Improvement
Crisis-hit Croydon expected to sell development firm
Senior councillors at crisis-hit Croydon LBC are expected to back moves to sell its controversial developer Brick by Brick.
Brum eyes up another interim amid a dearth of candidates
Birmingham City Council is set to hire a further interim chief executive as there is ‘not a pool of candidates currently available’ for the job.
Alchemy – leadership in the pandemic age?
During the pandemic leadership has been tested across every sector in so many different ways, says Dr Andrew Larner. Now iESE is looking at how it can learn from new models of leadership and share best practice
Failing to act on audit invites intervention, says Whiteman
A failure to act on the Redmond review could lead to more Government intervention, finance chief Rob Whiteman has told MPs.
Croydon: There is 'no alternative' to capitalisation
There is ‘no credible alternative’ to capitalisation in a bid to rescue Croydon LBC’s finances, a rapid review has claimed.
Spelthorne told it must 'understand and manage risk'
A council that invested almost 40 times its budget in property must ‘understand and manage risk and its impact on future financial performance and sustainability,’ a Local Government Association (LGA) finance peer challenge has said.
Medway’s children’s services commissioner is stood down
Medway Council will continue to run its own children’s services after the independent commissioner is stood down due to good progress on improvement.
LGA fears over government threats to slash grant
Local Government Association (LGA) staff have been warned to cut costs after the Government threatened to slash its top-slice grant.
Time to stand together in the drive for improvement
In truth, the Local Government Association needs to up its game on sector-led improvement, says Heather Jameson. 'It needs to give the ministers no doubt whatsoever that this is the best option to help councils stay out of the mire.'
McArdle drafted in to help Croydon
The lead commissioner at Northamptonshire CC, Tony McArdle, has been appointed to chair Section 114-hit Croydon LBC’s government improvement panel.
Call for vaccine rollout improvements
Leaders at Telford & Wrekin Council have called for the speed at which vaccinations are being rolled out in the area to be improved.
Ministry to improve funding delivery
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched a year-long project to improve the way it delivers funding to the sector.
Spelthorne undergoes finance peer review
A council branded reckless for excessively borrowing to buy up commercial property has undergone a finance peer review from the Local Government Association (LGA).
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.
Sector braced for more Whitehall interventions
Local government is braced for further Whitehall interventions in the wake of ministers launching reviews of two councils within days of each other.
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: Whitehall draws up early warning system
The Government is plotting to create an early warning system alerting Whitehall to councils that may be in trouble, The MJ can reveal.
Section 114 warning for troubled Thanet
The Section 151 officer of troubled Thanet DC has warned he may be forced to issue a Section 114 notice.
Moray Council remains 'deeply worrying', says Accounts Commission
Declining services at Moray Council are ‘deeply worrying’, the Accounts Commission has claimed, after nearly a decade and a half of concerns about the council.
Councils to receive cyber probe
One in 10 councils will be offered ‘penetration testing’ of their cyber security arrangements to ‘identify and potentially remediate’ vulnerabilities.
