it to us
James Jamieson is the newly-elected chairman of the Local Government Association. He talks to Heather Jameson about his priorities. He wants councils to have ‘not just the responsibility, we want the resources and the responsibility’
LGA seeks action to match 'warm words' over asylum seeker support
A ‘step change’ in relations between Government and council over accommodating asylum seekers is resulting from meetings between the two.
LGA asks for review of revaluation deadline change
Proposed changes to business rates revaluations would prove ‘incredibly problematic’ for councils, it has been claimed.
Council chiefs warn of ‘children’s mental health crisis’
Local authority leaders have warned that social services are seeing more than 560 cases of children with mental health disorders every day – an increase of more than 50% in just four years.
Pressures eroding protection of adult care budgets, survey finds
Councils are struggling to protect social care budgets, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) annual budget survey has suggested.
LGA politics in a time of turmoil
As the sector descends on Bournemouth for the Local Government Association conference this week, the four political groups outline their priorities for the coming year.
Devolution agenda ‘going backwards’ – Lord Porter
The devolution agenda has ‘gone backwards,’ the outgoing chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), Lord Porter, has said.