Mark Conrad
Judgment day
Kent and Home Office face growing pressure over asylum-seeking children.
'Housing emergency' council calls for Whitehall action
A council that recently declared a housing emergency has written to six Whitehall departments, urging them to ‘take decisive action’ because the situation is deteriorating.
Limited exemptions for empty homes powers
Councils will face only a limited number of exemptions from new powers allowing them to levy higher taxes on empty homes, ministers have confirmed.
Right to Buy lobbying fails as Treasury ends temporary boost
The Treasury has confirmed councils will no longer keep 100% of Right to Buy (RTB) receipts after the current financial year despite lobbying by the sector.
Craig's call for asylum change
Manchester City Council’s leader has urged Whitehall to implement ‘simple changes’ to asylum policy to ease huge pressures on major urban centres.
Coventry pushes ahead with 'fire and rehire' plan
Coventry City Council has begun a staff consultation over controversial ‘fire and rehire’ proposals.
Employers to consult on 10% pay claim
Local government employers will consult on trade unions’ 10% pay claim throughout this month.
Union backs strike at Brum
GMB trade union members at Birmingham City Council have voted overwhelmingly to support strike action over perceived delays in settling equal pay claims.
'Culture of mistrust' found at Newham
Newham LBC’s chief executive has vowed to tackle the ‘culture of mistrust’ among politicians and officers laid bare by a critical peer review.
CIPFA pleads for Oflog costs to be kept down
It is ‘unrealistic’ to think the Office for Local Government (Oflog) will not pile fresh resource pressures on councils, finance experts have warned.
Home Office 'chaos' leaves thousands of illegal arrivals in 'perma-backlog'
The Government’s struggling asylum policy has heaped significant demand on cities’ housing services, experts have warned.
Regulator calls for 'substantial' planning intervention
The planning system requires ‘substantial intervention’ by the Government to ensure consistent delivery of new homes, a major study has concluded.
Thurrock boosted by £500m after sale
Thurrock Council has received £510m in payments following the sale of Toucan Energy Holdings – the firm that triggered a section 114 notice when it collapsed.
Rowley increases pressure for high-rise crackdown
Housing minister Lee Rowley has urged more councils to tackle rogue owners failing to fix problems with high-rise properties since the Grenfell tragedy.
Chiefs: Sector can afford senior pay hike
Council chiefs have insisted their pay settlement must match the award for local government staff after years in which senior wage rises have fallen behind.
Brum proposes £300m cuts
Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council will cut spending on services by £300m to balance its books.
Council probe leads officers to ‘step back’
Two senior Guildford and Waverley officers have agreed to temporarily ‘step back’ from their roles amid intensifying investigations into housing maintenance contracts.
Vote planned for first UK coastal tourism tax
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) hoteliers will vote on the introduction of a tourist tax in April as the authority withdraws direct funding amid budget pressures.
Call for greater children's services involvement in policy
Children’s services should be more involved in the policy that has led to police no longer attending non-emergency callouts, mental health experts have urged.
Rayner: We will treat councils with respect
Shadow local government secretary Angela Rayner has claimed Labour would treat councils with the ‘respect you deserve’ if the party wins the next General Election.