Laura Sharman
Pensions partnership launches fund
A £1.3bn fund has been launched by Local Pensions Partnership (LPP) to offer investors ‘cost-effective exposure to diverse sources of return’.
Unitary councils have 'manifestly failed' on diversity
Not a single chief executive officer at 50 unitary councils comes from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background, new research has revealed today.
Warning for councils after wall collapse
Local authorities have been warned they must not ‘contract out’ the safety of new public buildings in a new report from the Scottish Parliament.
Westminster considers mansion tax
A voluntary ‘mansion tax’ on properties worth more than £10m is being considered by Westminster City Council.
Mayor intervenes as auditors probe LEP
The Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (GCGPLEP) is causing the area ‘reputational damage,’ the region’s mayor has warned.
Accountants in pension law change call
Charities should be allowed to exit the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to stop them building up unaffordable debt, a new report has argued.
Blackpool Airport back in council’s control for £4m
Blackpool Council has bought back Blackpool Airport (pictured) in a £4m deal.
Welsh councils' performance improves
Nearly two-thirds of council services in Wales have improved over the last year, according to new figures.
Councils win right to challenge hospital downgrade
Four Oxfordshire councils have won a fresh hearing over plans to downgrade services at a local hospital.
Auditors in equal pay warning
Councils in Scotland have spent £750m settling equal pay claims since 2004, with 27,000 claims still outstanding, a public spending watchdog has revealed.
Council to cut 800 full-time jobs
Angus Council has warned it could cut 800 full-time posts over the next three years as it faces a funding deficit of £40m.
Croydon scolded for children's services performance
Croydon LBC has failed to improve children’s services quickly enough, according to a damning report from Ofsted.
Housebuilding up - but not by enough
More than 153,000 new homes were built in the last year - an increase of 11% compared to the 12 months before, new figures have shown.
Outsourcing blamed for bin complaints increase
The outsourcing of waste collections by councils in England has led to an increase in the number of complaints being upheld by the ombudsman, a new report has warned today.
Finance concerns grow in wake of Grenfell
Council finance directors are growing increasingly concerned about the impact of the Grenfell Tower fire on their budgets.
Council wins court battle days after Gove intervention
Sheffield City Council has won a court battle against people protesting about its tree-felling programme.
Homelessness predicted to rocket
Rough sleeping has been predicted to rocket by 76% in the next 10 years, according to new analysis by homeless charity Crisis.
Stroud considers cutting workforce by 20%
Stroud DC is considering reducing its workforce by 20% over the next four years in order to plug a £3m funding gap.
Councils win legal battle with health boards
Health boards in Wales ‘misinterpreted’ the law over who is responsible for paying for nurses to deliver social care in residential homes, a court has ruled.
Local government complaints increase
The number of complaints about councils that have been investigated and upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has increased this year, new figures have revealed.