Income generation
Mind the Gap
Geoff Tucker at Norse explains how partnership income is easing councils’ funding gap.
Unlocking the potential of council assets
Richard Eccles explores how councils can maximise existing assets to generate much needed income and support local businesses.
Sector should challenge ‘poisonous narrative’ around commercialism
Councils should not be held back from responsible commercial investments because of high-profile failures by their counterparts, according to a panel of experts.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils urged to 'sharpen commercial edge'
A new report has argued that allowing councils to sharpen their commercial edge will ‘unlock immense latent place potential’ and help ‘galvanise recovery’.
Council presses ahead with £100m property investment
Somerset West and Taunton DC has doubled down on its commercial property investments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council tax collection deficit hits £500m
Councils will need ‘additional help from taxpayers’ to balance their books, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has warned.
Council apologises over property investments
Kensington and Chelsea LBC has admitted putting income above community benefits in its past property deals.
Oxford urged to halt property investment
The Labour administration has rejected calls to scrap £20m spending plans.
Councils bail out airport
Local authorities are among the shareholders that have been asked to provide loans to Birmingham Airport as it suffers from COVID-19 restrictions.
Intervention threat over 'unwise' investments
Councils have been warned the Government will intervene if they rely too much on commercial investments.
COVID-19 impact on council income uncovered
Spending on car parks fell to 10% of 2019 levels and gyms 20% during the first lockdown.
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).
Manchester considers £50m of cuts
A programme of cost-cutting measures has been put forward by officers in an effort to tackle a looming £105m budget deficit.
Government review into Nottingham finances
The council is facing a review into its handling of Robin Hood Energy, over which the authority incurred millions of pounds in losses.
Manchester predicts £136m budget gap
The city council is braced to take a hit to its income from its airport investments in 2021/22.
Warrington launches green energy bond
The council aims to raise £1m to fund a green energy project.
Jenrick announces more cash, income compensation and tax delay
Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has announced more cash and new ways councils will be reimbursed for income lost as a result of coronavirus.
IFS urges government to relax the rules on finance amid crisis
Finance experts have called on the Government to temporarily relax rules that prevent councils borrowing to cover day-to-day spending as they deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Council to furlough 300 staff
Chelmsford City Council is to furlough hundreds of culture and leisure services employees as coronavirus takes its toll on the authority’s finances
Councils call for £5bn 'income guarantee'
England's largest councils are calling on the Government to provide a £5bn 'income guarantee to avoid them having to declare insolvency during the coronavirus pandemic.
