Funding
Forget the charm, local government needs certainty
Heather Jameson asks if Boris Johnson’s surprise appearance on a local government call this week could be the start of a charm offensive. 'Forget the charm, a decent finance settlement and devolution deal will do the trick', she adds.
Frustration bubbles over wait for Brexit bonanza
The Government runs the risk of ‘levelling up everywhere at rock bottom’ as uncertainty continues to reign over funding for the regions months after Brexit.
Peterborough seeks financial rescue package
Peterborough City Council is in talks with the Government over plans to rescue its finances.
More cash is vital for local contact tracing
Mayor of Lewisham Damien Egan says expanding local contact tracing is challenging, and restoring the national public health grant to at least 2015/16 funding levels would allow the council to build capacity.
Funds ‘not reaching care frontline’
Care England has said bureaucratic hoops are preventing funding from reaching providers.
Councils should be at the centre of a renewed push on public health
Councils must be at the heart of a new, reinvigorated national push on improving public health provision and their funding for this must rise in line with the NHS budget, says Cllr Sir Ray Puddifoot.
Moving forward in a time of unprecedented demand
Lawrence Conway says confidence building, hope and support, and visionary and purposeful local leadership are needed ‘as we move forward to build a better world now and for future generations’.
We must find a way to invest in our future
The ‘hidden harms’ to children over the past six months will be uncovered when schools fully open in September. We need an urgent and transparent discussion about funding, says Jenny Coles.
£260m funding boost for Welsh councils
Welsh ministers have announced a £260m funding boost for councils, bringing the total amount of government COVID-19 support to almost half a billion pounds.
Extra public health funding ‘essential’
Councils need extra funding to carry out new responsibilities for the coronavirus test and trace system, the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) has said.
Oxfordshire looks to bridge £16m budget gap
The council plans to delay service overhauls in a bid to cover a £16m budget shortfall this year due to the coronavirus crisis.
Council writes off £24m debt
Nottingham City Council has written-off £24m of debt owed by its energy company, newly-released figures have shown.
Government has ‘neglected’ care homes - report
Government action to support care homes during the coronavirus pandemic was too little, too late, a report has found.
Hackney’s Windrush legacy
Hackney will now have two pieces of public artwork that will act as a permanent reminder to everyone who walks past about how the Windrush generation has enriched Britain, says Cllr Carole Williams.
Light at the end of the uncertainty
Alison McKenzie-Folan describes how Wigan and Greater Manchester are sustaining arts and culture through a crisis, and says it’s imperative Government funding supplements this local and regional support.
Rebuilding Redbridge
Redbridge LBC is one of the areas likely to be hit with the double whammy of a high impact from COVID-19 and low resilience, says a report from the Social Market Foundation. Heather Jameson reports.
EXCLUSIVE: Stretched LRFs in cash plea
Stretched local resilience forums (LRF) have pleaded for cash amid warnings a lack of funding is hindering their planning for the next crisis.
As councils prepare for a second wave, they are held back by the centre
The NLGN’s latest Leadership Index survey shows councils are not getting enough support from the centre in their battle to tackle COVID-19 locally as they plan for a potential upsurge, says Pawda Tjoa.
‘Handful’ of councils at risk of Section 114 notices
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has concerns over a ‘handful’ of councils’ finances, MPs have heard.
Government launches Spending Review
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned of ‘tough choices’ as he launched the Comprehensive Spending Review today.
