Outsourced public services are big business. DeAnne Julius's landmark review last week valued this relatively young sector at £79bn, with the potential to keep on growing. Business Secretary John...
If Sir Peter Gershon has left one legacy it is that he has made efficiency a major part of public sector discourse. This, at least, is the view of Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper.
On the surface, eco-towns seem to tick all the right boxes, providing essential new homes without harming the planet. So why are the locals up in arms? Neil Merrick reports
Attempts by the government to improve the housing market in the North of England and the Midlands have been more 'successful at demolishing old homes' than building new ones, a committee of MPs has...
How do you persuade people to stop behaving badly, or to do things for their own good? Not by bribing them or banning the activities, says Ann Rossiter, who argues that reinforcing social norms is...
New streamlined performance indicators for town halls mark a 'major cultural shift' in the way councils are measured and in their relationship with Whitehall, the communities and local government...
Housing associations and other developers are to be offered a larger share of grants before they start building, in a move to revive the industry during the credit crunch.
Pilot schemes allowing councils to offer financial incentives to cut household waste are to go ahead, despite fears in local government that they would be scrapped.
Increasing local accountability for services and improving the fractious relationship between town halls and Whitehall could create an 'upward curve' in democracy, the Local Government Association's...
All social landlords should come under a single regulatory system by spring 2010 at the latest, according to the newly appointed head of the Tenant Services Authority.
The long-term growth in household energy consumption is beginning to reverse, with energy efficiency in the home improving by 19% between 1990 and 2004, according to a National Audit Office report on...
Councils are being asked to urgently review their surveillance operations after allegations that they are using them for matters such as rubbish dumping.
Social landlords must not use the downturn in the housing market as an excuse for delaying development schemes, a leading civil servant told delegates.
Better use of public sector assets will form a vital part of the operational efficiency programme due to be launched by the Treasury within weeks, Yvette Cooper told the conference.
The London Olympics present a financial challenge like no other combining a global sporting event with a major regeneration project. But to achieve its goals the Games will need substantial private...
Councils are confused. On the one hand, Hazel Blears promises a new white paper to empower them. On the other, she is busy devolving control away from them to local citizens. But there's no...
There's an ill wind blowing and it's threatening the government's housing and urban regeneration plans. But there are ways to mitigate the worst effects of the credit crunch
