Mark Conrad
West Berkshire urged to make permanent appointments
West Berkshire Council has been urged to focus on the management layer below its corporate leadership team (CLT) to ‘bring further stability’.
Pension funds told to report annually on pooling progress
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds should report annually on progress against pooling and private equity investments, fresh guidance has said.
'Real action' call amid £585m budget shortfall
Scotland’s councils today demanded a ‘real and meaningful solution’ to the sector’s underfunding after finance experts identified a collective £585m budget shortfall this year.
Mandatory reporting exemptions a 'fudge'
Ministers’ decision to exempt instances of child abuse from a new reporting law means they have dodged the mandatory duty demanded by a national inquiry, victims and campaigners have warned.
UASC Kent arrivals up 59% last year
The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in Kent continues to soar while the county council awaits court guidance on improving the national transfer scheme.
Council and Premier League club in stadium row
Nottingham City Council has warned ‘no local authority can subsidise a Premier League football club’ amid an escalating row over Nottingham Forest FC’s iconic stadium.
Fresh Right to Buy devolution call
Calls to devolve England’s Right to Buy policy are gathering momentum, with a centre-left think-tank now urging ministers to hand powers to councils.
Councils frustrated by Whitehall siloes, says chief
Whitehall’s siloed approach to city centre renewal has led to ‘real frustration’ from councils, slowed down projects and increased costs, a local authority chief has warned.
Re-elected Burnham calls for Right to Buy suspension powers
Greater Manchester’s re-elected mayor has called for powers to suspend Right to Buy on new homes under plans to build 10,000 houses across the region.
Newham promises 'relationship reset' after concerns
Newham LBC has promised a ‘relationship reset’ following claims a ‘culture of mistrust’ had developed between senior politicians and officers.
Election timetable means councils face race against time
Councils’ next finance settlement may have to be announced before a Spending Review amid ‘extremely accelerated’ demands after the General Election, experts have warned.
Cuts linked to widening health inequalities
Widening health inequalities across England are directly associated with cuts to councils’ spending power, according to research.
Brum equal pay wait goes on
Birmingham City Council faces a further wait before declaring its official equal pay liabilities after auditors warned ‘we have yet to receive the evidence we need to complete our work’.
Vote warning
Elections officers have warned of the impact of changes to postal vote rules as polls open across England and Wales today.
Auditors issue warning over member-officer relations at district
Teignbridge DC has deployed external support to improve member-officer relations after auditors reported the authority has made little progress since warnings last year.
Think-tank: Growth in tall buildings failing to tackle housing need
‘Unplanned proliferation’ of tall buildings has not delivered the housing Britain needs, Policy Exchange has warned.
Guildford to sell £50m of assets
Guildford BC has approved the sale of £50m of assets over three years under plans to stabilise the Surrey-based authority’s finances.
East Devon to appoint new chief
East Devon DC is poised to appoint Tracy Hendren as its new permanent chief executive.
Bristol officers accused of 'misleading' over development
Officers at Bristol City Council have been accused of providing ‘misleading’ advice linked to a decision to approve a controversial 28-storey development.
NAO warning over childcare reforms
Just one in 10 councils predict they will meet the deadline to create 85,000 Government-funded childcare places by autumn 2025, spending watchdogs have warned.