Reorganisation
PODCAST: People, passion and progress
In the latest Public Intelligence/The MJ leadership podcast Baroness Scott explains how Wiltshire CC has moved from an old-fashioned ethos to a modern business. Heather Jameson reports.
Free Hampstead!
And so to the political pastiche that is the coffee house Mecca of north London and Hampstead’s attempt to secure autonomy from Camden LBC.
Poole and Bournemouth to work together
Poole and Bournemouth Councils are planning to combine back office services as part of plans to save £16m over the next two years.
Strengthening local democracy
In a final article written before he died last month, George Jones and fellow author John Stewart argued that local representative democracy is being eroded.
West Suffolk councils moot plans to create single authority
Council leaders have put forward ‘ambitious’ proposals to create a single council for West Suffolk in a move they hope will ‘drive prosperity’ in the region.
MP predicts reorganisation revamp
A backbench Tory MP who is leading the campaign against local government reorganisation in Dorset believes the Government’s approach will change after the General Election.
No 10 accused of halting unitary plans over backbench rebellion fear
The Government’s wafer-thin majority frightened prime minister Theresa May away from approving plans to create two new unitary authorities in Dorset, The MJ has been told.
Blue sky thinking
The ongoing battle over council boundaries is likely to be put on the back burner for a while after the calling of a General Election.
CIPFA warning over voluntary mergers
Councils will be unable to cover the costs of voluntary mergers in Wales using their reserves, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA) has warned.
General Election halts Christchurch’s referendum on shake-up
Plans to hold a referendum on local government reorganisation in Christchurch will be delayed following the announcement of a snap General Election.
Don’t let the election derail public sector reforms
As another General Election looms, Heather Jameson says there are a host of domestic policy challenges which lead directly to local government’s door.
Districts do far more than just collect council tax
Ian Miller rejects recent comments about the role of districts and highlights the important duties they carry out.
Bournemouth scraps chief executive role
Bournemouth Council has scrapped the post of chief executive as it seeks to make efficiencies ahead of possible local government reorganisation.
Lloyd: Councils continuing to pull it off with great aplomb
Councils are continuing to thrive despite unprecedented cuts over the last 10 years,’ the chief executive of the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Dorset reorganisation verdict 'unlikely' before elections
Hopes that the Government will make a decision on whether to back plans for two new unitary authorities covering Dorset have been dashed.
Only Surrey’s spending power ‘above national average’
All two-tier areas in England but one have a core spending power below average, representing an annual £1.9bn funding gap, new calculations have revealed.
Top-down plan shot down
Town halls and experts have kicked back at sweeping proposals urging ministers to impose new devolution structures on places that fail to agree them locally.
Mole Valley chief lands role at warring DC
Yvonne Rees has been named as the new chief executive of South Northamptonshire and Cherwell DCs at a time when Oxfordshire districts have become embroiled in a bitter spat with the county over unitary plans.
Christchurch mulls ‘Chrexit’ referendum on borough merger
Potential for a referendum on whether Christchurch BC should remain separate or merge with other Dorset local authorities - dubbed 'Chrexit' - will be discussed by councillors next week.
Unitary plan would 'pull council off see-saw'
South Northamptonshire DC has warned that unitary plans by ‘financially-stricken’ Oxfordshire CC would put its joint working partnership with Cherwell DC at risk.