EUROPEN UNION

Councils issue warning over £730m of unspent EU funding

Nearly a quarter of the European Social Fund is at risk of being sent back to Brussels, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

Nearly a quarter of the European Social Fund is at risk of being sent back to Brussels, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

The LGA said more than £730m in vital EU cash had yet to be allocated by the Government to councils and combined authorities.

It warned that the remaining funds must be used to support employment, skills and training by the end of the year or they will have to be returned.

Chairman of the LGA's EU exit taskforce, Cllr Kevin Bentley, said: ‘The Government needs to make sure the remainder of this fund reaches the local communities that need it desperately following the devastating economic impact of COVID-19.

'Councils and combined authorities are ready to work with government to make sure that local residents and economies can reap the benefits of this funding.

'As the country looks towards how we bounce back from COVID-19 this funding is more important than ever.'

EUROPEN UNION

Top Talent: Regeneration and Growth

02 July 2025

As part of our regular series on ‘rising stars’, we celebrate the regeneration and growth officers who have been nominated by their councils for having an im...

EUROPEN UNION

London funding boost 'politically indefensible'

By Martin Ford | 02 July 2025

Any funding reform that resulted in more money going to London boroughs would be ‘politically indefensible’, a shadow minster has said.

EUROPEN UNION

Strategic authority 'needs to be bigger than Surrey'

By Dan Peters | 02 July 2025

Surrey should be part of a strategic authority on a geography wider than the county, according to some sector figures.

EUROPEN UNION

Experts call for slice of AI cash

By Dan Peters | 02 July 2025

Councils should get a share of the £2bn announced for artificial intelligence (AI) in the Spending Review, experts have suggested.

Popular articles by Laura Sharman