Chris Mahony
County treasurers urge London councils to hike council tax
Inner London councils should increase their band D council tax ‘closer to the national average’ to raise hundreds of millions of pounds, the Society of County Treasurers (SCT) has told ministers.
Council to bask in glow of solar farm cash
Warrington Council expects to generate an estimated operating surplus of £150m over 30 years after buying two UK solar farms.
Baby P fallout still having impact, committee hears
High turnover rates – and the ongoing risk aversion generated by the Baby P case – are exacerbating the funding crisis in children’s services, MPs have heard.
Charities find children's 'cuts hotspots'
Per capita funding for children’s services has fallen by more than 30% since 2010, with London boroughs suffering the most savage cuts, children’s charities have warned.
NLGN in fresh fiscal devolution call
Only full fiscal devolution with comprehensive tax-raising powers at a local level will deliver the change communities crave, a report by the NLGN think-tank has urged.
Three-year rates revaluation cycle to come to Scotland
The Scottish Government will introduce a three-year business rates revaluation cycle to ensure the system responds to changing economic conditions.
Pensions uncertainty could last until 2020
Uncertainty over the true value of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) could ‘rumble on into next year,’ a finance expert has warned.
MPs pile pressure on Government over business rates reform
MPs have urged ministers to assess specific proposals for reforming business rates by the autumn.
Rotherham scandal continues to hit council finances
The aftermath of Rotherham’s child exploitation scandal continues to hit council finances with an overspend of nearly £16m in its children and young people’s directorate.
LGA in low income household call
The Spending Review must restore councils’ ability to support low income households, Smith Square has urged.
Haringey officers in reserves warning
Officers in Haringey LBC have warned that the Labour administration’s use of £5.5m of reserves to increase funding for children’s and adults social care is unsustainable.
EXCLUSIVE: LGA hit by unexpected £1m insurance bill
Smith Square faces an unexpected bill of up to £1m to cover the start-up costs of the insurance venture it has formed with 14 councils.
Ministers accused of 'irrational policy-making'
Ministers have been accused of irrational policy-making by funding prevention in the NHS while forcing councils to focus on acute statutory services.
Grenfell and Carillion prompt Freedom of Information call
A watchdog has called for an extension of the Freedom of Information Act to cover outsourcers and other providers of public services.
Cities have borne brunt of austerity - report
Cities have borne the brunt of austerity, a report out today has warned.
LGA faces financial headache
Smith Square has acknowledged the financial challenges it faces as it freezes subscriptions while grappling with declining Government grants and a pension scheme deficit.
Auditors bid to explain real cause of difference in councils' spend on kids
A nine-fold variation in spending on children’s social care could largely be down to ‘differences in characteristics’ between councils, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) study.
Charities attack mental capacity reforms
Liberty and 11 disability groups led by Mind have attacked the Government’s bill aimed at reforming deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS).
Projected overspend more than triples
The projected overspend facing Highland Council’s care, learning and housing department more than trebled to £3m in the third quarter, councillors will be told.
Think-tank: Give councils powers of abolished DWP
Councils and their health and education partners should be handed responsibility for supporting ‘harder-to-help’ groups into employment, a report by think-tank Demos has suggested.