Legal
EXCLUSIVE: Chiefs warning to May if austerity not lifted
More councils face scaling back services to a minimum statutory offer if prime minister Theresa May reneges on her promise of ‘better times ahead,’ local authority chief executives have warned.
Council has settled more than 180 abuse claims
Nottinghamshire CC has settled more than 180 civil claims linked to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), with 20 more settlements still under discussion.
Leader threatens legal challenge over tunnel
Thurrock Council’s leader has threatened a judicial review of Highways England’s plan for a Lower Thames Crossing.
Council employee jailed for £100k Grenfell funds fraud
A Kensington and Chelsea LBC employee has been jailed for five and a half years after admitting fraud offences relating to the Grenfell fire
Leaders accuse Government of destroying 'social contract'
Senior Labour local government figures will launch a Councils Against Austerity campaign next week’s party conference.
Welfare support has 'collapsed' for many
One in six top-tier councils are not providing vital welfare services devolved to them just as the sector’s budget cuts hit hard.
Scottish councils will be more vulnerable to claims
New claims legislation likely to make defence more difficult for Scottish Local Authorities, warns Kate Donachie
Council to introduce spending controls
Staffordshire CC is expected to introduce controls on all non-essential spending as part of efforts to bridge a £35m funding shortfall and deliver a legally balanced budget.
'Tough enforcement action' brings in £1.2m
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse DCs recovered more than £1.2m in council tax arrears after 'tough enforcement action,' latest figures have revealed.
Council first to use new legal powers to demand Brexit clarity
The leader of Plymouth City Council is hoping to force the Government to reveal the impact Brexit will have using new legal powers.
Council accounts held up by LOBO challenge
Auditors have delayed a full opinion on Weymouth and Portland BC’s finances pending the outcome of a High Court challenge against Barclays.
Northamptonshire library closures ruled 'unlawful'
The decision to close 21 council-run libraries in Northamptonshire was made unlawfully, a court has ruled.
Appeal bid launched over sleep-in shifts legal dispute
The legal battle over pay for carers working sleep-in shifts is to rumble on after an appeal was lodged with the Supreme Court.
Peace offerings in wake of reorganisation divisions
Olive branches have been offered up in two areas where relationships have been strained by local government reorganisation.
Christchurch reorganisation challenge defeated
Christchurch BC may launch an appeal after a High Court judge today refused its challenge to local government reorganisation plans.
Councils begin judicial review against Heathrow expansion
Five London councils, Greenpeace and the mayor of London have started judicial review proceedings against the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
LEPs face race against time
Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) face a race against time to reconfigure and register as legal entities, amid a threat from ministers to withhold growth fund cash.
Labour proposes national youth services body
Senior Labour Party figures have announced plans to establish a national body to oversee future statutory youth services across local authorities.
Rutland shakes-up management team
Rutland CC has shaken-up its senior management team, with three directors taking on new roles.
Surge in data protection breaches reported
Five times more data breaches have been reported since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), with local government among the most frequent offenders.