Public trust in councils is far greater than confidence in Parliament and should be the trigger for a fresh transfer of powers to England's localities, a new report has urged.

A survey by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows that, in the wake of perceived Whitehall inaction over flooding and the soaring cost of national infrastructure projects, public trust in councils is now twice as high as trust in Parliament.

The study shows that 64% of English voters have trust in local councils, compared with just 36% trust in Parliament.