County Councils Network
Taking the next steps
Cllr David Williams steps into the role of new chairman of the County Councils’ Network in September. Ann McGauran talks to him about his priorities and plans.
Road to recovery
Dan Peters assesses the options available to local authorities as many begin to struggle with schools grant deficit recovery plans.
Calls for new PM to make council funding 'immediate domestic priority'
Calls have been made for the next Prime Minister to make council funding his 'immediate domestic priority' after Boris Johnson won the Conservative Party leadership contest.
County Councils Network announces next chairman
The County Councils Network (CCN) has announced that Hertfordshire CC leader Cllr David Williams will be its next chairman.
A case of cuts and a confidence crisis
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ annual survey reveals a pessimistic sector. Martin Ford reports.
Pressures eroding protection of adult care budgets, survey finds
Councils are struggling to protect social care budgets, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) annual budget survey has suggested.
Shared ambitions
Colleagues shared their ‘passion, energy and commitment’ at the Association of County Chief Executives spring seminar despite uncertainty in virtually every local government agenda, says Anthony May
Striking the right balance
The County Councils' Network's journey over the past six years has shown just how crucial striking the right balance is to being an effective special interest group, says James Maker
United view?
Chair of the LGA Lord Porter says the smaller unitaries have ‘probably a larger number of councils close to the edge’. But as Ann McGauran reports, it may be hard to generalise about the financial health of this ‘disparate group’.
'You can't cut what you don't have!'
We need the sort of detailed analysis carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers for the County Councils ' Network, which uses evidence to project 'spending need' over the period 2015-25, says Richard Flinton.
What is local government really worth?
Does all the ambition for local government come down to core service and self-sustainability, asks Heather Jameson. Where is the full funding, fiscal freedom and the local discretion?
Reviews are a chance for us to come together
The County Councils’ Network (CCN) has released a new report on councils’ finances. Simon Edwards says it shows all councils need a significant injection of resources, and that its members face ‘a particularly severe set of circumstances’.
The self-sufficiency myth
Marsham Street appears not to understand the drivers of demand or the pressures local services are under, county finance chiefs have told MPs.
EXCLUSIVE: Sunak to rule on default tier split
Ministers been asked to set out a ‘national default position’ on the distribution of business rates between county and district councils after 75% retention, The MJ has learnt.
Counties can help speed delivery of the right homes in the right places
We must move away from simply 'planning by numbers' when it comes to housing and instead seek to create genuine and sustainable communities, says Peter French
EXCLUSIVE: Ministers to step in after tier split talks collapse
Ministers are expected to be called on to intervene in the thorny issue of business rates tier splits after talks ended with no agreement, The MJ understands.
Social care should be funded centrally, says MP
Social care should be delivered locally but funded nationally, a new report has suggested.
Further delay to devolution drive
The Government’s repeatedly-delayed devolution framework will not be published until after Brexit, minister Jake Berry has admitted.
Corbyn launches attack on fair funding review
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has entered the debate over the fair funding review, claiming it ‘will make poorer areas even poorer’.
If empowered, councils can achieve much more on public health
Rather than seeking to downgrade the role of public health within local authorities we should be seeking to enhance it, says Nathan Elvery.