London Councils
Call for VOA cuts review
‘Significant cuts’ in Valuation Office Agency (VOA) staffing levels should be reviewed to ensure the organisation is ‘fit-for-purpose’ amid a backlog of 250,000 appeals, London Councils has said.
Council tax system needs 'fundamental reform'
The council tax system is ‘highly regressive and unsustainable,’ and needs ‘fundamental reform,’ progressive think-tank IPPR has argued.
Keep making the investment case for prevention
John O'Brien says that whether we end up with a one year Spending Review or a longer one, it's important to make the wider investment case for preventative services programmes such as Troubled Families.
London council budgets slashed 17% over last decade
London’s local authority budgets have dropped by nearly a fifth – 17% – per head over the last eight years, a new study has revealed.
Housing shortage hampers councils' homelessness reduction efforts, MPs told
A social housing shortage is holding back councils from preventing homelessness, MPs have heard.
Pledges focus on what matters most to Londoners
London Councils’ Pledges to Londoners set out the aspirations the 32 boroughs and the City of London have agreed to work on together to improve the lives of all the capital’s residents, says Peter John.
Rule change signalled following London 'social cleansing' accusation
Local government secretary James Brokenshire has signalled a possible change to the rules to help councils facing an influx of London’s homeless.
Bexley selects Jackie Belton as new chief
Bexley LBC has recommended Jackie Belton, formerly at Lambeth LBC, is appointed to the role of chief executive.
Councils agree to ramp up efforts to tackle children's services pressures
Local authorities in London have agreed to intensify their efforts to tackle the increasing financial pressures on children’s services.
Business rates 'creaking at the seams'
Business rates as a tax is ‘creaking at the seams and in need of reform,’ London Councils has told the Government.
Mets feeling deprived over funding formula
Can the sector reach a consensus on the weighting given to deprivation in the fair funding formula? Ann McGauran examines the local government reaction
Let's move away from these short-term patches to funding
The decision in the provisional local government finance settlement to allocate the social care support grant solely according to the adult care needs formula is a curious one, says John O'Brien
Cracking the code
The complexity of the budgetary challenges faced by English councils has raised the alarm within the sector about its ability to resist future financial shocks. Will CIPFA's new resilience index help? Ann McGauran reports
London Councils forms company to tackle homelessness
A not-for-profit company will be created to provide housing for homeless families in 11 London boroughs.
London boroughs work together to face the HIV challenge
The London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP) is clearly a public health success story, says Cllr Ray Puddifoot - and local government in the capital is determined to lead the way in efforts to end HIV altogether.
Londoners are more pessimistic about the economic effect of Brexit
As Mrs May takes her Deal from Brussels on tour before a showdown in the House of Commons, Brexit is now seen in London as just as important as the crime wave and the housing crisis, according to Ben Page.
Directors give verdict on how to solve London housing crisis
Local authority directors laid out how the capital’s housing crisis can be tackled at the London Councils Summit.
Aiken: Country facing biggest ever exploitation of children
London must take action to avoid losing an entire generation of young people, the leader of Westminster City Council has warned.
Politicians come to defence of capital against ‘anti-London bias’
Politicians have bridged the party divide in defence of London local government.
One in three Londoners trust councils
Just over a third of people living in London trust their local authority, according to a new poll.