Laura Sharman
New legal requirement to protect domestic abuse victims
Councils will be legally required to provide safe housing for survivors of domestic abuse under new measures announced today.
Council to save £143m after ending LOBO loan
Newham LBC is expected to save £143m after successfully terminating its Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loans with NatWest bank.
Voter ID plans will impact ‘millions on the margins’
Millions of people will be denied their right to vote if the Government presses ahead with its mandatory voter ID plans, according to a warning from campaigners.
Councils handling nearly 500,000 FOI requests every year
Councils receive around 467,000 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act requests every year, nearly double the number compared to estimates in 2010, a new report has revealed.
Whitehall pledges to end aggressive council tax debt collection
The way local authorities recover unpaid council tax is to be reviewed by the Government in a bid to protect vulnerable residents from aggressive debt collection.
Children ‘not being protected’ by Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Children’s social care services are ‘inadequate’ at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, according to the findings of a new Ofsted inspection.
One in five councils failing to safeguard value, MPs warn
One in five councils do not have proper arrangements in place to secure value for money for taxpayers, a new report has warned today.
Spending Review launch dependent on securing Brexit deal
Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced he plans to launch a full three-year Spending Review before the summer recess if a Brexit deal is agreed.
Grenfell residents had human rights breached, watchdog finds
The residents of Grenfell Tower had their human rights breached by Kensington & Chelsea LBC before the fire started, a watchdog has found.
MPs launch inquiry into local government finance
A new inquiry into local government finance will take place ahead of this year's Spending Review.
Council tax bills to increase by an average of 4.5%
Council tax bills are to rise by an average of 4.5% in England from April, according to the latest figures.
Union seeks injunction against Birmingham in long-running bin dispute
Unite is taking high court legal action against Birmingham City Council for operating refuse vehicles without safety critical role.
Northamptonshire given permission for extra council tax increase
Northamptonshire CC has been given the freedom to increase council tax by 2% more than other local authorities without holding a referendum, it was announced today.
Cuts to council tax support have created ‘sizeable’ increase in arrears
Cuts to council tax support (CTS) have led to a surge in unpaid bills, new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has revealed.
A quarter of councils yet to submit a Local Plan
A quarter of local authorities have yet to submit a Local Plan six years after being required to act, new research has revealed.
Outsourced council workers to have pensions protected
Local government staff who have had their roles outsourced will receive increased pensions protections under new proposals published today.
Public backs Edinburgh’s tourist tax
A consultation has found 85% of residents strongly support the introduction of a tourist tax in Edinburgh.
Commission outlines need for more than three million new social homes
More than three million new social homes are needed to tackle the housing crisis over the next 20 years, according to a new report from Shelter’s independent social housing commission.
Councils given power to remove unsafe cladding from private buildings
Local authorities have been given the power to strip unsafe cladding from private residential buildings over 18 metres tall.
Council pay offer rejected as union moves towards strike action
The 3% pay offer for council workers in Scotland has been rejected by members of Unison Scotland.