Any coming cuts to council budgets in the Autumn Statement will probably lead to false economies that cost more in the long term, just like they have in the past, writes Jim McManus, president of the...
Two county councils could issue section 114 notices “within the next year or so” as they struggle with high inflation and rising service demand without additional funding.
A proposed temporary override to financial reporting on councils’ infrastructure has been welcomed by the sector as an opportunity to take a step back and sort out one of the major problems facing...
Children’s care leaders are concerned next week’s Autumn Statement could bring further austerity, forcing them to cut preventative services in a “false economy” leading to higher costs and worse...
The “inefficient” competitive bidding processes for transport funding should be replaced with a block grant system to ensure improvements are made, a House of Lords Committee has said.
Fears of piling more pressure onto residents during the cost-of-living crisis have led Leicester City Council to scrap a proposed levy on workplace parking, but the council has warned that doing so...
The government fears Liverpool City Council faces “substantial” challenges to its finances, and has appointed a finance commissioner to help get the authority back on track.
The collapse of Bolsover District Council’s preferred building contractor has led to the authority setting up a wholly owned company to continue its development ambitions.
No service will remain unaffected by the challenges ahead and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but an organisation-wide approach is a good start.
External auditors for Redditch Borough Council have issued a statutory recommendation over the authority’s failure to submit its statement of accounts on time.
Councils in the UK entered the cost-of-living crisis in a “solid” financial position due to central government funding, and this position will help the sector in the difficult times to come, a...
Council workers in most of the UK will receive a £1,925 increase to their salaries this year, after the majority of unions voted to accept a pay offer following months of negotiations.
A Welsh council has admitted there is “more to be done” to improve its asset management after the national watchdog warned the authority it does not hold all the appropriate data.
A charge on workplace car parking – the first of its kind in Scotland – could make millions for City of Edinburgh Council to invest in transport infrastructure.
A London council will spend more than £1m per year on payments to young people in further education, effectively replacing a government scheme scrapped amid austerity, and a bursary for students.
Ministers must scrap the patchwork system of bidding pots for local government and consider allowing councils to raise their own taxes, a parliamentary committee has said.
Local audit firms have been told by the Financial Reporting Council to “urgently” improve the quality and timeliness of their work, after the number of unacceptable audits rose last year.
External auditors have told Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council it needs to work out how it will balance its future budgets, warning that it lacks “appropriate arrangements” to run its...
County council leaders have warned that they face a financial situation worse than at any point in recent years, with services at risk, if their budgets are cut in the government’s push for savings.
