Emergency planning
Learning from the emergency life cycle
When it comes to emergency response there are ‘no second chances’ says Stephen Baker of SOLACE. The organisation has linked up with the LGA to launch a new guide to learning throughout the life cycle of emergencies
Stronger together
A year on from the Parsons Green train bombing, Kim Dero explains how Hammersmith & Fulham LBC is joining forces with the community to plan ahead for emergencies.
Don’t leave cyber security to chance
When it comes to cyber security, it is time we prepared for the worst before it’s too late, writes William Benson.
Private leaseholders need assurance over Grenfell cladding
Leaseholders are enduring a miserable existence with properties rendered worthless because they have similar cladding to the Grenfell Tower. Paul Wheeler calls on the Government to act.
Countering terror locally
With the announcement of the Government’s CONTEST counter-terrorism strategy following on from other major reviews into policing and safety, Mark Conrad looks at what it all means for local authorities.
Preventing another Grenfell
On the first anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy Lord Porter explains how the Local Government Association is working with the Government to stop this from happening again.
Grenfell: Refurbishment turned fire-resistant building into flammable one
Kensington & Chelsea RLBC has come under pressure once more after a leaked report blamed a low-grade refurbishment for the deadly blaze that killed 71 people.
Councils told to be on guard post-Salisbury
Council bosses have been warned to weigh-up risks of fresh attacks from ‘hostile states’ following the Salisbury poisonings.
Kerslake review praises council response to Manchester bomb attack
Local government’s response to the Manchester Arena bombing was ‘by any measure exceptional’, but key mistakes must be avoided in future, an official review has found.
Fire safety: Tougher action needed on private owners, MPs say
Labour and Conservative MPs have come together to demand the Government does more than just ‘urge’ the private sector to pay for remedial measures to make tower blocks safe from fire.
Push back over major disaster response
The Home Office is battling against the clock to convince regions to take on responsibility for responding to major disasters.
Council HQ caught up in gas leak alert
Staff are returning to work at Westminster City Councils offices in the Strand after being evacuated due to a gas leak in central London.
Transparency, good record-keeping essential in emergencies
Transparent decision-making and good record-keeping are essential in times of crises, a local government specialist at law firm Bevan Brittan has advised councils.
Leader defends K&C’s response to Grenfell
Kensington & Chelsea RLBC’s leader has launched a striking defence of the ‘incredible response of staff and councillors’ to the Grenfell Tower fire.
Decreasing Whitehall’s dominance
Lord Porter makes an impassioned case for devolution, arguing local and central government cannot deliver more than the sum of their parts without urgent reform.
Dealing with disaster
Disaster management expert Richard Stokoe considers what went wrong in Kensington & Chelsea after the Grenfell tragedy, and how other authorities can avoid making the same mistakes.
A tribute to the unsung heroes of public service
In the shadow of a series of national tragedies and the loss of her father, a town councillor, Sandra Dinneen delivers a heartwarming tribute to those who serve day in and day out within their communities.
Grenfell fire impact reverberates through sector
Camden LBC evacuates residents as councils fail cladding tests while Kensington & Chelsea RLBC chief executive, Nicholas Holgate, resigns following criticism over the local authority’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire.
Tower blaze council under attack
Kensington & Chelsea RLBC and the Government have come under attack, with difficult questions about the Grenfell Tower fire remaining unanswered this week.
Councils come together to help Grenfell Tower relief efforts
Hounslow, Bromley, Ealing, Southwark and Westminster LBCs will help Kensington & Chelsea RLBC by contributing resources to ensure victims are provided with the necessary support.