Inherent problems with the housing planning system in England mean the government is “way off track” for reaching its goal of 300,000 new homes each year, MPs have claimed.
Better data collection on outsourced public services would mean an improvement in assessing their value for money, says outsourcing consultant John Tizard.
A comprehensive national strategy backed by proper funding and infrastructure is required to tackle the growing crisis of homelessness, according to a report from the Local Government Information...
Scottish councils have defended their use of funds set aside for emergencies to pay for essential services after new figures showed general fund reserves would dip below £1bn next year.
A new global resettlement scheme for vulnerable refugees is being created from next year, replacing the current programmes and welcoming in around 5,000 more refugees in the UK.
Local authorities are being urged to restrict traffic around schools after a study in London found “relatively high levels” of air pollution inside classrooms, posing a risk to children’s health.
Councils have warned that reforms to increase the frequency of business rates revaluations must be properly resourced and contain measures to manage the impact on appeals.
The demands on upper-tier authorities to deliver costly social care services will be more accurately reflected in the forthcoming shake-up of local government funding, MPs have heard.
In a feature article and editorial published online and in the June 2019 edition of Public Finance, we referred to a “litany” of high profile “audit failures” in recent years, including Lehman...
Decentralising the financial system could rebalance growth across the country - and help local authorities as they become increasingly reliant on business rates, suggest Ben Gardiner and Ron...
The government has been urged by two leading charities to reverse £1bn in “short-sighted” cuts to public health funding, which they warn will directly impact long-term health and increase strain on...
Nearly one in five children in England start school with poor speech and language skills as English regions suffer funding cuts for therapy, research has found.
The government urged for public health services’ commissioning to be more joined-up, as it confirmed the responsibility would remain with local authorities.
Councils are still being called on to do more with less but the move towards investment in commercial property may not be an appropriate response, says CIPFA’s Don Peebles.
Last month’s local elections in England showed a rise in popularity of independents addressing local issues - but what we need is top-down change, writes communities and regeneration writer...
