Opposition ministers have made fresh criticisms of provisions in the Localism Bill after it started its report stage in the House of Commons.
Waste management and street cleaning are not the most glamorous of political issues. But, as every councillor knows, that doesn’t stop them carrying serious political weight since, for many local residents and businesses, they are the most visible council-provided service they receive.
Council chiefs are pinning their hopes on Baroness Hanhams ministerial group to revive the community budgets programme, after its slow progress sparked strong criticism from a senior council figure last week.
Council chiefs are pinning their hopes on Baroness Hanhams ministerial group to revive the community budgets programme, after its slow progress sparked strong criticism from a senior council figure last week
Councils’ assurance that they can safeguard their key services has improved significantly in recent months, LGC’s latest confidence survey has found.
The government has recently put forward its vision for a new approach to public service provision, giving private firms, voluntary and community groups and local organisations the chance to bid more widely for public service contracts.
Perhaps Localis will be the Prince Charming that the reform of local government finance has been waiting for!
Councils almost unanimously want more financial autonomy from central government, according to a think-tank survey of 200 local authority leaders.
Councils should be allowed to buy themselves out of the national business rates system and retain local tax revenues, to encourage them to stimulate economic growth, a thinktank said this week.
Challenging times demand radical responses and for the local government finance system inaction is no longer an option.