Business
Extra scrutiny for council companies
Senior councillors will receive a confidential quarterly report on the performance of all Warrington Council companies after two external reviews into the authority’s commercial approach.
Uncertainty over rates rebate risk
More uncertainty has been heaped on councils after it emerged they could be hit by a £481m business rates rebate for the office sector.
'Lax' supermarkets told to do more to keep shoppers safe
Supermarkets have become ‘lax’ and are not doing enough to keep shoppers safe, a council leader has warned.
Council leaders welcome £4.6bn lockdown grants to support businesses
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to support them during the lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
Bids to open for £100m leisure fund
Sport England has finally launched the £100m biddable fund to support English councils with outsourced public leisure centre provision.
PSAA to consider 'whopping' 120% audit fee hike
The body responsible for overseeing audit fees is poised to assess requests for a number of significant increases, including one ‘whopping’ 120% rise.
Big banks call for localised approach to recovery
There should be no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to recovery says a banking group study involving 900 business and local political leaders across the UK.
Tier three communities in north and Midlands ‘stretched to breaking point’
Tier three communities in the north and Midlands will be ‘stretched to breaking point’ once the grant aimed at supporting local business is cut at the end of the national lockdown, according to Labour.
Auditors probe gagging orders
Auditors have delayed signing off Thanet DC’s 2019/20 accounts while they investigate the council’s use of gagging orders in resolving grievances.
Gateshead to regain control of housing stock
Senior Gateshead MBC councillors have agreed to bring back housing stock under the council’s control from April after 16 years.
Leisure centre collapse warning
Under-pressure leisure centres will go under without further rescue funding on top of the £100m already pledged by the Government, district councils have warned.
Crisis-hit Croydon approves action plan
Croydon LBC has approved an action plan to put ‘strong financial management and governance right at the heart of the organisation’.
Green energy deal 'could be blueprint' for other councils
A £40m green energy deal could provide a blueprint for local authorities seeking to reduce carbon emissions and cut costs, according to the City of London Corporation.
EXCLUSIVE: Sector faces 'second lost decade'
The local government sector has been warned it faces a ‘second lost decade’ as a new index revealed the most financially vulnerable district councils.
Soft play hardball
As local authorities take on tougher coronavirus enforcement powers, they should perhaps be prepared for residents who think they’re cleverer than the law.
Council housing to return to met
Senior Kirklees MBC councillors have approved plans to transfer the management and maintenance of the borough’s council housing back to the local authority.
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked report warns sector less ready for Brexit transition
Local government is less ready for the end of the transition period than it was for a no-deal Brexit last October, a Whitehall document leaked to The MJ has warned.
Whiteman criticises 'reckless' council
A council has been criticised for making the first dive into the swaps market decades after a scandal involving Hammersmith & Fulham LBC.
Exit cap signed into law
The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments was signed into law last night and will come into force on November 4.
Tax increases more likely than austerity, says Flanders
A top economist has predicted that tax increases are more likely than another bout of austerity.
