Local Government Association
Unions plan for January pay claim
Local government trade unions are aiming to submit their next one-year pay claim in January, The MJ understands.
Councils welcome PWLB rate extension
Councils have welcomed chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to extend preferential Public Works Loan Board borrowing rates for Housing Revenue Account (HRA) expenditure.
Pressure for LGA peer review to be strengthened
Senior Local Government Association (LGA) figures are pushing the organisation to beef up its peer review offer to help neutralise the threat from Oflog.
Department's financial views questioned
Levelling up civil servants have told council chiefs financial pressures have eased but watchdogs have warned other Whitehall departments may be driving local government’s costs.
EXCLUSIVE: Oflog pushes ahead with early warning system
Senior Oflog officials are pressing ahead with their plans to create an early warning system for councils in trouble despite continuing Local Government Association (LGA) resistance, The MJ understands.
EXCLUSIVE: Improvement grant talks to start with zero-based review
A zero-based budgeting review will take place as part of talks on next year’s sector-led improvement grant, The MJ understands.
Land value tax could redistribute billions
A plan to reform business rates could lead to billions of pounds being redistributed from high land value areas to other parts of the country.
DLUHC blasted over levelling up failure
The levelling up department has been blasted for failing to deliver its remit by a senior sector figure.
Council told to focus on 'getting basics right'
South Holland DC should focus on ‘getting the basics right’ before pushing ahead with more innovative improvement proposals, sector peers have reported.
Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings
More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.
EXCLUSIVE: Nightmare before Christmas?
The provisional local government finance settlement will be published just before Christmas, council chiefs have been told.
EXCLUSIVE: Oflog base 'focus' on Wolverhampton
The new local government body responsible for identifying financial problems in councils earlier and strengthening accountability aims to base most of its staff outside London, The MJ understands.
'Victory for common sense' hailed on waste
Councils have claimed a ‘victory for common sense’ after ministers watered down plans to standardise waste and recycling collections.
DCN in cuts warning
Cultural services, community support and parks and green spaces are all at risk of cuts without a boost to the local government finance settlement, respondents to a District Councils’ Network (DCN) survey have warned.
Greens push for divestment
There will be a greater push for divestment in the local government pension scheme (LGPS) after the Greens made a record 200 seat gains this year, a senior councillor has predicted.
LGA: Devolve to boost economic activity
Ministers should devolve long-term and simplified funding for back to work schemes to overcome record economic inactivity, the Local Government Association (LGA) has urged.
ADEPT: Ministers have undermined confidence in new burdens doctrine
Confidence in the new burdens doctrine has been ‘undermined’ by ministers, council directors have warned.
EXCLUSIVE: Sector to plot solutions for 'broken' finance system
Local government is planning to collectively come up with some innovative ideas about how the ‘broken’ finance system could be improved, The MJ has been told.
LGA warns Hunt over housing allowance rates
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned chancellor Jeremy Hunt he will force more into homelessness unless he ends a three-year freeze on housing rental benefits.
Employers downplay equal pay risk
Smith Square is monitoring equal pay claims across the sector but remains confident the national job evaluation framework is robust, senior sources have told The MJ.
