At least 25,000 council jobs in England will be under threat in the next three to five years, a BBC survey suggests. The forecast is based on answers from 49 councils with a combined workforce of 256,000, suggesting cuts of 10%.
Eight authorities – or groups of councils – have been named to take part in the next stage of personalised budgets for disabled people. The trailblazer areas will be testing the Right To Control initiative which aims to give disabled adults more choice and control over the state funding they receive.
Although mutuals and co-operatives have
been providing services for hundreds of years, they are suddenly being touted as the saviour of the public sector.
The Conservatives have said they would sweep away the present planning system and replace it with one based on financial rewards for localities that accept new development.
The first reports from 13 pilot projects provide a wealth of data. One thing is clear: public services focus too much on symptoms and too little on causes. The 13 pilots, launched last July, are now reporting their findings back to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Wandsworth is again ready to boast the lowest council tax in the UK for an average Band D property after proposing a freeze for the third year. Deputy council leader Maurice Heaster said the councils low tax record should serve as a benchmark for national government.
Millions of pounds can be slashed from Westminster’s 2bn public services bill through greater collaboration, according to a council report. Police, health and council services should be brought together ?under one roof?, according to Westminster City Council Total Place-style report analysing public expenditure in the borough.
Labour is planning to rebrand one of its local authorities as Britain’s first “John Lewis council”, offering council tax rebates to residents in exchange for helping to run services, in a direct challenge to the Conservatives’ pioneering “easyCouncil”.
A “dimmer switch” that will control an entire city’s steetlamps is being introduced in an attempt to allow lighting to respond to the needs of the public at the cost of 250 million.
We now have Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts. Please do add/join accordingly as an another way of keeping up to date with our latest news, projects and videos.