Legal
Councils could lose millions in utilities repayments after court ruling
Local authorities could be facing repayments worth millions of pounds to council tenants in excess water charges, after a High Court ruling last week.
Camden in £130m High Court claim against contractors
Legal action has been launched by Camden LBC to recover costs of £130m against a group of contractors.
Brum wins battle to ban anti LGBT protests
Birmingham City Council has won a court battle to permanently ban anti-LGBT protests outside a local primary school.
'No evidence' of sexist culture despite chief's claims
No evidence of a culture of sexism has been found at Stratford-on-Avon DC following claims by an outgoing chief.
Lock-change evictions are lawful - court
Scotland’s highest court has ruled lock-change evictions of asylum seekers without a court order are lawful.
Royal Mail wins High Court bid to halt strike
The Royal Mail has won its High Court bid to halt a postal strike in the run up to the General Election amid fears it would hit postal votes.
S106 & Unilateral Undertakings
The area of law relating to imposing planning obligations in relation to land that the local authority itself owns remains a headache, but there are other options to consider, says Tiffany Cloynes.
High Court to hear Royal Mail's bid to halt pre-election strike
The Royal Mail’s attempts to block a strike in the run up to the General Election will be heard at the High Court today.
It’s time to see trading standards as a value creator
Trish Caldwell says that a new report really demonstrates the case for local trading standards services being a priority – and one that will add value to their communities.
Mail launches bid to halt postal strike
The Royal Mail has today launched a High Court bid to halt industrial action, claiming the ballot of its employees had ‘potential irregularities’.
Ministry in 11th-hour housing climb-down
The Government has revised its housing delivery test result for Lewes DC after a legal challenge by the local authority.
Councillors to apologise at 'sexist culture' council
Two councillors have agreed to apologise after investigations at a council where an outgoing chief detailed a 'sexist culture'.
Victims in the line of fire
Local government monitoring officers are increasingly being caught in power struggles between senior officers and are becoming targets for politicians. How should the problem be tackled? Martin Ford reports
Spielman in fresh illegal schools warning
Ofsted’s chief inspector has made a fresh call for the Department for Education (DfE) to crack down on unregistered or illegal schools.
High Court rejects call for judicial review on SEND spending
The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge from families seeking a judicial review to the Government’s funding of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Glasgow faces legal battle over homeless services
Shelter Scotland has launched a legal battle against Glasgow City Council over failures in its homelessness service.
EXCLUSIVE: Funding withheld from LEPs
Five local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have had capacity funding withheld in 2019/20 because they have not resolved overlaps, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has confirmed.
Council reaches £674k settlement with union
An employment tribunal brought by Unison against Somerset CC will not go ahead after they agreed to settle out of court.
Councils clamp down on rate collection with bailiffs
Councils sent bailiffs to 310 company premises a day last year due to business rate-related arrears, a new study has suggested.
Audit fees could rise
Fees could rise if the new code of audit practice changes the scope of auditors’ work, the sector has been warned.