Paul O'Brien
Paul O'Brien is chief executive of APSE
Will funding land next month to help levelling up?
Councils will await with interest December’s annual financial settlement to see where funding lands at the local level, says Paul O'Brien. Will this signify the beginning of significant attempts at levelling up, he asks.
Good Cop or Bad Cop?
Financial predators may already be circling in answer to the question of where local government’s funding for climate action will come from, say Paul O’Brien and Mo Baines.
It is the right time to invest in all of our futures
As we head towards COP26, Paul O’Brien says we should not settle for anything less than a key role for councils in the delivery of the plan for net-zero or the consequences could be catastrophic.
The clock is tickling
Local government is awaiting the outcome of some important announcements in the next couple of months, says Paul O'Brien. Will the Government trust councils to crack on?
Let’s see some fair play
A new report makes the case for a radical new approach to secure their future of local sports and leisure services, including a call for longer-term investment, say Paul O’Brien, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Debbie Kaye.
'Growing our own' jobs will require investment in local councils
If Government wants to maximise the bang for its buck in levelling up the country, then it must start investing in local councils and allow them to skill up local people from all backgrounds, argues Paul O'Brien.
System reset required: go to settings
As the APSE Local Government Commission 2030 launches its findings, Paul O’Brien says we need a big bang reset to resolve the issues facing local authorities.
Reaping the benefits from urban green space need not cost the earth
Urban areas, even those that are densely populated, can still play host to biologically diverse plant and animal life, especially if they are supported to do this by sensitive and intelligent local land management, says Paul O'Brien.
How do we empower and support councillors?
With Super Thursday looming on May 6, Paul O'Brien argues that a radical system reset may be needed; one that supports the role of councillors, values their role and is able to attract people from all walks of life.
Small steps matter on climate change
Tackling climate change is becoming fundamental to everything we do. Knowing how your service can make a contribution to the overarching objective of net zero is a good starting point, says Paul O'Brien.
Councils are key to our climate goals
There is universal agreement that climate change targets can’t be achieved if councils are excluded from the approach, says Paul O’Brien. He looks at what they are calling for if they are to be at the heart of delivering climate goals.
The sector needs to reflect the trust placed in us by the public
The message from the public is loud and clear, says Paul O’Brien. ‘They like, value and trust local neighbourhood level services’. He asks: 'So, will this public trust in councils continue? To use a lawyer’s response "it all rather depends".'
Another false dawn?
Next month’s energy White Paper and a longer-term comprehensive spending review than currently proposed will really tell us whether the PM's 'Green Industrial Revolution' lives up to its billing or is another false dawn, says Paul O'Brien.
Engage some of the pandemic's casualties in a more locally-based recovery
The upcoming comprehensive spending review represents a great opportunity for ministers to show they mean business by putting in place adequate resources for councils, says Paul O'Brien.
Building foundations for community health
A new report calls on the Government to put public health at the heart of housing delivery. Paul O’Brien of APSE and Dr Daniel Slade highlight the main recommendations.
By investing in parks society will reap long-term rewards
Over the past few months many have turned to parks as their daily release from the pressures of lockdown, says Paul O'Brien. The multiple benefits parks bring to society make them one of the best long-term investments Governments can make, he adds.
So you’ve declared a climate emergency: what next?
Paul O’Brien and Dr Peter Kenway warn that, while the eyes of the world have focused on COVID-19, an even bigger catastrophe is unfolding which needs action from elected leaders at every level.
Follow the money
As councils grapple with COVID-19 it is not just the extra expenses incurred but the loss of earned income that must be addressed, says Paul O’ Brien, adding that we cannot bail out businesses and fail to bail out the frontline.
Don't lose the increased recognition due to a failure to fund services
It would be a tragedy for local government if an increased recognition of its role in keeping society functioning in the toughest of circumstances is quickly lost by a failure to properly fund these very services in the future, argues Paul O'Brien.
There’s no quick fix to tackling climate change
If local councils are to capitalise on the zeitgeist of the climate emergency then they need some serious money and new powers – and time is of the essence, argues Paul O’Brien.
