Wednesday 10th March 2010

Dog owners would be forced to take out insurance to cover compensation payments if their pet was responsible for a violent attack, under government proposals.

A consultation has been launched today following a number of savage attacks

Wednesday 10th March 2010

A lowly-paid council worker is living rough in a park in Exeter because he insists he can't afford to pay for a flat.

Tuesday 9th March 2010

The future of the economy is in jeopardy unless public spending cuts begin within months, according to a warning from the Institute of Directors.

Tuesday 9th March 2010

Hundreds more town hall staff and private security guards will receive police-style powers in a Home Office drive to expand the Community Safety Accreditation scheme.

Almost 1,700 people, including car park attendants and dog wardens, already have the power to hand out fines and take photographs of low-level offences.

Monday 8th January 2010

More than two and a half million homes now have wheelie bins fitted with microchips to weigh their contents, an increase of nearly two thirds in just a year, according to campaign group 'Big Brother Watch'.

The numbers come after Bristol City Council announced a scheme to reward homes which leave out less rubbish.

Monday 8th March 2010

More than 1,000 lifestyle coaches are being recruited to give 'couch potato' primary school children lessons in yoga and cheerleading.

Up to 20,000 youngsters judged to be too inactive will be given additional activities at lunchtime or after school in a Government scheme designed to tackle obesity.

Local authorities and primary care trusts are ploughing in additional cash.

Friday 5th March 2010

Employment levels will continue to fall in the coming weeks because of sharp reductions in the public sector, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Friday 5th March 2010

MPs will get a pay hike this year, it emerged last night.

Union chiefs are furious that while national politicians will see their pay rise, council staff have been offered a freeze in their pay by the Local Government Association.

Thursday 4th March 2010

A report by charity Action for Children says the school day should be lengthened to help 'latchkey kids' who are left alone after school while parents work.

The Government's attempt to solve the problem with after-school clubs has failed because older children simply refuse to attend the voluntary activities.

Thursday 4th March 2010

More than half of 18 to 24-year-olds are not registered to vote, according to the Electoral Commission, which suggests that more than 3.5 million adults are in effect barred from voting because they are not on the official register.

Wednesday 3rd March 2010

Gordon Brown has ordered the revival of a 101 national non-emergency phone number to report crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Home Office says it will be in place by March 2012. A phone line was originally pledged in Labour's 2005 manifesto but was discontinued when John Reid was Home Secretary.

Wednesday 3rd March 2010

Kingston Council must pay itself a £60 parking fine after losing a tribunal over a parking ticket.

Tuesday 2nd March 2010

Councils could face the worst round of job losses 'for a generation' with at least 25,000 under threat, according to a BBC survey.

The prediction is based on answers from 49 councils with a combined workforce of about 256,000.

The research also found seven in 10 councils predict they will have to cut spending by up to 20 per cent during the next three to five years.

The Guardian reports that jobs losses could total 170,000.

Dame Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA is quoted: "Local government is feeling the effects of recession in exactly the same way as hard-pressed homeowners and families."

Tuesday 2nd March 2010

Half of all drivers have had an accident or a near miss while swerving to avoid a pothole, a survey revealed yesterday.

The poll, by a breakdown service, also found nearly 70 per cent have never reported a pothole to local authorities.

Monday 1st March 2010

A senior judge yesterday condemned social services as the mother of tragic Khyra Ishaq was convicted of starving the child to death.

Tony Howells, Birmingham City council's strategic director for children, young people and families, is quoted: "We are sorry that we could not save her. It is difficult to comprehend in this day and age a child can starve to death without anybody appearing to notice."

Monday 1st March 2010

Councils are failing to refer incompetent teachers to General Teaching Council disciplinary hearings.

More than half of local authorities in England had not referred a single case to the profession's regulatory body.

Friday 26th Februaru 2010

The next government should legislate to make local authority pensions affordable, the chairman of the biggest council pension fund said, as the National Association of Pension Funds called for an independent commission to recommend broader reform of public sector pensions.

Friday 26th February 2010

A group of community spirited neighbours who filled 43 bin bags cleaning up rubbish in their village are said to have received a reprimand from their local council.

An email from Thurrock council to villagers in Stifford, Essex, said the three-man dustbin crew sent to collect the rubbish was unable to carry on with their usual round because their vehicle was full.

A spokesman for the council said: "Members of the North Stifford Village Community Group did an excellent job at their clear up, giving up their free time to help improve the local encironment. We apologise for the email which was sent in error to the group."

Thursday 25th February 2010

Up to 2,000 jobs could be lost at Britain’s biggest local authority after it approved plans to save £69 million.
Birmingham City Council said it was striving to 'do more for less' in a tough economic climate.

Thursday 25th February 2010

Council tax bills in England will rise by an average of 1.6 per cent to £1,194 per household in 2010-11, according to an analysis by the LGA.

If confirmed, it would mean the lowest increase since the tax began in 1993 and an effective reduction once inflation is taken into account.

The figure was calculated from the draft budgets of more than 100 councils, police and fire authorities.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice-Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "No one likes paying council tax. That is why councils have been doing all they can to keep rises to a minimum."

Wednesday 24th February 2010

A disciplinary hearing into allegations that a doctor failed to spot Baby Peter was being abused, days before the baby's death, was postponed yesterday after being told she was too mentally unwell to defend herself and had left the UK.

Sabah as-Zayyat, a consultant paediatrician, was due to face misconduct allegations at the General Medical Council but the hearing was adjourned until Wednesday so her psychiatric report could be considered.

Wednesday 24th February 2010

Sprawling supermarkets and retail parks will only be built if they do not pose a threat to local high streets under an overhaul of planning laws proposed by the Tories.

Their green paper released yesterday would toughen councils' ability to oppose unwanted development.

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Huge savings of more than £20 billion can be made in the cost of local services by looking at the spending on all the local public services in an area and not just council spending, the communities secretary John Denham claims.

His claim comes after he digested 13 reports from Total Place pilots.

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

A million people looking after elderly or vulnerable members of their families would get government grants to give them a week's break from their responsibilities each year under a Liberal Democrat guarantee to be unveiled today.

Monday 22nd February 2010

The number of town hall jobs to be axed as councils desperately attempt to cut running costs in the recession has risen to 20,000, a survey by the Independent has found.

Nottinghamshire County Council yesterday warned it planned to shed up to 1,500 jobs.

Dame Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, was quoted: "Councils are being hit by a perfect storm caused by the recession. Sources of income have dropped at a time when more and more people are turning to councils to help them through tough times."

Monday 22nd February 2010

The cost of coping with asylum seekers has forced an 'immigration frontline' area to drive up council tax, it is reported.

Residents in Kent will see their council bills increase by 2.1 per cent after the county council failed to get the Government to hand over more than £7million it says it is owed to meet asylum seekers needs.

The Government claims it has increased grants by 3.2 per cent but Kent County Council says that amounts to less than £8.5million, well short of what it says is needed.

Friday 19th February 2010

Council chiefs have refused to disclose the salaries of thousands of senior staff, claiming it would lead to public outcry.

Some local authorities claimed disclosing details of people earning more than £50,000 a year might lead to their children being bullied at school.

Caroline Spelman, the Tory spokesman on local government, said: "Residents have a right to know how their council tax is being spent."

Friday 19th February 2010

Councils are failing to prepare for the predicted explosion in the number of elderly people, the Audit Commission has claimed.

Michael O'Higgins, the chairman of the commission, said: "There are huge financial pressures on councils in the years ahead, but designing services and exploiting technology can make them better, more efficient and more personal."

Thursday 18th February 2010

The number of dangerous dogs being seized by the police has soared as young people increasingly use them as 'weapons', rather than carrying knives.

The Guardian reports that local authorities' response has been mixed with the London borough of Harrow proposing the vetting and chipping of all dogs owned by people waiting for social housing and Wandsworth council piloting a programme that will see residents threatened with eviction if they fail to keep their dogs responsibly.

In Liverpool councillors voted for an amnesty on illegal dogs, free microchipping and tougher rules on leads and muzzling.

Thursday 18th February 2010

Support service companies are jockeying for position to provide more public services, often to vulnerable members of society such as children, the sick and the elderly.

Wednesday 17th February 2010

The cross-party Local Government Association has expressed concerns that the Personal Care at Home Bill will leave its' members out of pocket.

An LGA report says the Government has under-estimated the number of people who will qualify for free care.
The report says: "This is a new burden. It should be met fully from central government funds or by lifting burdens on councils."

Wednesday 17th February 2010

A black councillor who called an Asian colleague a 'coconut' during a meeting appeared in court yesterday charged with racially aggravated harassment.

Shirley Brown, a 48-year-old Liberal Democrat, used the term to describe Jay Jethwa, a Conservative, at a Bristol city council budget debate last year.

Tuesday 16th February 2010

A council has spent £37,000 resurfacing its staff car park, despite its roads remaining riddled with potholes.

Angry residents said the priority should be repairing the many streets left dangerous by the cold snap.

A Bedford council spokeswoman said: "The work was planned months ago."

Tuesday 16th February 2010

The NSPCC, Britain's biggest children's charity, is to shut dozens of its local centres providing services to vulnerable children across the country.

The move, which puts hundreds of frontline jobs at risk, is part of a radical three-year 'restructuring plan' that will see the NSPCC focus on the problems faced in inner cities and pull back form its national role.

Friday 12th February 2010

Hindus and Sikhs won a landmark court victory yesterday that will allow mourners to cremate their dead on funeral pyres which are open to the air.

The Court of Appeal overturned a decision by Newcastle City Council and said such buildings could be accommodated within current rules.

A council spokesman said the judgement had not considered "difficulties which may be thrown up by planning and public health legislation."

Friday 12th February 2010

The Prime Minister refused to rule out a compulsory death tax to help pay for caring for the elderly as he clashed with David Cameron at PMQs yesterday.  

The exchange came at the same time as the Care Quality Commission published its annual report into adult social care which reported that financial pressures had encouraged councils to shift their focus towards those with the highest needs. 

Cllr David Rogers, chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board was quoted: "Councils would like to be in a position to offer help to every resident.

However, the recent economic downturn means councils are faced with ever-harder decisions on the use of public funds."

Thursday 11th February 2010

More than 70 leaders of social care throughout England are warning that the Government's plans to provide free home care are flawed, unfunded and will force cuts to current services.

The councillors, representing all three major parties and every geographical region, have signed a letter in the Times.

Thursday 11th February 2010

The Taxpayers' Alliance has criticised a plan to buy Apple iPads for councillors in Cambridgeshire to help them save paper.

David Roberts, head of policy and projects, said: "It is definitely a possibility. Some of the council agendas can be 1,300 pages long - that is a waste of trees, cost and carbon."

Wednesday 10th February 2010

Radical proposals for a £20,000 compulsory inheritance levy to help pay for Gordon Brown's social care plans may be endorsed by the Government before the general election.

The health secretary Andy Burnham believes he may get Downing Street backing for the plan - but other cabinet ministers are still agonising.

Wednesday 10th February 2010

Public libraries could be closed to save money under plans being considered by ministers.

The Government is reviewing a 50-year-old law which obliges local councils to provide library services, in light of the spread of the internet and other social changes.

Tuesday 9th February 2010

Schoolchildren in just one town have been found to speak as many as 150 languages in their homes.

The Government described the situation, uncovered in a survey by Reading Borough Council, as 'extraordinary' and admitted it would place extra pressure on schools.

The council has already offered cheap English lessons to pupils and their parents to tackle the rising number of children who cannot communicate in class.

Tuesday 9th February 2010

A disjointed approach to transport projects such as roads, ports and railways threatens to hold back economic recovery outside London and south-east England, an LGA backed report by the Town and Country Planning Association warns.

It fears government departments will develop strategies in an uncoordinated way.

Monday 8th February 2010

Plans to expand the Yorkshire Dales to include parts of Lancashire have sparked a planning War of the Roses.

John Blackie, a county councillor who sits on the national park authority, has written to parish councils expressing his concerns, and said: "There must be some geographic anchor if we are to keep the Yorkshire Dales special."

Monday 8th February 2010

The Met Office has admitted that it was 'completely wrong' to tell people to expect a barbecue summer and warm winter.

Julia Slingo, the chief scientist, said the national weather service had let down the public.

Friday 5th February 2010

One of the coldest winters in recent memory has resulted in a 50 per cent deterioration in the state of the nation's roads.

The Local Government Association has written to the Department for Transport seeking £100 million of emergency fundson behalf of councils  to carry out the most urgent repairs.

Friday 5th February 2010

An analysis of public sector pay by the Institute of Fiscal Studies emphasises the case for a future government to scrap national pay bargaining for public services.

The IFS green budget shows public sector wages are marginally lower than private sector ones in London and the South East but are appreciably higher in the rest of the country.

Thursday 4th February 2010

The voting age should be lowered to 16 as part of a package of reforms to the electoral system, Gordon Brown said yesterday.

The Prime Minister will also ask MPs to approve plans to replace first-past-the-post with the alternative vote system for parliamentary elections.

Thursday 4th February 2010

Westminster Council has been accused of spending thousands of pounds on its£20million of savage cuts.

The council said the dinner would thank people who worked hard on behalf of Westminster residents.

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Children should care for their elderly parents and grandparents as payback for the 'free' child care they were once given, senior family lawyer Baroness Deech will say today.

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

A third of nurseries, pre-schools and child minders are not good enough, according to Ofsted, which said 33 per cent of early years child care was no better than satisfactory at implementing Labour's "nappy curriculum" for under 5s.

Tuesday 2nd February 2010

Just 24 homebuyers have taken advantage of a high-profile scheme devised by Gordon Brown to encourage the construction of environmentally-friendly houses across the country.

In his final Budget as Chancellor, Mr Brown announced that stamp duty would be scrapped on all new properties worth up to £500,000 which are given a zero carbon rating.

The average saving per purchase was estimated to be £10,000.

Tuesday 2nd February 2010

The number of batteries thrown away by British households over the Christmas period was 214 million - with 97 per cent ending up in landfill sites.

However, from Monday 1st February, shops will be required to provide battery recycling facilities.

Friday 29th January 2010

The Conservative Treasury team are holding talks on handing responsibility to local councils for setting and distributing benefits such as the jobseeker's allowance.

A move to setting benefit rates to match the needs of local labour markets has been pushed by radical Tory councils but it is the first time that the frontbench has embraced the concept.

Speaking at a conference yesterday, the shadow chief secretary, Philip Hammond, disclosed that he was holding talks on the issue with Conservative councils, including Kent.

At the same conference, John Denham put his faith in Total Place, a scheme that aims to drive out duplication and increase partnership working.

Friday 29th January 2010

Three fire service managers are facing arrest over the deaths of four firefighters in a warehouse blaze.

The trio could face gross negligence charges, the Fire Brigades Union said. Darren Yates-Badley, 24, Ian Reid, 44, John Averis, 27, and Ashley Stephens, 20, were killed in Atherstone on Stour, Warwicks, in November 2007.

Thursday 28th January 2010

The AA has urged the Prime Minister to divert a £1million-a-day fuel tax to repair the nation's roads.

The LGA said extra money to fix potholes is needed 'urgently'.

A spokesman is quoted: "An £8billion shortfall in highway maintenance funding has built up. The potholes are the gaping sores in our road network.

"Councils know how important it is to fix them to keep people safe and prevent damage to cars. Following the dire winter, extra money is urgently needed."

Thursday 28th January 2010

Tunbridge Wells Council has been branded insensitive after discussing plans to impose a £40 fat tax on bodies which are too large for its crematoriums. 

The council argues that larger bodies have to been transported to larger furnaces outside of the borough and the payment would cover the extra cost.

Wednesday 27th January 2010

Doncaster Council is to face an urgent corporate governance inspection by the Audit Commission in the wake of the controversy over the two brothers in council care who have been convicted of torturing two other young boys.

Wednesday 27th January 2010

Children under five are not eating enough carbohydrates, fat and protein.

A survey of 10 nurseries by Hampshire trading standards found that while they were keeping salt content low, none was providing enough fat or energy.

Tuesday, 26th Jan 2010

The Chancellor has warned public sector workers that they may need to accept wage cuts, as many have done in the private sector.

A 1% cap on pay rises has already been proposed for public sector workers but Alistair Darling has ordered a wider review of pay -including of council staff.

Tuesday, 26th January 10

All parents will get the right to check on suspected paedophiles under plans to widen Sarah's Law, currently being trialled in parts of Cleveland, Warwick, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire.

Friday 22nd January 2010

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, over the year to November 2009, private sector workers experienced, on average, a 0.1% fall in their wages while their public sector counterparts enjoyed an average 3.8% rise.

The article proceeds to report on the proposed 0% pay increase, announced yesterday, for 1.6 million local government employees.

Includes quotes from Jan Parkinson (Managing Director, Local Government Employers) and Brian Strutton (National Secretary, GMB) - plus figures from the Local Government Association.

Friday 22nd January 2010

Adoption placements are being 'unduly delayed' because of agencies' obsession with finding a perfect ethnic match between parents and child, Barnardos Chief Executive Martin Narey warned in a speech yesterday.

The 2002 Adoption and Children Act places a duty on councils to give 'significant consideration' to culture and identity when looking for suitable parents.

Thursday 21st January 2010

Smaller councils and the NHS can make big efficiency savings that will help protect frontline services in the forthcoming public sector spending squeeze, according to a 'how to' guide from the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy.

Thursday 21st January 2010

The salaries of senior executives in the public sector are being cut for the first time after John Denham MP, the Communities Secretary, said that any public salary over £150,000 would need government approval.

Kent County Council has cut the pay of its chief executive post from £207,000 to £185,000 while the Audit Commission is considering reducing the pay of its top official by about 15 per cent.

Wednesday 20th January 2010

Officials at Doncaster Council missed 31 chances to intervene in the family of two sadistic young brothers who tortured two other boys, a damning Serious Case Review has found.

Wednesday 20th January 2010

A report by the House of Commons Select Committee on the Environment has called for a 'litter levy' to be placed on sweets, drinks and other snacks to help pay for clean up costs.

The report also calls for compulsory food recycling bins - dubbed 'slop buckets' - in every home.

Tuesday 19th January 2010

Shoppers will be given greater incentives to bring their own reusable bags and supermarkets may be encouraged to charge for singe-use bags under plans published by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.

Tuesday 19th January 2010

A database containing the personal details of every child in England has suffered at least four security breaches even before its national launch, according to a Freedom of Information investigation carried out by the Daily Telegraph.

There have also been more than 51,000 requests that information be shielded because of security fears.

Monday 18th January 2010

A year long investigation into the cost of litigation has called for an end to no-win, no-fee bonus deals in an attempt to curb the spiraling costs of law suits.

Lord Justice Jackson's 557 page report says that success fees charged by lawyers in no-win, no-fee cases should be capped at 25%.

Monday 18th January 2010

Hull and Portsmouth should build new houses on decommissioned oil rigs to stave off the problems of flooding and rising sea levels, a new report has said today.

Friday 15th January 2010

Ministers are under mounting pressure to combat voting fraud at this year's general election after evidence of continuing abuse emerged.

The demand from the Electoral Commission coincides with its latest report, which shows that 48 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated by the police after the European and council elections last year.

Friday 15th January 2010

Government plans being drawn up will mean consumers will have to pay a minimum price for alcohol.

The price-fixing scheme is an attempt to stop the sale of discounted beer, wine and spirits, which are blamed on encouraging people to binge drink.

Thursday 14th January 2010

Potholes created by the freezing weather will cost tens of millions of pounds to repair, the LGA warned yesterday, saying weeks of ice and snow are leaving 'gaping sores in the road network'.

Northamptonshire County Council said it would need an extra £5million to patch up its roads.

David Sparks, Chair of the LGA's Transport and Regeneration Board, is quoted as saying councils are working flat out to patch up the roads: "The wet combined with the freezing conditions destroys tarmac very quickly.

"As the ice seeps into the road it expands and rips chunks of the surface out leaving potholes blighting the highways."

Thursday 14th January 2010

Tesco is taking on specialist school uniform suppliers by launching an embroidery service offering 40% savings.

The LGA says almost a fifth of parents have no alternative but to buy uniforms from the school's official supplier.

Chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted: "Parents should be aware they have the power to influence schools over their uniform."

Wednesday 13th January 2010

A group of 120 residents mucked in to clear a road of snow in Portsmouth, defying warnings that they could be sued.

Portsmouth City Council praised the residents' community spirit but said main roads were the top priority for clearing.

Wednesday 13th January 2010

A farmer was ordered to take down a billboard poster erected by his family for his birthday because it was 'detrimental' to the area, Sedgemoor District Council decided.

The poster showed the man with his bill and the caption 'a little man with big bulls'.

Tuesday 12th January 2010

Employees would no longer be forced to retire at 65 under new Government proposals to be announced by Harriet Harman.

Ms Harman is to argue that a change in the law is needed to alter the perception that people are 'past it' once they reach 65.

Tuesday 12th January 2010

A Birmingham city council electrician was paid £124,000 in a year after taking advantage of the council's overtime and bonus scheme.

Monday 11th January 2010

An initiative from the Greater London Authority - 'London Database' - will make more public service data available in an attempt to increase public accountability, improve fiscal discipline and stimulate new technology-related jobs.

Monday 11th January 2010

A binman has been disciplined by town hall chiefs for clearing up too much rubbish.

Albert Stewart took away waste left beside overflowing bins but was told this encouraged people to leave side waste, which could attract vermin.

West Lancashire Borough Council said it would be inappropriate to comment on individual employee matters.

Friday 8th January 2010

Binmen in Coventry are refusing to empty wheelie bins if lids are slightly open after safety chiefs at the city council warned against slips on spillages.

The council has told families to take their extra Christmas rubbish to the tip.

Friday 8th January 2010

Three quarters of people believe that levels of anti-social behaviour have got worse or not improved since a multi-million-pound government effort to tackle it.

The official survey of priority areas under the Youth Crime Action Plan showed only 19 per cent of people thought anti-social behaviour had improved.

Thursday 7th January 2010

The Guardian recognises the sterling efforts of Gloucestershire County Council's Jason Humm, who is working 14 hours a day or more to ensure the council has enough salt to grit its 1,000 miles of primary routes, and directing its fleet of drivers.

Thursday 7th January 2010

Much of Britain ground to a standstill yesterday in Arctic conditions. The government activated a programme known as salt cell that allows it to co-ordinate the distribution of stocks of road salt. The LGA said 1.7million miles of road have been gritted by council gritting teams, the equivalent of travelling round the world 68 times. Hospitals cancelled operations and about 10,000 schools were closed.

Wednesday 6th January 2010

The recession has seen a big increase in bullying at work.

According to a survey by Unison, more than one-third of workers said they were bullied in the past six months - double the number a decade ago.

Wednesday 6th January 2010

Independent councillor Ian Stafford has admitted three charges of burglary and theft at Preston Crown Court.

He was was twice elected mayor of the villages of Preesall, and Knott End, near Fleetwood in Lancashire.

Tuesday 5th January 2010

A survey released today by the Prince’s Trust predicts a 'lost generation' of young people will find it increasingly hard to secure jobs and attain happiness in the future.

The young unemployed are already significantly less happy and confident than those in work, it claims.

Tuesday 5th January 2010

Councils raised £1.9 billion in parking fees and fines last year, with some of them doubling the amount of money they took from drivers, according to official statistics from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The LGA is quoted: "Parking restrictions are in place to keep people safe on our streets, stop traffic jams and keep roads clear for the emergency services. Councils will not apologise for giving out parking tickets to stop cars parking illegally."

Monday 4th January 2010

Chairman of the LGA, Margaret Eaton, has been made a Dame (DBE) in the New Year's Honours list.

Women make up almost half of those recognised; there is an absence of MPs and bankers after the expenses scandal and credit crisis.

Monday 4th January 2010

The Lonely Planet guide has named Wolverhampton the fifth worst city in the world in which to live, along with the likes of Accra in Ghana and Seoul in South Korea.

Furious locals hit back last night.

Malcolm Gwinnet, the city's deputy mayor, said; "Wolverhampton is a lovely place in many parts.  They are clearly living on their own Lonely Planet if they've decided to write about Wolverhampton without even visiting here."

Wednesday 23rd December 2009

The number of unemployed people spending a second Christmas out of work has more than doubled to 200,000, the highest in nearly a decade, a report by the Trades Union Congress reveals.

Wednesday 23 December 2009

New figures showing the extent to which councils have been battling against the winter weather over the last five days have been published by the Local Government Association.

An analysis of council gritting activity over the last five days, since the cold snap started, estimates that:

- The equivalent of 1.1million miles of road have been gritted by council gritting teams
- 160,000 tonnes of salt have been spread on the road
- 8.1m pounds has been spent treating the roads
- 4,000 council staff have been involved in gritting operations around the clock

Tuesday 22nd December 2009

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are to go head-to-head in an historic series of television debates in next years election campaign under a deal agreed last night.

Tuesday 22nd December 2009

Millions of families are facing some of the worst driving conditions in years for the Christmas getaway. Heavy snow yesterday afternoon made some roads impassable, other routes turned into ice rinks. Many people were stranded in their cars. Edmund King, the president of the AA, accused local authorities of failing to act quickly enough to grit ice roads.

Monday 21st December 2009

Every community in England is to be given a 'quality of life' report which would allow the public to rate the best places to live based on everything from the level of employment to the number of parking tickets that are handed out. The reports, to be published next year by the Department for Communities and Local Government, will draw together national, regional and local data for the first time and will be updated annually.

Monday 21st December 2009

One of the countrys biggest independent adoption agencies has gone out of business. It is reported the Manchester Adoption Service has been a victim of the public spending squeeze that has forced local authorities to cut back on the use of outside services.

Friday 18th December 2009

Public sector workers have been awarded pay rises nearly three times higher than those of private sector employees.

Friday 18th December 2009

Britain is bracing itself for snow chaos over the next 48 hours,with falls of up to eight inches expected in some areas.

The Local Government Association said councils were prepared.

Thursday 17th December 2009

Caroline Spelman, the shadow secretary for communities and local government, will today switch on the public wireless internet network which will make Swindon the UK's first wi-fi town.

The 1 million project is a partnership between Swindon Borough Council and two private companies.

Thursday 17th December 2009

An army of town hall "spies" and civilians with the power to demand personal details has formed on the back of a Home Office community safety scheme.

The police federation criticised the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme, which has handed police-style powers to people including  council staff, car park attendants, security guards  and dog wardens.

Wednesday 16th December 2009

Council leaders have threatened to launch legal proceedings against a failed Icelandic bank which they fear will not repay £150m in deposits made by local authorities before the credit crunch.

British councils had £900m deposits in Iceland when a trio of its banks collapsed.

So far £100m has been returned, although further repayments are expected in the spring.

LGA Chairman, Cllr Margaret Eaton, is quoted: "The assessment is totally at odds with the stance taken by other Icelandic banks and inconsistent with information published by the bank previously. The LGA will not hesitate to take the legal action necessary."

Wednesday 16th December 2009

A regulator is to be appointed to oversee Britain's four million CCTV cameras.

Ministers will also unveil today new standards for the use of CCTV images, as well as guidance to ensure that police use the system more effectively.

Tuesday 15th December 2009

The Government's ability to make savings in public services were cast into doubt last night after an investigation by the Independent on Sunday.

Five years after the efficiency review by Sir Peter Gershon, the workforce and spending on Whitehall departments has increased.

Tuesday 15th December 2009

Roads will not be able to cope with a long spell of freezing weather because salt stocks will only last six days, the AA claimed.

It says town halls have a quarter of a million tons less road salt in stock that a decade ago.

Cllr David Sparks, Chairman of the LGA's transport and regeneration board, is quoted: "If the AA thinks the only way councils can ensure they have enough salt is by stockpiling it, it is showing startling ignorance."

Cllr Sparks also appeared on Radio 4's Today programme.

Monday 14th December 2009

The senior social worker who first warned the Government about serious failings in the investigation of childcare cases - six months before the death of Baby Peter - is suing Haringey Council for victimisation.

Nevres Kemal has brought a new claim against Haringey after its refusal to interview her for a job as a social worker when she responded to a national recruitment campaign.

Monday 14th December 2009

Strikes over cuts to civil service payouts were looming last night as the row over Alistair Darling's squeeze on public spending intensified.

It emerged that a significant proportion of the extra spending announced by the Chancellor for the NHS, schools and police will be clawed back by the Treasury through higher national insurance contributions.

Friday 11th December 2009

The middle classes and the better-off will be hit with £7 billion in new taxes, Alistair Darling disclosed yesterday in his pre-budget report.

The Chancellor announced increases in National Insurance contributions for workers and said public sector pay rises are to be capped at one per cent from 2011.

The free bus pass scheme, which has been dogged by complaints of under-funding from councils, will have the age limit increased, while millions of council house tenants are to have their rents pegged next year.

Friday 11th December 2009

Every school must record all sexist, racist and homophobic bullying, the Government has announced.

All schools will be legally bound to keep details of every bullying case from next September, helping councils and education experts build up a better picture of the scale of the problem.

Thursday 10th December 2009

A ground-breaking website that exposes the quality of public services - from children's welfare to council recycling, and crime fighting to teaching goes live today amid a row over its cost and accuracy.

Oneplace, an ambitious collaboration involving six independent inspectorates, is intended to provide a consumer guide to performance of local authorities, police forces, schools, NHS primary care trusts, prisons and probation services.

Thursday 10th December 2009

Council bosses have banned Christmas lights in Portland, Dorset, because they might fall on someone.

Wednesday 9th December 2009

Disney World has its first ever twin town - Swindon.

The pride of Wiltshire beat rivals including Blackpool and Wigan to the title.

A placard proclaiming the link-up will be displayed on the Florida resort's Main Street and the town will also be given a placard to erect.

Mayor Cllr David Wren said: "We're delighted the judges decided Swindon's magic complemented that of Disney."

Wednesday 9th December 2009

Gordon Brown yesterday announced plans to name and shame people earning excessive public sector salaries.

He plans to hand the Treasury new powers to vet any public sector contract paying more than £150,000.

Tuesday 8th December 2009

Smokers were urged yesterday to stop treating the outdoors like a 'giant ashtray'.

Three out of four streets are blighted by cigarette butts, matches, empty packets and wrappers, making them our biggest litter problem, a survey by Keep Britain Tidy has found.

Tuesday 8th December 2009

Gordon Brown has promised to slash the cost of senior civil servants and cull the number of quangos to save £10 billion.

Around £3 billion will come directly from cutting the costs of Whitehall.

Meanwhile the Mail also reports local government chiefs paid more than £150,000 will have to justify their salary to the government.

Monday 7th December 2009

Councils will be forced to respond to petitions from local residents by setting out what they will do to tackle problems, under new government guidelines.

Petitions relating to schools, hospitals, alcohol-linked crime and disorder, and anti-social behaviour would be given a higher priority under plans unveiled by John Denham, the Communities Secretary.

Monday 7th December 2009

More than 320 workers in the public sector earned more than the Prime Minister last year, according to research published today.

At least eight people who worked for taxpayer-funded organisations were paid more than £1 million during the 2008-09 financial year, according to the analysis by the Taxpayers' Alliance.

Friday 4th December 2009

Public sector pensions are more generous than those offered by private firms, a financial think-tank confirmed yesterday.

A state employee earning £30,000 a year can expect £2,000 more in their pension pot than a worker in the private sector on the same salary, according to the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Friday 4th December 2009

Council chiefs have proposed sprucing up their town with a memorial to a beloved white squirrel.

They have been given £30,000 for improvements and want some of the cash to go on a statue of Albi the albino squirrel.

Mole Valley district council says the statue is just one idea for the cash and has asked residents for their views.

Thursday 3rd December 2009

A report by Children's Secretary Ed Balls has proposed that social workers could receive a £15,000 pay rise to match salaries of the best teachers and nurses.

However, ministers have been warned that the plans which are hoped will transform the status of demoralised staff in wake of the Baby P tragedy, will fail without extra funding.

Thursday 3rd December 2009

Post offices are to be turned into 'mini banks' offering new kinds of accounts, under plans announced yesterday by Lord Mandelson.

Children will be able to open savings accounts at their local branch and post offices will offer new types of current and business bank accounts.

The Business Secretary said he wanted the post office network to capitalise on its scale - there are more post offices than all other high street bank branches put together.

Wednesday 2nd December 2009

White working-class communities feel a justifiable sense of grievance and deserve additional help reserved for minority groups, the Communities Secretaty John Denham has claimed.

A spokesman for the LGA is quoted: "Councils are not blind to the needs of the white working class, but are aware that more can be done to ensure that no section of society feels left behind or disconnected."

Wednesday 2nd December 2009

A village in Somerset faced with losing its beloved red phone box and mobile library came up with a clever plan to tackle both difficulties - why not buy the phone box and use it to set up a mini-library?

The Parish council in Westbury-sub-Mendip said it had "really taken off".

Tuesday 1st December 2009

One in five local government chief executives is likely to quit next year after Conservative pledges to curb public sector 'fat cat' pay.

John Ransford, the LGA chief executive, is quoted as saying that some had been put off by caps on pensions.

Tuesday 1st December 2009

The government is to offer cash rewards of up to £500 to people who report neighbours they suspect are unlawfully subletting their council home.

Ministers have been told that between 50,000 and 200,000 social rented homes in England are occupied by unauthorised tenants, at a time when waiting lists are full and housing projects have stalled.

Monday 30th November 2009

A 380 metre stretch of Camden High Street is to become London's first 'naked' street. Railings, bollards, bins, street signs and even road markings are being removed by Camden Council as part of a scheme to make drivers think more carefully as they use the road.

A similar strategy has been adopted in Ashford, Kent.

Monday 30th November 2009

A green cone which has been installed by town centre bosses in Poole instead of a real Christmas tree is attracting criticism from shoppers and local businesses.

Richard Randall-Jones, town centre manager, said: "We have strict health-and-safety guidelines around making the Christmas tree safe.

The public didn’t like all the ropes and hoardings so we came up with the cone tree. It looks really pretty at night. I challenge anyone to find a better tree in the area."

Thursday 26th November 2009

At least one child a day is dying or suffering serious injury due abuse or neglect, Ofsted warned yesterday.

Thursday 26th November 2009

Council chiefs have banned a couple from displaying balloons outside their shop for health and safety reasons.

They say one could break loose, enticing a child to chase it into traffic, or they could distract drivers and cause an accident.

A spokeman for Solihull council said: "We have responsibility for ensuring people can use our footpaths safely, something we cannot and do not take lightly."

Wednesday 25th November 2009

Householders will be rewarded with cash incentives for using recycling bins under Conservative plans to tackle global warming. The scheme has been piloted by Windsor and Maidenhead Council.

Wednesday 25th November 2009

Local government leaders have accused Ofsted of 'feeding people's fears' over child safety, rather than improving child protection in England.

The LGA has accused the watchdog of being more interested in protecting its own reputation rather than providing a 'calm, measured voice'.

Cllr Shireen Ritchie, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People board, is quoted: "Ofsted, like any inspection body, needs to have the trust and respect of the people it works with.

"A good watchdog has to be seen to be independent, and to offer conclusions based on facts and research rather than being influenced by external events. The time when an inspector could sit on the sidelines and offer tick-box judgements is long past."

Tuesday 24th November 2009

The long-running strike by refuse workers in Leeds has ended after the council and unions reached an agreement over the pay dispute.

The majority of those on strike have agreed to a pay freeze in exchange for productivity and efficiency savings.

The dispute was entering its 12th week when the majority of the 600 striking workers agreed to end the industrial action on the advice of unions.

Richard Brent, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We have been able to work up slightly amended proposals which completely eradicate pay losses for many workers."

He added that the council would now be able to focus on modernising the service.

Neil Derrick, regional officer of the GMB union, said staff would return to work on Wednesday.

Tuesday 24th November 2009

A new future for Nomad, the project helping councils to harness the benefits of mobile and flexible working, has been secured.
 
The move follows recent reports that Nomad would be closing down from 6 November after Cambridgeshire County Council, its sponsor organisation for that last five years, said it could no longer afford to fund the project.

Monday 23rd November 2009

Needless bureaucracy is costing councils in England £4.5bn a year - money that could be spent on vital local services, according to a report by the LGA.

Households pay more in tax so local authorities can produce paperwork to prove they are hitting centrally imposed targets, the research suggests.

Chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted: "Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money is being spent on needless bureaucracy. We need a bonfire of red tape so that taxpayers' money can be freed up to protect frontline services."

Deputy Chair, Cllr Richard Kemp, appeared on 5live's breakfast show on the same topic.

Monday 23rd November 2009

Residents should have the right to take over post offices, libraries, swimming pools or pubs threatened with closure, Conservatives have said.

The move follows the shutdown over the past decade of more than 5,000 post offices, 3,500 pubs and 200 public libraries.

Friday 20th November 2009

Councils and charities yesterday raised concerns over the effectiveness and cost of new plans to offer free care to the most needy. 

LGA social care spokesperson, Cllr David Rogers, is quoted: "There are many people currently self-funding their care who will inevitably wish to benefit from the proposal of free care.

"The LGA is concerned that the Government's estimates do not appear to have taken these people or those who have never applied before, into consideration."

Friday 20th November 2009

The country's most comprehensive sustainability audit has named Newcastle upon Tyne as the greenest city, above Bristol and Brighton and Hove.

The council's Liberal Democrat leader, John Shipley, picked out transport as one of the city's strengths: "The city has become the electric car capital in a government-backed experiment, which will see 1,000 charging points installed in Newcastle and Gateshead over the next two years."

Thursday 19th November 2009

A town has unveiled plans to become the first in Britain to provide free wi-fi for all its residents.

Swindon Council leader Rod Bluh is quoted: "Both residents and businesses can benefit."

Thursday 19th November 2009

Children will be guaranteed the legal right to a good education under new legislation that teachers fear will lead to a "whingers' charter".

A new education bill, to be announced in the Queen's Speech, will give parents the right to complain directly to the Local Government Ombudsman if schools and councils fail to meet these guarantees.

Tuesday 18th November 2009

A laptop containing personal data on more than 14,000 voters has gone missing from the offices of St Albans City and District Council.

Wednesday 18th November 2009

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, has expressed his preference for people to receive information about their local authority from independent sources rather than through council-run newsletters or local newspapers which are over-dependent on local authorities' press releases and media officers.

LGA Chairman, Cllr Margaret Eaton, is quoted: "If residents think their council only empties the bins and issues parking tickets, this leaves them oblivious to the other 798 services their taxes pay for. People deserve to know what their council tax is being spent on."

Tuesday 17th November 2009

Staff in the public sector have seen their pay increase by 3.1% in the last year according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics.

They now earn £74.20 more than their counterparts in the private sector.

Tuesday 17th November 2009

Gordon Brown will outline a programme of populist measures in the Queen's speech this week and challenge David Cameron to support them, as he fires the starting gun on a general election campaign that could run for six months.

The Prime Minister will use Wednesday's event to reveal plans to provide free home care for about 350,000 of the neediest people and to tear up 'risky' bankers' contracts.

Monday 16th November 2009

Autumn leaves swept from streets are being sent to landfill because they are classed as 'litter' costing taxpayers millions in environmental taxes.

The Local Government Association is quoted: "Councils aren't doing this because they enjoy throwing leaves into landfill. They would not be doing it if there was any other choice."

Monday 16th November 2009

Quangos give people little say in what they do and fail to provide value for money, according to research by the Local Government Association.

LGA chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted: "We need to make sure there is no unnecessary bureaucracy and that the vast array of different bodies providing public services do not waste money by duplicating the work others already carry out."

Friday 13th November 2009

A council has been accused of taking scrutiny to 'absurd lengths'  after setting up a scrutiny panel to oversee its scrutiny panels.

A spokesman for Wealdon District Council in East Sussex is quoted as saying it is part of a 'transformation programme which is looking at making savings of £2.7 million over the next three years.'

Friday 13th November 2009

Town halls are using powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act for non-policing purposes 200 times a week - including suspected 'crimes' such as wrongly importing a dog.

Thursday 12th November 2009

Many council chief executives are likely to quit their posts faced with a 'perfect storm' of budget cuts, attacks from politicians and the media and increased scrutiny of their pay, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives has warned.

Thursday 12th November 2009

London Councils, representing London's 33 councils, claims that 50,000 extra places will be required in London's primary schools over the seven years, with at least 2,045 required by next September. 

It argues that £880m would be required to provide the places but said that the sums given to boroughs by ministers were 'nowhere near sufficient'.

Wednesday 11th November 2009

653 public bodies, including police, local councils and the Financial Services Authority, are to be given access to information collected as a result of wide-scale surveillance of phone calls, text messages and internet use.

All telecoms companies and internet service providers will have to keep a record of every customer's personal communications, under plans from the government.

Wednesday 11th November 2009

The salary of a top council boss was criticised last night after it emerged Joanna Killian takes home £247,000 as Chief Executive of Essex County Council, £50,000 more than the Prime Minister.

It includes a sum for also being Chief Exec of Brentwood Borough Council.

An Essex County Council spokesman is quoted: "Joanna Killian, as chief executive of one of the largest authorities in Britain, has in the past two years delivered savings totalling £98.5million with an additional £30million this year.

"Over the next three years she will oversee the largest value-for money programme of any council in the history of local government, saving some £300million by 2012."

Tuesday 10th November 2009

Government inaction over the exemption of small, live music venues from overbearing licensing laws is putting the future of the live music scene in jeopardy, the head of the UK's music trade organisation warned yesterday.

Government promises two weeks ago to exempt venues with 100 person capacity have stalled with no sign of the proposed consultation, said Feargal Sharkey, the former lead singer of the Undertones and now chief executive of UK Music.

Tuesday 10th November 2009

Public services are being hit by unprecedented spending cuts as the Government attempts to save £100 billion over the next two years.

Job losses among council staff are likely to treble from 1,700 in the past three months to more than 7,000 in the next three months, according to polling by Unison.

Councils have started to cutback on 'non-essential' services such as the staffing of libraries and care homes.

Monday 9th November 2009

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has revealed that families will no longer be able to withdraw children from sex education lessons once they turn 15.

Monday 9th November 2009

The average council tax bill will hit £120 a month next year.

New figures reveal the average Band D tax in England will rise by £23 to £1,437 next April.

Friday 6th November 2009

English councils look set to unveil the lowest council tax increases for more than a decade, according to a survey by the Local Government Chronicle.

Of the 81 councils that replied, the average increase is set to be 1.6 per cent - barely half the 3 per cent for this year - with 34 planning a freeze or cut.

Friday 6th November 2009

An overhaul of the £1bn free bus scheme for people over 60 will leave some authorities out of pocket, London Councils has warned, after the government ruled out increasing the fares subsidy.

Subsidy-rich authorities will bail out 200 councils facing a serious cash shortage, including Harrogate, Exeter and Chesterfield.

Thursday 5th November 2009

Councils are to have their powers to 'snoop' on the public curbed under government plans aimed at addressing alarm at the expansion of the surveillance state.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson will say that only chief executives and officials at director level will be able to order investigations.

Les Lawrence, Chairman of the LGA's Safer Communities Board, is quoted: "It is only by giving the elected representatives of local people more power that we will re-build trust in the use of techniques that councils need to crack down on serious criminals."

Thursday 5th November 2009

A landmark ruling in which a judge has said that an employee's strong environmental views should be regarded a 'philosophical belief', under the terms of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations.

Legal experts claim the ruling could usher in future damages claims over the way firms handle environmental concerns.

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Library officials in Derbyshire removed collecting tins and boxes of poppies after library officials ruled they could not be seen to support one charity at the expense of others.

Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Andrew Lewer, has reversed the decision.

He is quoted: "We are wholehearted supporters of the Armed Forces and I am very happy for libraries to sell poppies on behalf of the British Legion."

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Labour got it wrong on immigration, Alan Johnson admitted yesterday.

In his first major speech on the subject, the Home Secretary said the Government had let too many people into the country for too long.

And he claimed it put pressure on homes, schools and hospitals.

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

London residents are to have their council tax frozen next April as Conservative town halls lead the race to offer the lowest rise in household bills in the country.

But many Tory councils have managed to limit tax rises only by imposing charges, privatising services or cutting jobs - a practice likely to spread if the Tories win the general election.

Hammersmith and Fulham, widely seen as a role model for a Cameron government, will set the bar today by announcing a 3 per cent cut in council tax for the fourth year running, according to The Times.

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

Britain is to get a new bank holiday - or ninth official day off - every October from 2012.

Monday 2nd November 2009

A wide-ranging review of who gets paid what at the top of the public sector - and why - was called for yesterday by Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, as he acknowledged that some salaries may be too high.

Monday 2nd November 2009

Britain could grind to a halt in winter blizzards because bus and train companies have failed to learn lessons from last winter's heavy snowfall, council leaders have said.

David Sparks, Chair of the LGA Transport and Regeneration Board, is quoted: "There need to be better plans in place for operating revised services so train and bus companies do not leave people stranded."

Friday 30th October 2009

Furious parents said they were being treated badly after Watford Council allegedly banned them from playing with their own children.

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill is quoted as saying that "in today's climate you cannot have adults walking round a playground without being checked by the Criminal Records Bureau."

Friday 30th October 2009

The number of disappointed parents who have appealed against their child's school allocation is set to top half a million today, according to new estimates.

Thursday 29th October 2009

Draconian police powers designed to deprive crime barons of luxury lifestyles are being extended to councils, quangos and agencies to use against the public.

The radical extension of the Proceeds of Crime Act will give town hall officials and orgnisations as diverse as Royal Mail the right to search homes, seize cash, freeze bank accounts and confiscate property.

Thursday 29th October 2009

As local authorities look to make savings, Brighton and Hove council is having great success with its scheme to recruit volunteer urban shepherds to tend flocks of sheep that will reduce grass cutting costs.

Wed 28th October 2009

Britain's 'most haunted village' - Pluckley in Kent - has cancelled any Halloween events because of past problems caused by an excessive numbers of visitors.

Wed 28th October 2009

A widower has been banned from laying more than one bunch of flowers on his wife's grave after the bouquets were described as 'obstructions' by officials at Gorstage cemetery in Weaverham, Cheshire.

Tuesday 27th October 2009

The Children’s Scretary has been accused of imposing a 'heavy-handed' paperwork regime on child protection workers that diverts them from vital work after his speech to the national childrens and adult services conference in Harrogate.

Tuesday 27th October 2009

Britain's coastal towns suffer from the highest level of bankruptcies as the decline in shipbuilding, fishing and seaside tourism continues to take its toll amid the recession, according to research.

Monday 26th October 2009

An ombudsman report found that a woman had to hose her disabled children down in the garden because Bury Council failed to provide appropriate housing.

The report says the council should apologies for 'institutional indifference' and pay £36,000 compensation.

Monday 26th October 2009

Swindon Council's social services director has admitted officers acted too late to save 16 year old Kate Walsh who died of a heroin overdose in 2004.

Jean Pollard told an inquest that more should have been done to grasp the situation.

Thursday 22nd October 2009

Billions of pounds can be saved by ending duplication in the delivery of public services, the communities secretary, John Denham, said in a speech indicating a key element in Labour's strategy to halve the public borrowing deficit by 2014.

Pilot studies designed to end duplication of public services show £600m can be saved from local government budgets, but this is only the tip of an iceberg of wider savings, according to the minister.

Mr Denham said, "Why shouldn't the citizen be able to elect councillors who can report back to them on every aspect of public services in their area?"

Thursday 22nd October 2009

As local councils brace themselves for deep budget cuts, a few have already started to combine forces, and downsize - at the top.

A new report by the local government improvement and efficiency agency, IDeA, gives examples of councils that have saved millions by putting joint management arrangements in place.

Thursday 22nd October 2009

An extra layer of critical checks and balances designed to keep vulnerable children safe was unveiled yesterday as part of a wider programme aimed at improving safeguarding.

In future, councillors will be helped to scrutinise safeguarding arrangements thanks to the development of a new framework aimed at holding councils to account.

Shireen Ritchie, who chairs the LGA children and young people's board, is quoted: "Everything that has happened shows that safeguarding must be given the highest priority.

"Our legal role has been enhanced, so we really need to work responsibly."

Wednesday 21st October 2009

Road signs should give metric measurements as well as imperial, the Department of Transport has suggested.

Signs for the width or height of bridges and the width of contra-flows should use metric measurements alongside the imperial figures, a consultation paper has proposed.

Wednesday 21st October 2009

Wandsworth council has received a planning application for the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.

The £5.5bn scheme includes more than 1.7m sq ft of new buildings.

Tuesday 20th October 2009

Public sector pay should be frozen and public services contracted out to private companires to fill a £50 billion hole in the Government's finances, the CBI has said.

Tuesday 20th October 2009

Councils will have to close swimming pools and libraries to fund free bus travel for over 60s, according to a report published yesterday by consultants working for the LGA.

The bill for free bus travel is expected to rise from £943million last year to £1.14billion in 2013-14 and council services could suffer because central government funding is failing to keep up.

Cllr David Sparks, Chairman of the LGA's Transport and Regeneration Board, is quoted: "Funding shortfalls have led to many unforeseen and unintended consequences since the scheme was introduced.

"Councils have been left facing difficult choices about how to fund other popular services, such as libraries, swimming pools and meals on wheels."

Monday 19th October 2009

We've been named as a Rising Star in the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50. 

This award recognises young companies with the fastest growth in turnover over the past three years. 

Learning Pool's Mary McKenna credits the innovation and application of new technology for the company's exponential growth over the past three years.

She said "We're thrilled to have won the Rising Star award, not least because this means we've helped our customers achieve big efficiency savings over the last few years.

"Our ability to innovate and create new products and services to solve old challenges for the public sector is at the heart of our success."

Monday 19th October 2009

Figures for the cost of the local government pension scheme, released by the Department of Communities and Local Government, show households are paying £281 a year each to fund the £5.4 billion annual cost, it is reported.

Monday 19th October 2009

The London mayor's transport organisation is to impose the biggest real-terms fare increases in its history in an effort to plug a £1.7 billion 'black hole' in its budget.

The fares increase should raise £300 million over the next three years, while changes to the congestion charge will raise a net £40 million.

Friday 16th October 2009

The Care Quality Commission said annual performance ratings for every NHS trust in England showed 20 were rated 'weak' on quality and a further 27 had never been rated better than 'fair' on either quality or financial management in the four years since the present assessment system began.

Friday 16th October 2009

Ofsted figures have revealed that two thirds of children seriously injured or killed at the hands of their parents were known to social services, with one in five on the 'at-risk' register.

Of the 219 serious case reviews last year, 113 children died from accidents, with 44 of them being babies less that one year old.

Christine Gilbert, chief inspector, said it was encouraging that more reviews were taking place and that councils are looking more rigorously at their processes and practices.

Thursday 15th October 2009

Online recruitment dipped by two percentage points in September with a sharp drop in public sector hiring, according to the latest index published by jobs website Monster.

Thursday 15th October 2009

Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, has said that every council would be expected to have 'full recycling services' by 2020. 

The new 'zero waste' strategy would mean that every piece of waste that could be burned, reused, left to rot or be recycled, would be sorted and collected.

The LGA has stressed that it will cost an extra £1.1bn over the next three years to put the new system into place.

A spokesman is quoted: "Councils are already trying to cut waste going to landfill as much as possible in order to reduce costs to the council tax payer. To perform even better, they will need the money from landfill tax to build up the infrastructure."

Wednesday 14th October 2009

Councils threatened yesterday to challenge Gordon Brown's 'car boot sale' of state assets.

The Prime Minister plans to raise £16bn with the privatisations, a figure that relies on the sale of local authorities' assets.

The Local Government Association said they had not been consulted about the sales.

Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said councils could resort to legal action to resist selling property at poor prices.

She said: "Given the current financial climate, this is not a good time to sell. If a council does not believe that a specific asset should be sold, how do we avoid protracted legal wrangling that would cost the taxpayer?"

Wednesday 14th October 2009

Council tax bills could rise by at least £50 as the cost of sending rubbish to landfill increases, local authorities have said.

Figures from the Local Government Association estimate that waste management will cost councils an extra £1.1bn by 2013 because of the extra investment needed in new collection systems, incinerators and anaerobic digesters to turn food waste into energy.

Cllr Gary Porter, Chairman of the LGA Environment Board, called for the money raised from landfill tax to be returned to councils to invest in recycling infrastructure.

He said: "New technology would make recycling even easier for people and enable town halls to hit their waste targets."

Tuesday 13th October 2009

The Government has ordered a sale of assets worth £16 billion as the first steps towards tackling the deficit.

Gordon Brown has announced an initial round of sales including the Tote, Channel Tunnel rail link and student loan book.

Mr Brown also plans to auction off surplus real estate owned by departments, Quangos and local government.

Local Government Association sources said that they had not been consulted by ministers on where the other £13 billion would come from.

Tuesday 13th October 2009

Unison has accused local authorities of wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on fighting legal battles to stop low-paid women winning equal pay cases.

Monday 12th October 2009

Culture Minister, Margaret Hodge, has suggested that DVD home deliveries and tie-ups with internet firms, such as Amazon, could secure the future of libraries.

Monday 12th October 2009

Cambridge City Council has been criticised for charging home owners who have their bin stolen double the cost for a replacement.

Residents in Cambridge have to pay £50 for a new bin if it is targeted by vandals, thieves or arsonists, even if they provide a police crime number.

Friday 9th October 2009

The woman whose social workers failed to save Baby P appeared in court yesterday to begin her legal battle to overturn her sacking and win compensation.

Sharon Shoesmith says Children's Secretary Ed Balls acted unlawfully when he ordered her to be removed.

Her lawyers said she was sacked because the media was 'baying for blood' over Peter Connelly's death.

Friday 9th October 2009
Drivers who leave their engines running or householders who leave their bins out for more than a day face fines of up to 300 pounds.

Thursday 8th October 2009

A Labour councillor is under investigation over claims he posed as a BBC reporter to garner information about one of his counterparts.

Thursday 8th October 2009

Conmen are preying on homeowners struggling to cope with fortnightly refuse collections by selling them stolen wheelie bins.

Wednesday 7th October 2009

Seven out of 10 care home residents have suffered prescription blunders according to a study by the University of London school of pharmacy.

Wednesday 7th October 2009

Millions of state workers face a pay freeze next year due to the recession.

GPs, judges, NHS managers and senior civil servants will be affected.

Tuesday 6th October 2009

Local authorities are on course to recover more than 100 million of savings locked up in the failed Icelandic banks by the end of the year.

Tuesday 6th October 2009

London may soon follow in the footsteps of Bundanoon, the Australian town that last week banned bottled water and set up drinking fountains for thirsty locals.

The capital's first water stations will be set up this month in a move that could have serious repercussions for the 1.5bn-a-year water industry with companies finding it increasingly hard to justify their carbon footprint as the quality of tap water improves.

Friday 2nd October 2009

A Yorkshire market town famed as the backdrop for television's Last of the Summer Wine is celebrating a victory in its fight against plans for a Tesco store.

Friday 2nd October 2009

The Headteacher at Westmorland Primary in Brinnington, Greater Manchester, has threatened to ban parents who swear at the school gate.

Thursday 1st October 2009

Mountains of rubbish left by a month long bin strike in one of Britain's biggest cities poses a serious public health risk, a worried scientist has warned.

As the dispute in Leeds enters its second month, microbiologist Chris Boothby said bugs from the waste were becoming airborne and could cause problems.

Thursday 1st October 2009

Billions of pounds could be saved if public services were rethought on the basis of themes rather than organisations, according to the findings of a scheme seeking low pain ways to cut government spending.

Services could be improved in quality and better tailored to the needs of the individual as well as becoming more cost effective, the Total Place programme is indicating in early feedback to ministers.

Total Place is being piloted in 13 areas together to calculate how much public money is being spent in each area and to devise ways of using it more efficiently.

Wednesday 30th September 2009

Leicestershire County Council has replaced 19 library staff with self-service machines to cut costs.

The move, which affects 16 libraries, aims to save tens of thousands of pounds.

Wednesday 30th September 2009

The shortfall in the supply of housing in England will total 1m homes by the end of next year, resulting in record overcrowding and longer than ever waiting lists, a study published today claims.

Tuesday 29th September 2009

Readers can now borrow books from any public library regardless of where they live.

The Society of Chief Librarians has announced that 4,000 libraries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are open for use by any member of the public.

Tuesday 29th September 2009

Up to 40,000 teaching assistant jobs should be axed to save money, according to a controversial Government report

Monday 28th September 2009

Figures from the General Teaching Council have revealed that almost one in four primary schools have no male teachers. 

The figures fuel a worry that men are being put off from applying for jobs for fear of being labeled a paedophile

Monday 28th September 2009

A study by Inside Housing magazine has revealed that ten social housing bosses earned more than the Prime Minister last year.

Friday 25th September 2009

Two councils have announced efficiency savings running into millions of pounds that will not hit public services.

As national politicians argued over where the spending axe should fall, Newham LBC and new unitary Cheshire West and Chester Council revealed plans to overhaul costs.

Newham revealed the latest stage of a three-year cost-cutting drive which is on track to save £23m in this financial year and £31m in 2010-11.

Relocating to a single back-office headquarters, reducing staff posts by 700 and tackling chronic absence have been key to making the savings.

Friday 25th September 2009

The Independent Police Complaints Commmission has revealed that 31,259 complaints were made against the police forces of England and Wales last year. 

This is an increase of 8% over the previous year.

Thursday 24th September 2009

Construction companies allegedly involved in a sprawling price-fixing conspiracy came under pressure to compensate local authority victims that could exclude them from billions of pounds of public works contracts.

Cllr Margaret Eaton is quoted: "Firms that are found to have colluded  to inflate prices should not only have to apologise to the public but also should consider giving money back to local areas where this activity has taken place."

Thursday 24th September 2009

A Dinner Lady has been sacked for gross misconduct from Great Tey Primary School in Essex after informing a child's parents that she was being bullied.

She is now planning to take action against the school.

Monday 21st September 2009

The Mirror reports that councils have spent thousands on hiring celebrities to host or appear at events.

Freedom of information requests found that TV chef James Martin was paid £15,000 by Tewkesbury Council,  X Factor runners up were paid £11,000 by North Devon Council, and Newham Council paid £6,000 to Barbara Windsor.

Nottingham Council was named as the most generous for paying £15,800 for four celebrity appearances last year.

Monday 21st September 2009

The Brixton Pound, the new currency co-sponsored by Lambeth Council which aims to boost the local economy, is proving very popular.

Shoppers queued up to swap sterling for the pound notes, which depict celebrated local figures, and spend them in local businesses offering discounts to anyone paying with Brixton notes.

The currency has been set up by the Transition Network.

Friday 18th September 2009

The cost of unaccountable taxpayer funded quangos has hit £170 billion, seven times what they cost a decade ago.

Friday 18th September 2009

Barnet council has been served with an injunction to stop it ending live-in wardens for older people in sheltered housing.

The challenge by a group living in sheltered housing could be widened to include 50 other councils where similar cuts are proposed.

Thursday 17th September 2009

The Conservatives will today promise to 'reverse the rise of the surveillance state' by outlining plans for fewer giant government databases and stronger powers to protect personal privacy.

An 11 point plan to be unveiled today by shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve says the Tories will restrain the power of local authorities to use intrusive surveillance.

Councils' access will be restricted to personal communication data to investigate crimes that carry a prison sentence.

Thursday 17th September 2009

Councils have cut the overall pay bill by £150 million, the first such fall in recent years, according to a survey by the Local Government Association.

The cut came from falls in additional pay.

Wednesday 16th September 2009

A total of 50,000 council houses in the UK may be occupied unlawfully, according to the Audit Commission.

In its annual report published today, it warns councils to get a grip as demand for social housing climbs.

Wednesday 16th September 2009

Potential changes to the operation of the child protection register may be dropped after Children's Secretary Ed Balls wrote to the head of the Independent Safeguard Authority calling for a re-think of the rules.

Tuesday 15th September 2009

The New Local Government Network publishes ideas for creating allotments on brownfield sites and under used private estates.

Tuesday 15th September 2009

A private wheel-clamping company faces becoming the first in Britain to be given an ASBO banning it from operating in towns.

Windsor and Maidenhead council is determined to take action because it is giving the area a bad name with tourists.

Monday 14th September 2009

An elderly woman has lost her life savings after she accidentally threw £12,000 into her wheelie bin, which was then taken to landfill.

Binmen searched 25 tons of rubbish in an attempt to find the bundles of £50 notes.

Monday 14th September 2009

Local councils are urgently reviewing their operations in a drive to slash millions off their budgets, according to a study carried out by the Financial Times.

Authorities face making unpopular decisions by cutting services as they grapple with big drops in income and expected cuts for years to come in government grants.

North Dorset District Council is featured in a case study for a partnership scheme which will keep leisure centres open, and there is analysis of Richmondshire and Hambleton District Councils' move to share a chief executive.

Friday 11th September 2009

Equalities Minister Harriet Harman yesterday set out proposals to legally oblige all public bodies to bring about reductions in the gap between rich and poor.

The move would mean town halls and other public service bodies having to direct attentions towards disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Friday 11th September 2009

Wirral Council has come under fire after finding a stray dog and rehoming it. 

The dog belonged to a couple who were on holiday but was found with no collar or microchip. 

The original owners are said to be devastated after the new owners refused to give the dog back.

Thursday 10th September 2009

Conservative leader David Cameron has paved the way for spending cuts of 10 per cent, reducing the number of MPs and slashing ministerial pay.

Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling also used a speech to pledge not to flinch from tough choices on spending.

Thursday 10th September 2009

More than 2,000 families will get a new home after the biggest council house building programme for a generation is given the go ahead today.

Work will begin by the end of the year with some accommodation ready within 12 months.

The £250million scheme includes a £127m boost from the Government.

Wednesday 9th September 2009

In a speech delivered by Alistair Darling in Cardiff he is said that "hard choices on public spending" lie ahead.

"It means more efficiency, continuing to reform, cutting costs, public and private sectors working together - essential steps if we are to secure jobs and increase prosperity for the future."

Wednesday 9th September 2009

Millions of people who look after sick or elderly residents are forced to 'jump through unnecessary hoops' in order to claim financial support, the public accounts committee said yesterday.

Tuesday 8th September 2009

Analysis of the Edlington case, concerning the two young boys convicted of violence and sexual assault, continues in all papers.

The Times reports a leading QC as saying parents of children who run riot and commit crimes could be prosecuted for wilful neglect, an offence carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Tuesday 8th September 2009

Warwick District Council has apologised after binmen refused to take a resident's recycling away because a single maggot had crawled in, and the refuse contractors said they could not handle livestock.

Monday 7th September 2009

Preston City Council has banned apostrophes from street signs because they are confusing for people unsure how to use them.

Monday 7th September 2009

Figures published by Cambridgeshire County Council show that a tiny village with a 7,600 population has one of the highest birth rates in the world.

With 24.1 births per 1,000 people in 2009, Cambourne has a higher birth rate than the world's five most densely populated countries, and double the 12.1 UK average.

The council said the figures reflected the 'young age structure' of Cambourne.

Friday 4th September 2009

Council officials unlawfully removed and destroyed a man's car and laughed at him when he said he would complain, the local government watchdog found.

Anne Seex, the Local Government Ombudsman, ordered Lewisham Borough Council to apologise and pay the man £2,000 for the vehicle and his 'justified outrage'.

Friday 4th September 2009

Thousands of teachers in England are campaigning for a new code of conduct to be scrapped because they say it intrudes into their private lives and strips them of basic human rights.

Teachers' union the NASUWT has sent a poster to every state school in England urging staff to protest.

Thursday 3rd September 2009

Schools, housing and rubbish collections face deep cuts as local authorities are hit by a 'double whammy' of falling revenues and increased demands for services, according to a survey of councillors carried out by the pollsters Comres.

An LGA spokesman is quoted: "Town halls are being hit by a perfect storm caused by the recession.

"Sources of income have dropped sharply at a time when more and more people are turning to councils to help them through tough times."

Thursday 3rd September 2009

Police patrols working 18 hours a day are being used by Essex County Council to beat congestion on gridlocked roads.

Essex County Council is spending £1.5 million on the project which will see police patrol a 50 mile stretch of the A12, making it the first non-motorway road to have a special service aimed at clearing accidents, incidents and jams as fast as possible.

Tuesday 2nd September 2009

The owners of a 99p store in Lymington, Hampshire, have been ordered to remove their sign by New Forest District Council because it is 'too gaudy' and not in keeping with the traditional Georgian high street.

Tuesday 2nd September 2009

Residents of a city are being asked to vote on whether graffiti should be scrubbed off walls or kept as art.

Bristol Council has set up an online poll to let people decide the future of murals on walls and fences that many feel blight the face of Britain.

Tuesday 1st September 2009

Pensioners are spending almost twice as much on council tax as they were before Labour came to power, according ot the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

It reported that elderly people had to devote an average of 4.5 per cent of their budget (about £11 a week) to paying for local services in 1995 but this rose by 84 per cent to 7.2 per cent (£21) by 2007.

Tuesday 1st September 2009

Barnet Council is using the model of low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet and has been unofficially labelled "Easycouncil".

The council plans to make savings of £15 million a year and residents will be able to pay more for improved services.

The Guardian has a two page feature on the council it says is a Tory pilot of no-frills government.

Friday 28th August 2009

Southwold is being considered as a possible venue for the relocation of one of Britain's first official nudist beaches because of its relative seclusion.

Waveney District Council is consulting communities along the coast.

Friday 28th August 2009

Thursday 27th August 2009

Millions of public sector workers will have their pensions slashed under plans to deal with a massive shortfall in the value of local government pension funds, it is reported in The Times.

The move could trigger widespread industrial action.

John Denham, the Communities Secretary, is drawing up a series of proposals to overhaul the pensions of two million council workers.

Thursday 27th August 2009

Councils are among the leading farming landowners in the country, owning 237,000 acres, but some tenant farmers are facing eviction because authorities prefer short-term lets.

Wednesday 26th August 2009

Gordon Brown is to issue a list of specific spending cuts before the general election in an attempt to convince voters that Labour will reduce the soaring deficit in public finances.

The first signs of the new approach may emerge at the TUC conference in Liverpool next month where Mr Brown and the Chancellor will call for pay restraint among top earners in the public sector.

Wednesday 26th August 2009

English councils have paid more than £82 million in compensation to people who have tripped on pavements in the last five years, according to statistics gathered by the Liberal Democrats.

A spokesperson for the LGA appeared on broadcast media to point out the sum paid in compensation has been reduced in recent years.

Tuesday 25th August 2009

Council tax could soar by up to £50 because of the impact of low interest rates on local authorities, according to figures collected by the Liberal Democrats which suggest councils are set to lose £900 million.

The LGA admitted the crunch had hit hard.

A spokesman said: "Councils feel it in the same way as hard-pressed families.

Low interest rates mean authorities are less able to rely on savings.

At this time of repossessions and redundancies, more people need the vital support only councils can provide."

Tuesday 25th August 2009

Market towns are being deserted by businesses and suffering higher than average unemployment as the Government focuses funds on larger towns and cities, Gordon Brown's rural adviser has claimed.

Stuart Burgess, the chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities, said the credit crisis had hit small market towns hard, with shops being boarded up and small businesses collapsing.

Monday 24th August 2009

Council leaders have called for all schools to use two or more suppliers for school uniforms to help keep costs down during the recession.

The LGA said more logos should be available as sew-on patches so parents can customise economical school clothing, and that second hand uniform sales should be widely available.

Monday 24th August 2009

A council has put up festive Christmas lights - four months early.

Workers set about fixing the decorations on lamp posts as stunned onlookers enjoyed the summer sunshine.

Rochdale Council says the lights in Milnrow, Lancs, will be used in seasonal elebrations for several faiths - starting with the Muslim festival of Eid on September 20.

Friday 21st August 2009

A Home Office document published earlier this year sets out plans for how councils should deal with a high death toll from a swine flu pandemic.

Details include mass graves, crematoria opening seven days a week and refrigerated vehicles for body storage.

A Home Office spokeswoman said the plans were for possible scenarios and not certainties.

A second outbreak of swine flu is being predicted for the Autumn.

Friday 21st August 2009

Driving instructors are rerouting lessons due to 'crumbling' road surfaces, according to the AA.

Instructors are also teaching special techniques so learners can deal with the increasing number of potholes.

There are as many as 1.5 million potholes on Britain's roads, the AA said.

Thursday 20th August 2009

One in six youngsters is out of work with the latest official figures showing that the number of 'neets' -those not in education, employment or training - has reached a record level of more than 959,000.

Thursday 20th August 2009

Parents struggling to pay private school fees could receive taxpeyers' money under plans being considered by Conservative Bromley Council in south London.

A council spokesman confirmed that the plan had been considered but denied it would be pursued.

On Tuesday it was disclosed that Bromley asked lawyers to look at whether it could use state funding to offer subsidies of up to £4,700 per pupil, the approximate amount it costs to educate a pupil in the state system.

Wednesday 19th August 2009

A man living in Tunbridge Wells has been painting apostrophes onto road signs for St John's Close after new signs appeared without the punctuation.

A spokeswoman for the borough council said the signs had been put up by developers and would be punctuated correctly if they were ever replaced.

Wednesday 19th August 2009

A comprehensive school in Waterlooville, Hampshire, has introduced a compulsory new uniform costing up to £97 a child, prompting fears families on low incomes may be put off applying for a place.

The headteacher is quoted: "It is quite pricey but if parents are short of money Hampshire County Council has a uniform grant and the governors have set aside some hardship money."

Friday 14th August 2009

The Operational Efficiency Programme, published last month by HM Treasury, advocated that government departments should consider desk sharing as a viable solution to help save money on wasted office space.

The report suggested that by divesting 30% of its under-utilised real estate, the government could save approximately £1 billion a year in running costs.

The target set by the HM Treasury is to reduce space occupancy from 14.5 to 10 square metres per FTE and use desk booking systems to help manage space more effectively.

Friday 14th August 2009

Councils must be prepared for rising problems such as crime, fly tipping and alcoholism, as the 'second wave' of the recession takes hold, according to the Audit Commission.

Although some councils had made a positive impact in the face of the downturn, the watchdog said extra support would be needed by those worst affected by unemployment and the failure of businesses.

It accused some authorities, which have missed the worst of the downturn, of becoming complacent.

Releasing a new report, 'When it comes to the crunch', the commission said that demand for benefits, welfare and help with debt would grow in what it called the 'second wave of the recession', triggered by long-term unemployment.

Social problems such as domestic violence and mental ill-health were expected to follow as the downturn deepens.

All of which will impact on local authority services at a time when councils are facing a loss in income from planning fees, car parks and interest.

Friday 14th August 2009

Council revenues are likely to slump by significantly more than the £4bn identified by the LGA this week, Smith Square has warned.

Mark Luntley, LGA finance programme director, said while official income estimates published on 10 August laid bare councils' bleak financial position during the recession, the study did not reveal the full impact of the downturn.

LGA researchers this week estimated councils had been hit by a £4bn deficit in income over the past two years.

But the study only revealed estimates for declining revenues from the sale of land and buildings - down by £2.7bn since 2007/08 - and interest earned on councils' cash deposits - down by £1.3bn due to low interest rates.

Thursday 13th August 2009

Britain faces a surge in drug addiction, alcoholism and domestic violence as the second wave of the recession takes a grip, according to warnings from the Audit Commission, which says councils need to do more to prepare their communities for the impact.

Examples are given of good initiatives by councils including Essex, Sutton, Sheffield and Rochdale.

Meanwhile the Mail says the same report shows town halls have kept on recruiting despite the recession, although the LGA has said 7,000 town hall jobs have gone during the downturn.

The Telegraph focuses on the squeeze on school places and quotes Les Lawrence, Chairman of the LGA's Children and Young People board: "Predicting how many school places will be needed is a complex issue.

"In the short-term, councils will be working with schools to help them find extra capacity and draft in extra teachers, but there also needs to be an emphasis on improving methods of forecasting for the future."

Thursday 13th August 2009

The RSPCA say that thousands of parkland trees are being mauled and destroyed by pitbulls, bull terriers and other 'weapon dogs', goaded by their owners to attack trunks, hang from branches and bite off tree bark.

There is comment from Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Barnet councils, saying it is a problem.

Wednesday 12th August 2009

The police and local council in Leicester are taking action against professional beggars, making up to 200 pounds a night.

20 people have recently been cautioned for begging, none of whom were homeless.

Wednesday 12th August 2009

A new survey by the Local Government Association has revealed that local authorities face a 4 billion pound hole in their budgets due to falls in income from sources such as property sales and interest on cash reserves as a result of the recession.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice-chairman of the LGA,is quoted: "Town halls are feeling the effect of the recession in exactly the same way as hard pressed home owners and families.

Low interest rates mean councils are much less able to rely on their savings,plummeting house and land prices have hit hard and income from leisure centres and a range of other services has fallen."

Tuesday 11th August 2009

The Conservatives are preparing to take on the unions and freeze the pay of up to 16 million local government workers next year.

Some Tory-run councils are even warning that they might tear up pay agreements before the general election.

It follows the Conservatives' failed attempt to block a one per cent rise proposal pushed through the Local Government Employers.

Sir Steve Bullock, chairman of the LGA's human resources panel, is quoted: "Many staff on the front line have relatively low wages, while recruiting able staff to tough jobs such as social work has never been harder."

Tuesday 11th August 2009

Campaigners are considering mounting a legal challenge against a levy that would charge up to £350 for parking spaces at work.

Nottingham City Council intends to introduce a charge of £350 per parking space on businesses that have 11 or more spaces.

Monday 10th August 2009

An ID card has been cracked and then reprogrammed by a security expert in an investigation by The Daily Mail.

The newspaper borrowed the ID card of a foreign national and subjected it to tests to see how secure it is. The security expert, Adam Laurie, managed to clone the card using a Nokia mobile phone and a laptop.

Monday 10th August 2009

Buckinghamshire County Council has become the first local authority to outsource all its recruitment to the private sector in a move that is likely to be followed throughout the country.

Friday 7th August 2009

Hundreds of thousands of council homes have been branded unfit to live in, with almost one in five not coming up to decent standard.

Cllr Paul Bettison, LGA spokesperson on Housing, said that thousands had been condemned to live in poor housing, saying: "Improvements have been a long-standing Government promise that must be seen through."

Friday 7th August 2009

Sir Michael Bichard, the man whose inquiry led to new vetting procedures for adults working with children, has called on the Government to rethink parts of the anti-paedophile register.

He says that some actors, authors and entertainers have stopped visiting schools because of the process they need to go through beforehand.

Monday 3rd August 2009

Motorists who drive to work face having to pay a 250 pound 'parking tax' under a scheme to be announced by ministers today.

The country's first 'workplace parking levy' will come into force in Nottingham in 2012 and is likely to be adopted by other councils.

The British Chambers of Commerce has calculated that it could cost companies 3.4 billion a year if every English council followed Nottingham's example.

Monday 3rd August 2009

A crackdown on thousands of council tenants who are making huge profits by sub-letting their homes illegally will be announced today.

Fraudsters can make up to 20,000 pounds a year by moving out of their council home and renting it out to someone else.

In a minority of cases tenants have been found sub-letting two or three homes after moving between authorities.

Friday 31st July 2009

Social work training is not fit for purpose according to a report by MPs.

The Commons Children, Schools and Families select committee says the cause is sub-standard degree courses.

Friday 31st July 2009

Swimmers at a council pool have been banned from doing lengths for health and safety reasons.

Users of the Dagenham Swimming Pool in Essex have been told they may only swim across the width of it so lifeguards can ensure their safety.

A council spokesman said: "This enables people who are less confident to swim lengths of the shallow end to help them get fit and also makes it easier to see where they are swimming and what they are doing."

Thursday 30th July 2009

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has said that sunbeds are as likely to cause cancer as smoking or asbestos.

They have now been placed in the highest risk category.

Thursday 30th July 2009

Ministers have approved the sale of more than 200 school and community playing fields, despite repeated promises to protect them.

Even in the four years since London was chosen to host the 2012 Olympics, the Government has allowed the sell-off of 49 school sports fields.

In total since Labour came to power in 1997, 203 pitches have been lost.

Wednesday 29th July 2009

The competence of Ofsted to inspect children's services and help to protect young people from abuse and neglect has been challenged by the Government’s child protection chief.

Sir Roger Singleton has used his first interview in the post to warn ministers that too many Ofsted staff lack the skill and experience to hold social workers to account and to drive up standards.

Wednesday 29th July 2009

Oxford City Council is reportedly planning to ask householders and businesses to pay for pothole repairs because it says it cannot afford them.

The chief executive for city development, Cllr Colin Cook, is quoted: "Unfortunately we have to work within the limited resources that we have.

If people are willing to put their money forward, it is something we have got to take seriously.

If someone would give me a cheque I could get boys on the job tomorrow."

Tuesday 28th July 2009

Residents who report neighbours for letting their dogs foul the pavement are being offered a £500 cash reward.

Waltham Forest council in north London will hand over the money for information that leads to a court conviction.

Tuesday 28th July 2009

Departing council chiefs have received payoffs of up to £340,000 - only to return to work for other authorities on generous salaries.

The Sunday Times also alleges there has been a 40 per cent rise in the number of local authority workers awarded six-figure pay packages.

Monday 27th July 2009

Pupils at a school in Doncaster are in revolt after traditional ties were banned to be replaced by clip-ons, because of fears children could strangle each other accidentally during playground games.

Monday 27th July 2009

Council workers, such as lollipop ladies and social workers, are to double up as 'flu friends' to collect Tamiflu for people suffering from swine flu.

Town hall leaders will today discuss contingency plans at a meeting in Birmingham today.

Cllr Paul Bettison, LGA spokesperson on the Environment, is quoted: "Those living on their own and thought to be ill will be contacted by the council.

We will let them know that we will be their 'flu friend' and collect a prescription if there is no-one else."

Friday 24th July 2009

 An overwhelming majority of senior council managers expect to provide fewer services as public spending dramatically tightens, an LGC survey has revealed.

The poll, carried out in association with public services consultancy iMPOWER, shows 84% of managers anticipate the post-comprehensive spending review round of efficiency savings will result in their authorities will provide fewer services.

And 60% say the efficiencies they are currently planning will not be enough to ensure existing service delivery levels in the long term.

Friday 24th July 2009

Local Government Employers yesterday presented a final offer in response to the union pay claim.

Council leaders agreed by a majority vote to make a final offer of a one per cent pay rise to council workers for the current financial year. The offer also includes an additional 0.25 per cent pay rise for the lowest-paid council workers paid up to £13,703 a year.

The pay award compares with rises of 2.3 per cent for teachers this year, 2.2 per cent for health workers and 2.3 per cent for MPs.

Sir Steve Bullock, Chair of the Local Government Association HR panel, said: "The perfect storm of reduced income and increasing demands for services, combined with the low inflation rate has meant that employers have to make some tough decisions on pay and spending.

"Since councils set their budgets for this year the recession has meant the money available for pay has been squeezed and for many councils this improved offer will have to be paid for by savings.

"We have worked hard to help staff who deliver efficient public services to local people while ensuring that council spending does not rise above what is acceptable to local people.  We hope that the trade unions will accept this final offer. 

However no one should be in any doubt that the employers will withdraw the offer and bring the negotiations to an end if it is rejected."

Thursday 23rd July 2009

Local authorities and other bodies are still snooping on individuals illegally, according to a report by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, Sir Christopher Rose.

Thursday 23rd July 2009

Parents are being offered free curries if their children attend an infant school in Southampton as part of a scheme to boost attendance levels.

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

The government this week rushed out a string of reports and 26 ministerial statements the day before MPs go on holiday.

Whitehall sources said many could have been published several weeks ago.

Revelations in the reports included £140 million of errors as a result of a faulty army IT system and criticism of a £1.5 billion government training scheme.

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

Tax receipts have plunged by £22 billion in 12 months, dramatically increasing the likelihood of large-scale tax rises and spending cuts.

Figures from HM Revenue and Customs showed a fall of almost five per cent.

Tuesday 21st July 2009

New signs on public toilets labelling them an "ambulant urinal" and "unisex ambulant facility" have left residents puzzled and anti-jargon campaigners demanding that they be taken down.

The head of commercial services at Tewkesbury Borough Council admits that the wording was "slightly confusing".

Tuesday 21st July 2009

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that a sharp decline in employee absence in the private sector, caused by the recession, has opened up a wider gap with the public sector.

Monday 20th July 2009

Once upon a time, they would have been ticked off for NOT doing it.

But now teenagers are to be rewarded if they manage to throw their rubbish in the bin.

Braintree Council, in Essex, is offering 5 pounds in shopping vouchers or cinema tickets to any youngsters who restrain themselves from littering.

Monday 20th July 2009

A bleak picture of a swine flu pandemic was painted by England's most senior doctors last night.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has ordered the NHS to plan for as many as 65000 deaths - with 350 a day at the peak.

Friday 17th July 2009

Household gas and electricity bills will rise by up to 249 a year to pay for a seven-fold increase in energy from low-carbon sources by 2020, according to the Government's Renewable Energy Strategy.

Energy companies are expected to invest 100 billion over the next decade in renewable sources.

Local authorities will receive 11 million pounds to employ experts who will help push through applications for wind farms.

Friday 17th July 2009

Britain's most senior civil servant, has warned of sweeping cuts in public services to maintain spending on key government programmes such as those dealing with care for the elderly, obesity and climate change.

Thursday 16th July 2009

Thousands of British postal workers will go on strike on Friday 17th July in protest against cuts at Royal Mail, threatening the worst disruption to deliveries in years.

Thursday 16th July 2009

A drunken teacher who climbed into a wheelie bin died when it was tipped into a waste lorry.

He was found at the recycling plant in Newhaven, East Sussex.

Tuesday 14th July 2009

Local authority leaders yesterday claimed recycling efforts are being undermined and argued retailers should be forced to reveal publicly the amount of packaging they produce.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "Supermarkets must be open with people about how much packaging they are producing.

It is vital consumers can make informed choices about where they shop and which products they buy."

Tuesday 14th July 2009

A nationwide alert has been issued by the government to all local authorities to check blocks of high-rise flats, after a possible construction flaw was uncovered in the block in Camberwell where a fire killed 6 people.

Monday 13th July 2009

Tower blocks of the future would have cascades of allotments under a European plan to get city dwellers to frow food to cut CO2 emissions.

Walls, balconies and roofs would be used to cultivate fruit and vegetables.

Monday 13th July 2009

Jobseekers in the countryside have been hit harder by the recession than their counterparts in towns and cities, research from the LGA has suggested.

There were six people chasing every rural job vacancy during May compared to nine for urban vacancies, but the rate of the increase has been sharper.

Friday 10th July 2009

Killjoy police have stopped Norwich Council from using the car used in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because it didn't have a valid MOT.

Council organisers have pointed out that an MOT disc would ruin the car's mystique.

Friday 10th July 2009

A family may move house because of their new neighbours' noisy sex lives. West Oxfordshire Council said the noise was a "fundamental activity".

Thursday 9th July 2009

Claims that immigrants are given priority access to social housing were dismissed yesterday as a myth by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

Thursday 9th July 2009

An unprecedented audit of the £68bn spent across London's public services is to be launched amid growing fears over the scale of looming spending cuts nationwide.

The financial mapping exercise, modelled on the government's Total Place initiative being piloted in 13 council areas, will be used to drive efficiencies between London's 33 boroughs and their public service partners.

It will be undertaken by London Councils and the regional improvement and efficiency partnership, Capital Ambition, over the summer with initial conclusions due in the autumn. 

Wednesday 8th July 2009

Council housebuilding in England is to restart in earnest for the first time in almost 20 years, with local authorities set to construct 139,000 homes over 10 years.

Town halls say rule changes announced by ministers last week allowing them to retain rent from council housing and receipts from right-to-buy purchasers mean building is set to return to levels not seen since 1990.

Wednesday 8th July 2009

A school dinner lady in Colchester is facing dismissal for breaching 'pupil confidentiality' after telling a parent that her daughter had been tied up and whipped by school bullies.

Tuesday 7th July 2009

Darling refuses to rule out public sector pay freeze

Millions of public sector workers could face a pay squeeze to help get the nation's finances under control, it emerged yesterday.

Alistair Darling put himself on a collision course with unions by refusing to rule out the move.

Tuesday 7th July 2009

Residents of the South London tower block, where six people died from a fire, have been calling for it to be torn down.

Questions have also been raised about the design and safety of the tower blocks.

Nick Stanton, Leader of Southwark Council, said: "We are as anxious as everyone to understand how this fire started and took hold of this block. We give our full support to the thorough investigation and will assist it in every way that we can."

Monday 6th July 2009

The Government said yesterday that more than 100,000 people a day could be diagnosed with swine flu by the end of August.

No more schools will be closed routinely and families and people in contact with those with flu will not be given preventative drugs.

Monday 6th July 2009

Basildon Council is to pilot a scheme for overweight people to be given a  £1 Asda shopping voucher for every pound they lose in weight. 

If successful, the scheme could be introduced across the country.

Friday 3rd July 2009

The Policy Exchange Think Tank has said that councils should foot the custody bill for young offenders to cut the youth prison population. 

The think tank claims that forcing local authorities to pay would save £250m a year and ensure that they put more resources into social work and community care.

Friday 3rd July 2009

Gordon Brown yesterday said that increases in public spending would be dependent upon future economic growth.

He said that he would concentrate on making efficiency savings and asset sales.

Wednesday 1st July 2009

Schools have seen record funding in the last decade, but a new report by the Audit Commission says hundered of millions of pounds are being wasted.

The Chairman of the Commission warns that schools have 'taken their eye off the ball' in how effciently they are run, and that they will be forced to change in the recession.

The report, to be published later this week, says schools were sitting on nearly £2bn of reserves last year.

Mike Heiser, senior policy consultant at the LGA, is quoted "I would expect balances to come down in the next few years.

"It is likely schools will get lower grant increases from 2011 onwards and balances will be used up."

Wednesday 1st July 2009

The LGA has disclosed that its members are preparing for the possibility that the number of sick or elderly people dying as a result of heat will exceed the 2,000 level seen in 2003.

People with heart complaints are among those most as risk, while those with breathing difficulties tend to suffer from the rise in pollution which accompanies hot, humid conditions.

Tuesday 30th June 2009

Eight in ten families have been turned into 'benefits claimants', according to a new report by the Policy Exchange.

Over five million households are now claiming child tax benefits, many of whom have never previously relied on the State.

Tuesday 30th June 2009

Families living in a block of flats have been told to remove welcome mats from their porches because they are a health and safety risk.

New fire regulations were introduced a year ago by Stoke City Council.

Monday 29th June 2009

Ministers said yesterday that swine flu is spreading too fast in London and the West Midlands to be contained.

Health officials have been told that they may have to stop attempts to halt the spread of the virus and concentrate on treating sufferers.

Monday 29th June 2009

The Government said it had made 'significant progress' in flood defence projects since the 2007 deluges.

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, said funding had increased from £600 million to a planned £780 million in 2010/11.

Friday 26th June 2009

Slough Council has been ordered to pay £12,000 to a woman it labelled violent over her reaction to a three-year-old vandalising a flower bed. 

The council argued that a 2005 entry in its violent persons register was accurate.

Friday 26th June 2009

Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, has killed off plans to impose pay-as-you-drive charges.

Thursday 25th June 2009

Plans for lower speed limits will blight the country with a million new road signs, conservationists have claimed.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England said the government had not thought through the implications of encouraging councils to introduce lower limits.

Thursday 25th June 2009

Three quarters of the population believe the police have failed to get to grips with anti-social behaviour and drink fuelled violence, a 'damning' Whitehall survey showed yesterday.

The Place Survey also found 33 per cent agreed that their council gave value for money, 45 per cent were happy with the way their authority ran things and that 78 per cent were happy with their refuse collections.

A spokesman for the LGA is quoted: "This survey shows that the vast majority of residents are happy with services their council provides."

Wednesday 24th June 2009

An elderly woman who was removed from her daughter's house by social workers in a dispute over her care has been returned to her family.

Betty Figg, 86, was taken out of a care home by her daughter, Rosalind, after she became concerned about her mother's wellbeing.

Social workers in Coventry accused Rosalind, 55, of taking her mother without authority and went to her home to bring her back.

Wednesday 24th June 2009

Top-performing state schools will be able to break a £120,000 cap on head teachers' pay if they agree to lead new not-for-profit groups running less successful institutions.

Tuesday 23rd June 2009

Local authorities across Britain are believed to be borrowing hundreds of millions of pounds from staff pension schemes in order to boost returns on their own cash deposits - without sharing the full interest with the pension fund.

A spokesman for the LGA is quoted "The law requires councils to invest their pension fund money properly and prudently, and this is what they do."

Tuesday 23rd June 2009

NHS research shows that ballroom dancing can burn up to 300 calories per hour.

The assessment of a pilot project in 29 schools says the scheme has helped 'less sporty children become more engaged in physical education'.

Monday 19th June 2009

Children are being made to wear goggles before handling Blu Tack and forbidden to run in the playground as a health and safety culture sweeps through school.

A survey of nearly 600 teachers and classroom assistants revealed nearly half believe health and safety regulations are holding children back at school.

The findings emerged days after the LGA urged parents and schools to shake off the 'cotton wool' culture.

Monday 22nd June 2009

It is claimed that the Prince of Wales is routinely shown plans for major building projects in London to avoid him raising damaging objections later on, developers have admitted.

Friday 19th June 2009

Laws designed to fight terrorists and gangsters have been used by Lancashire County Council to spy on cleaners.

Undercover operations also included watching bus routes to check on operators.

A spokesman said the council had been trying to ensure value on contracts.

Friday 19th June 2009

School-leavers face toughest time looking for employment in 15 years.

The figures are set to balloon further over the summer as students leaving school and university struggle to find work.

Thursday 18th June 2009

English councils are sitting on £250bn of property assets, but only 20 per cent of council finance directors have all the information they need to manage their estates, according to an Audit Commission report published yesterday.

LGA Chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted "For every £1 councils spend on their own offices they spend £19 on assets vital to local people, such as housing, libraries and parks."

Thursday 18th June 2009

Councils across the UK are increasingly reliant on agency staff to meet growing shortages of social workers, according to a new survey by public services trade union Unison.

Wednesday 17th June 2009

Gordon Brown is poised to free-up billions of pounds to tackle Britain's council house crisis.

Just 400 local authority homes were built in 2007, despite a waiting list which may grow to five million by 2011.

Now, following calls from the LGA, the Prime Minister is considering letting councils keep profits from rents and right-to-buy schemes instead of passing them to the Treasury.

This could unlock £72 billion to build 300,000 homes over 10 years.

LGA Chairman Cllr Margaret Eaton is quoted "Allowing councils to keep the rent they collect and the proceeds from sales would be a huge boost to the economy."

Wednesday 17th June 2009

Grieving families have been banned from cremating loved ones in their favourite clothes - because of pollution fears.

The eco-friendly EU directive means people can no longer be laid to rest in football strips or their Sunday best outfits.

Instead, next of kin must pay £60 for a special shroud made from natural fibres.

The new regulation banning plastic, nylon and synthetic materials or personal mementos has already been brought in at Kirklees, West Yorks. 

A council spokesman said "We must maintain emission controls."

Tuesday 16th June 2009

People in England and Wales could pay a one off levy of up to £12,000 in return for free long term care in their old age, under government plans to cope with the demands of an ageing population.

Tuesday 16th June 2009

Road sweeper Allan Brigham is being awarded an honorary Master of Arts Degree from Cambridge University.

Monday 15th June 2009

Research published by the LGA shows that the largest rise in blue collar workers is coming in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and South Wales, whilst London and the South East in being affected to a much greater extent by white collar job losses.

The LGA warns that a national blanket policy to deal with the recession doesn't work because each part of the country is affected differently by the recession.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice Chairman of the LGA is quoted: "The needs of leafy middle class suburbs are poles apart from from the action that needs to be taken in more deprived inner-city areas.

"An unemployed factory worker from Barnsley or Birmingham needs to be retrained very differently from a City financial analyst."

Monday 15th June 2009

A millionaire businessman has been ordered to tear down part of his new beach hut after he built an upper storey sun deck without permission.

West Dorset District Council says the top section must be removed because it was not shown on the original plans.

Friday 12th June 2009

Parents who educate their children at home could face tougher regulation in the future.

All parents could be forced to register children with local authorities and extra support be made available.

Friday 12th June 2009

The National Institute for Economic and Social Research yesterday claimed that the worst of the recession may be over after the economy experienced the first growth in industrial output in over a year.

Thursday 11th June 2009

A hidden army of worried children are being punished because they don't tell their schools they are caring for their invalid parents, an Ofsted report says.

They regularly turn up to school late, take days off or hand in their school work late.

It recommends that local authorities throughout the country should conduct investigations to find out how wide-spread incidents of children caring for their parents are in their locality.

Thursday 11th June 2009

A report by the NHS Confederation says that healthcare faces the biggest challenge in its history because of the recession and expected spending cuts after 2011.

Wednesday 10th June 2009

Half of all teenagers are failed by a school system which forces them to pursue academic studies, according to a landmark report.

The Nuffield Review is the most comprehensive study of secondary education in 50 years.

Wednesday 10th June 2009

Every home could be forced to use slop buckets under government plans to cut waste, by banning councils from dumping food scraps in landfill.

Almost one in four councils has already introduced separate food waste collections and there is pressure from the European Union for more.

A spokesman for the LGA is quoted: "It can't be left to hard pressed council taxpayers to pick up the bill for new rubbish collections and new waste disposal plants.

Councils need to keep the flexibility to operate the types of bin collections that work for local people," a spokesman said.

"Not everyone will have the space for a separate bin for their food waste."

Tuesday 9th June 2009

Figures published by the Lib Dems show that there are 10,000 fewer registered childminders than six years ago, sparking fears that parents could be faced with a childcare shortage over the summer.

Tuesday 9th June 2009

The County Surveyors' Society, representing local transport officials, has warned that road safety and cycling lanes are under threat because of the predicted cut in public sector spending from 2011.

Monday 8th June 2009

Post Office closures were "bulldozed" through local opposition, with the consultation exercise little more than a "sham", according to the Commons' public accounts committee.

Monday 8th June 2009

A primary school has banned pupils from wearing swimming goggles in case they cause injury.

A spokesman for Flintshire County Council said: "There is a legal responsibility for school governors, head teachers and teaching staff to ensure that the LEA's health and safety policy is followed."

Monday 8th June 2009

Labour has suffered its worst post-war election result as it was beaten into third place by UKIP and saw the BNP gain its first seats at Brussels.

Labour's share of the vote at the European elections was just 15.3% - worse than party bosses had feared.

The Tories won with 28.6%, beating Labour in Wales but failing to increase their total share significantly.

The results have sent shockwaves through UK politics and led to renewed calls for Gordon Brown to quit as PM.

Monday 8th June 2009

Female students are ahead of men in almost every measure of UK university achievement, according to a report from higher education researchers.

A Higher Education Policy Institute report shows that women are more likely to get places in the top universities and go on to get better grades.

Women also outnumber men in high status subjects, such as law and medicine.

Friday 5th June 2009

Private boarding schools are being offered government grants to take in vulnerable children whose parents are on the verge of breaking up.

24 out of 150 local authorities in England have already pledged to offer places to children at risk of being taken into care.

Friday 5th June 2009

A poll in the Guardian shows widespread public backing for a devolution of power from Westminster.

Almost 70% of people back a new general power of competence for councils that would allow them to do what they want without permission from central government, whilst 64% backed neighbourhood trusts that could take decisions on a range of local issues, including planning.

Thursday 4th June 2009

The state of Britain's crumbling roads will prove costly in today's local elections, a poll has revealed.

The AA survey found Highway issues are more important to voters than MPs' expenses.

Thursday 5th June 2009

Boys who play sport or take part in after-school clubs are more likely to do well in exams, according to research by the Independent Schools Council.

Wednesday 3rd June

A retired farmer was accused of racism and threatened with police action after objecting to plans for a travellers' site in his village.

In replying to his response to a planning application, Bryan Lee was told by Mid Devon District Council: "I have to tell you that if the council receives any more racist representations from you, this matter will be referred to the Commission for Racial Equality or the police for investigation."

Wednesday 3rd June 2009

The Conservatives have blamed Labour for the prospect of a strong turnout for the BNP in this week's local and European elections.

The Green Party is focussing on the issue of trust in politicians ahead of environmental issues.

The party is growing in confidence as polls show electors deserting the three main parties.

Tuesday 2nd June 2009

A mother denied lying about her addres to secure a place for her son at a popular primary school yesterday, in what is believed to be the first case of a parent being taken to court for school admission fraud.

Council investigators found tax records placed her at a different address two miles away from the school in Harrow.

Tuesday 2nd June 2009

Householders will be able to claim money off Marks & Spencer underwear, Subway sandwiches or a cappuccino from Coffee Republic in the first scheme in Britain to reward people for recycling.

Residents with microchips installed in their bins will earn points towards money-off vouchers according to the amount they recycle.

Under the Windsor and Maidenhead council pilot scheme, people will be able to track their points online and then claim their rewards in participating local shops.

Monday 1st June 2009

Britain is set for its biggest shake-up since the industrial revolution with the birth of five new 'super cities' over the next 20 years, a new report predicts.

Northern cities Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle are likely to become more prosperous than southern rivals.

Along with Brighton, Newcastle and Leeds will be booming business hubs.

The fifth super city will be London which will see creative businesses overtake finance as the major earner.

Monday 1st June 2009

Council leaders have warned hard-pressed families not to fall into the trap of using unscrupulous loan sharks amid fears that more people could be drawn to them in the credit crunch.

Town halls revealed that unlicensed money lenders are charging people more than 1,000 per cent interest and resorting to a sickening litany of criminal activity to harass customers who fall behind on repayments.

Friday 29th May 2009

Bournemouth Council's tourism chiefs have accused weather forecasters of costing the resort millions in revenue after predicting a thundery washout on May Bank Holiday Monday - which turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far.

The head of the tourism department is quoted: "Weather forecasters have got a real responsibility to the public, they affect people's lives and businesses.

If they can't get it right, they should be honest enough to tell people that."

Friday 29th May 2009

A grandfather was banned from buying fish and chips for friends in his sheltered housing block because of fears the food might pose a health and safety risk if it got cold.

Norwich City Council has conceded the ban was an overreaction and should be overturned.

Thursday 28th May 2009

Devon County Council is one step ahead of the game in coping with the recent outbreak of swine flu. It has created an e-learning course to train social care staff on how to cope with a flu pandemic.

This interactive e-learning, is available now to all members of Learning Pool - the public sector e-learning exchange.

As swine flu spreads across the world and the numbers affected increase, informing and educating people to combat the pandemic is vital. Devon County Council’s e-learning course provides the much needed background information on how a flu pandemic is caused and how to combat it.

Thursday 28th May 2009

An allotment holder has lost his plot after council bosses in Cheltenham said he is growing too few vegetables.

Cheltenham Borough Council is quoted saying the plots were overgrown with weeds, rubbish and debris.

Wednesday 27th May

Health chiefs announced 44 new cases at Welford primary in Handsworth, Birmingham, which includes 41 pupils and three teachers.

Wednesday 27th May 2009

Town hall chiefs yesterday called on parents to shake-off the  ‘cotton wool culture’.

Local Government Association members pledged they would not bow to the compensation culture and vowed to press on and build thousands of adventure playgrounds.

Association chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted: “Children playing outside is a fundamental part of growing up. We do our youngsters no favours by wrapping then up in cotton wool.  Town halls are determined not to  bow to the compensation culture.”

Monday 25th May 2009

Tens of thousands of Eastern Europeans are going home as the recession appears to have forced the end of the biggest wave of migration in British history.

Monday 25th May 2009

A motorist has been awarded £1,000 compensation for mental stress after being wrongly issued with a parking ticket.

Hastings Council settled out of court, ending a legal battle that began in May 2004.

Friday 22nd May

Residents of a road in the West Midlands are angry after council contractors filled in only half of three potholes, because the other half of each hole was judged to be on housing association, rather than council land.

Walsall Council said the repairs were a temporary measure and permanent repairs will be carried out by the end of next week.

Friday 22nd May

Teachers were banned from using social networking sites after a principal was caught using Twitter to grumble about pupils, colleagues and parents.

A statement from Argyll and Bute council said it was policy to block social networking sites in all schools.

Thursday 21st May

Despite numerous anti-litter campaigns, the amount of litter being dropped is not decreasing according to the latest data from Keep Britain Tidy.

It costs local authorities in the UK about £500m a year to clear up, money that could be better spent on more critical services.

Thursday 21st May

Britain is being told to prepare for a heatwave this summer.

The Department of Health has published advice urging people to keep an eye on elderly and unwell relatives.

It also suggests painting homes white to reflect the heat.

Monday 18th May 2009

New research on CCTV in Britain's cities centres suggests the technology has only a limited impact on street crime.

The review from the Campbell Collaboration - by criminologists at Cambridge University and Massachusetts - looked at 44 research studies of CCTV schemes.

According to a report in The Guardian, CCTV works most effectively in cutting vehicle crime in car parks, especially when used alongside improved lighting and the introduction of security guards.

However, the impact is less significant in reducing overall crime in city and town centres and public housing estates.

Monday 18th May 2009

Kent County Council used the social networking site Twitter to inform parents and the media when a heating duct collapsed at a school, injuring 13.

"This was the first time we have used it in the context of an emergency incident.

It meant we were able to provide an updated account that people could trust about what was going on at Minster College.

"And we could pass on the advice, reassurance and the phone number to call in a very immediate way.

We will use this method again in emergency situations as we think it has proved successful."

Friday 15th May 2009

Dramatic cuts in public services can be avoided by giving local authorities new powers to balance their budget over three years rather than just one, it is claimed.

If local authorities were granted a wider time table they would be able to invest in services at a time when their income is being reduced and recoup monies when income improves, New Local Government Network (NLGN) said.

Friday 15th May 2009 

The number of homes repossessed in the UK rose to 12,800 in the first three months of the year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said.

This was up 23% from the 10,400 in the previous three months and 50% up on the 8,500 in the same period last year.

Thursday 14th May 2009

In his budget speech in April, the chancellor announced £100m funding for councils to build new affordable housing for rent.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have now published further detail on the proposals and guidance to councils on bidding for the funding.

Thursday 14th May 2009

An estimated 6,700 council jobs have been lost in England over the last six months as the recession bites, with the rate of job losses expected to continue at the same pace over the course of the next year, according to new research published.

Wednesday 13th May 2009

The three main political parties will today meet at Westminster to try to agree ground rules as to how to fight the far right.

A piece in the Times profiles the rise of the BNP in Barnsley.

The Party secured 17 per cent of the vote at last year's local elections, amidst fears that it will perform better than ever in this year's.

Wednesday 13th May 2009

All new public projects, including housing and schools will be subject to new design standards was published yesterday as part of the Government's first significant urban regeneration report in a decade.

Tuesday 12th May 2009

A survey published today by the LGA shows that almost 7,000 jobs have been lost over the last six months. It shows that three in five councils have made staff reductions, with the recession having a significant impact on council income.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "Just as the private sector is having to cut back during tough times, so too councils are faced with incredibly difficult decisions."

He adds that councils are being forced to reduce jobs because of a £2.5bn drop in income.

A separate survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development warns that public sector workers are facing difficult times ahead as more job losses can be expected.

Tuesday 12th May 2009

The Fostering Network is warning that a crisis in the care system is looming with two thirds of foster parents near or beyond the age of retirement.

The charity says that all councils need to carry out an urgent audit of their foster parents.

Monday 11th May 2009

Britain under Gordon Brown is a more unequal country than at any time since modern records began in the early 1960s, after the incomes of the poor fell and those of the rich rose in the three years after the 2005 general election.

Monday 11th May 2009

Ministers gave the green light for private companies to bid for the £1bn Future Jobs Fund announced in the Budget, as long as they meet strict criteria to create new jobs.

Friday 8th May 2009

An action plan to tackle a severe shortage of social workers to protect vulnerable children such as Baby P has been described as "tinkering" by senior professionals.

Ministers are to spend almost £60million trying to lure the "the best and brightest" graduates into social work.

"It is disappointing that Lord Laming's recommendation that Government provides sufficient funding for child protection in frontline agencies has not resulted in an increase in the basic funding of such services," said Kim Bromley-Derry, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services.

Friday 8th May 2009

A Liberal Democrat councillor has been found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend and her new lover.

David Bryant, 45, a member of Cornwall County Council, was given a six-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months for attacking Sarah Townrow and David Cowen.

Thursday 7th May 2009

Guidance issued today by the British Medical Association says that doctors should detain children in hospital if they suspect abuse and contact key local agencies.

Thursday 7th May 2009

Labour could lose all its remaining county councils in the upcoming local elections, amidst fears that up to 200 town hall seats could be lost.

Wednesday 6th May 2009

All private landlords would need to be registered before letting residential property under new plans being considered by ministers, amidst concerns that too much private rented accommodation is sub-standard.

Wednesday 6th May 2009

A sharp rise in demand for primary school places caused by the recession could mean that thousands of pupils are denied entry to their first choice school.

A total of 53 councils said that applications were up this year.

Cllr James Kempton, leader of Islington warns that problems could get worse.

Tuesday 5th May 2009

Leaflets giving information about swine flu and advice on how to prevent its spread are to start being delivered to all households in the UK later.

The nationwide campaign begins as the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in the UK has risen to 27.

Five schools have been closed, three in London, one in Devon and one in south Gloucestershire, after pupils fell ill.

Meanwhile in Mexico officials are set to relax flu restrictions after seeing a fall in the number of new cases.

From Tuesday, all homes in the UK are set to receive a leaflet stressing the importance of good hygiene in preventing the spread of swine flu.

Tuesday 5th May 2009

Parents in England could get the power to force councils to improve the quality of local schools under new plans to be announced by Gordon Brown.

The proposals would allow parents to demand action at a school even if their children were not pupils.

Currently, worried parents can trigger an inquiry by the schools inspector Ofsted, but only the government can compel councils to act.

Friday 1st May 2009

Potholes have soared by a third on England's roads in the last year, a report has revealed.

There is now a hole every 120 yards on average and £8.5bn is needed to fix the roads, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance.

Transport spokesman for the LGA, Cllr David Sparks is quoted: "The spiralling cost of maintaining road is out of proportion to the ability of local authorities to pay for it.

The situation is being made worse by no win, no fee lawyers who are eating up almost half of the road maintenance budget."

A Telegraph editorial calls on councils not to spend more money, but to spend existing funds more wisely.

Friday 1st May 2009

Waltham Forest Council has become the first in the UK to introduce random metal detector checks at 22 schools in a blitz on knife crime.

Councillor Chris Robbins said: "There's an issue of knife and weapon crime in London.

It would be foolish to ignore that."

Thursday 30th April 2009

More than 32 million masks are being ordered by the Department of Health as fears grow that swine flu could become a pandemic.

Leaflets are to be sent to every house in Britain containing information about the outbreak and preventative measures.

Thursday 30th April 2009

Private schools are starting to see a drop in the number of younger pupils as the recession tightens its grip, figures from the Independent Schools Council show.

Wednesday 29th April 2009

Commenting on the reports that the World Health Organisation has raised its alert over the outbreak of swine flu, Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association said: "Councils are keeping a close watch on reports of swine flu cases. They have well-developed contingency plans to cope with an outbreak."

"They are in close touch with the National Health Service, the Government and other agencies as the situation develops."

Wednesday 29th April 2009

Claims that council magazines have been threatening the future of local newspapers are unfounded, according to new research published.

A comprehensive survey by the Local Government Association has found that the majority of council publications are distributed on an infrequent basis and are produced to inform residents about services.

Tuesday 28th April 2009

David Cameron has vowed to replace Labour's 'spendaholic' government with one of thrift.

The Tory leader warned that the debt crisis Labour will leave behind would give him no option but to axe non-essential public spending.

Tuesday 28th April 2009

A binman job has attracted 238 applications as the search for work gets desperate.

Unemployed workers are applying in droves for all jobs amid astonishing levels of competition in the job market.

Monday 27th April 2009

The squeeze on public spending from 2011 looks certain to lead to shortfalls in town hall coffers, council leaders warn today.

Wednesday's Budget estimated that growth in public spending will fall from 2.1 per cent to 0.7 per cent in real terms from 2011-12 to 2014.

The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England, warned that the spending slowdown would lead to tough choices for councils, which had funding increases below other services such as health, education and transport in the last three-year spending round.

Monday 27th April 2009

In response to the Budget, Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association said:

"The Government has recognised what councils have been calling for for months, which is that local authorities are key to the creation of jobs in the public and private sectors.

It's good news that ministers have listened to what council leaders have been telling them. Councils must now be given freedom to use the extra money pledged in the Budget to help local people.

"The state of the public finances will have a significant impact on councils' finances in the coming years and town halls will be bracing themselves for tight times ahead."

Friday 24th April 2009

More than 230,000 tons of waste sent for recycling by householders is being dumped in landfill sites, according to Which? magazine.

Chairman of the LGA Environment Board, Cllr Paul Bettison is quoted: "The claims being made by Which? are beyond belief.

They appear to be counting dead cats and dirty nappies amongst the waste they think councils should be recycling.

Even if councils were to recycle all this waste, it would only save the taxpayer aroud 1p a week."

Friday 24th April 2009

A bomb was yesterday left at Doncaster children's services department.

A man was spotted on CCTV placing it outside the offices at 2am.

Thursday 23rd April 2009

Opposition parties have attacked as "fantasy" economic growth predictions contained in Alistair Darling's Budget.

The chancellor said the UK economy would return to growth by the end of 2009, expanding by 1.25% next year and 3.5% by 2011.

Mr Darling's forecasts have been called "preposterous" and "ludicrously optimistic" by opposition politicians.

But the chancellor told the BBC his prediction for next year was "within the range of outside forecasts".

Thursday 23rd April 2009

The former head of a government agency blamed for last summer's school tests fiasco attacked Education Secretary Ed Balls, claiming his account of events is "fiction".

Ken Boston, former head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, spoke yesterday in front of a committee of MPs.

Wednesday 22nd April 2009 
 
Mr Darling is expected to reveal soaring public borrowing later today.

Chancellor Alistair Darling will be forced to set out the full extent of Britain's economic woes in his Budget.

He is expected to unveil soaring public borrowing and details of the worst peacetime recession.

Tax rises and spending cuts from 2011 are likely as Mr Darling sets out his plans to restore public finances.

Wednesday 22nd April 2009

Sales are up but only from a very low level.

The number of homes sold in the UK jumped by 40% in March from the previous month, according to figures from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

There were 60,000 property sales worth at least £40,000 each, compared with 43,000 in February.

The figures suggest that the slump in home sales seen in the past 18 months may be coming to an end.

Tuesday 21st April 2009

Councils in London are reporting an urgent shortage of primary school places prompted by a baby boom and recession-related reduction in numbers attending private schools.

London Councils has compiled a report revealing a shortage of over 2,000 places in September, rising to 5,000 next year.

Tuesday 21st April 2009

Gordon Brown has ordered a clampdown on the pay of the taxpayer-funded executives running 190 public sector bodies, in a pre-budget bid to show he is determined to squeeze better value from the state.

Monday 20th April 2009

Jacqui Smith will today outline government plans to scale back surveillance powers for councils, amid concern about their use.

Councils have used legislation intended to tackle serious crime to deal with minor offences such as dog fouling and littering.

Cllr Hazel Harding, LGA spokesperson on Community Safety, is quoted: "Whilst it is a matter for each council to determine for its area, the Local Government Association's advice is that, save in the most unusual and extreme circumstances, it is inappropriate to use these powers for less serious matters."

She adds that it is essential for all councils to demonstrate that the powers were not only needed but also were being used appropriately, and with regard to privacy and civil liberties.

Monday 20th April 2009

The FT profiles the impact of the downgrading of credit ratings for a number of building societies on Wednesday. Both CIPFA and LGA said that councils would be likely to be reviewing their investments.

Friday 17th April 2009

The number of people living in overcrowded homes will rise by 15 per cent over the next two years as unemployment soars, according to the National Housing Federation.

Friday 17th April 2009

Motorists are to be offered incentives of up to £5,000 to buy an electric car under plans revealed yesterday.

Thursday 16th April 2009

The FT analyses the impact the recession will start to have on the public sector, predicting the social care funding system will be reformed and that house building targets will be missed.

Thursday 16th April 2009

Alcoholics who refuse to go a treatment programme may have their benefits withdrawn from them, the work and pensions secretary James Purnell suggested yesterday.

Wednesday 15th April 2009

Ministers will today outline emergency measures to stop the recession creating ghost towns.

Andy Burnham will announce a £3m plan that will see small grants of up to £1,000 made available to people who find creative uses for empty shops.

Planning rules will be relaxed and councils will be urged to take control of empty properties.

Wednesday 15th April 2009

Research published today by the Work Foundation shows that traditional manufacturing areas that suffered in previous recessions are bearing the brunt of this slump.

Unemployment is rising most sharply in the north of England, the Midlands and South Wales.

Tuesday 14th April 2009

The recession is being blamed for the closure of independently run care homes in nearly 1 in 7 local authority areas, council leaders have warned.

Town halls across the country are acting to try to prevent a shortage of residential places for older or disabled people.

Tuesday 14th April 2009

One of the biggest teachers' unions in England and Wales is demanding a pay rise of 10% or at least £3,000, whichever is greater.

Delegates at the annual National Union of Teachers conference backed the call despite warnings it would be unseemly when people are being made redundant.

Thursday 9th April 2009

Heads of school sixth forms and colleges are considering legal action against the government funding agency responsible for making unexpected cuts of £200m to their budgets.

There was an outcry when the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) wrote to sixth forms and colleges last week informing them of cuts to their individual budgets of up to £200,000.

Thursday 9th April 2009

The Times writes about the growing decline of the local newspaper during the recession.

Wednesday 8th April 2009

The Department for Communities and Local Government - whose ministers regularly lecture local authorities on efficiency in buying goods and services - has emerged near the bottom of a league table of Whitehall departments' procurement skills.

The LGA is quoted: "On the DCLG's own figures, local authorities made efficiency gains of more than £4bn between 2004 and 2008, including hundreds of millions of saving on direct procurement of goods and services."

Wednesday 8th April 2009

Potholes in roads cause £1.1million of damage to British cars every day, new research has claimed.

Tuesday 7th April 2009

Every household could be forced to collect food and garden waste in a separate bin from other rubbish under proposed EU laws designed to combat climate change.

The European Commission wants to cut the carbon emissions that are created from recycling leftover food and other biodegradable waste.

LGA Chairman Margaret Eaton is quoted: "How can someone sitting in Brussels, or even Whitehall, decide whether a person in Birmingham needs a separate bin for their garden waste? It should be up to local councils to decide."

Tuesday 7th April 2009

A retired diplomat has provoked anger from neighbours in Dorset over a 10ft high shed that has been compared to the Berlin Wall.

The family may have to tear down the shed, in Sherborne, because they did not seek planning permission.

Monday 6th April 2009

Birmingham Council yesterday unveiled plans for Britain's biggest ever public library.

The library will cost £193m with capacity to accommodate over three million visitors a year .

The plans are part of a new wave of 'super libraries' in the city.

Monday 6th April 2009

The demise of local papers is profiled in G2.

It says that there is talk of a 'crisis in local democracy if the local press is further eroded.'

Friday 3rd April 2009

A Government commissioned report on the Learning Skills Council yesterday described the quango as having 'inadequate management information and monitoring' and castigated the 'incompetent' behaviour of the organisation.

Friday 3rd April 2009

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission yesterday had to apologise to Glasgow City Council and retract a claim implying that the authority was guilty of sex discrimination against 900 teaching assistants.

Thursday 2nd April 2009

Alistair Darling yesterday announced relief for firms seeing large rises in business rates that will see them pay off rising bills over the course of the next three years.

The Chancellor made the announcement after pressure from business and council leaders.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "This will help a large number of businesses struggling in the bleak economic climate."

Thursday 2nd April 2009

Lord Mandleson yesterday urged the country's nine regional development agencies to sharpen their focus on helping businesses through the recession.

The Business Secretary published a report showing that the RDAs generate £4.50 for regional economies for every £1 invested but said that 'they can do even more.'

The Institute of Directors questioned the figures in the report.

Wednesday 1st April 2009

Millions of people in seven English counties now come under new council areas, as a result of the biggest local government shake-up in 30 years.

Replacing 44 districts and counties with nine "supersized" authorities will save £100m, according to ministers.

About 3.2 million residents will be represented by the new English authorities, which replace the two-tier system of counties and districts in the affected areas.

Across the seven areas, the total number of councillors will be reduced from 2037 to 725.

Cllr Lionel Grundy, leader of Kennet District Council in Wiltshire, which closed down on Tuesday, said an independent poll showed people in the borough did not want a larger council.

"We ran an efficient little council and the public seemed to be quite satisfied, so the question was 'Why the change?'

"Big isn't always beautiful but we lost the legal argument so the only mature thing was to get on with trying to make the new council the best it could be."

Wednesday 1st April 2009

The decision to give MPs a 2.3% pay rise will make it difficult to curb pay demands by the rest of the public sector, it is claimed.

A piece in the Times says that unions will have 'no truck' with employers insisting on pay curbs for low-paid workers, pointing to 'snouts in the trough' at Westminster.

Monday 30th March 2009

Top bosses' pay in the public sector is far outstripping the rises enjoyed by their employees, making a mockery of government efforts to hold state sector pay rises at two per cent, pay experts said yesterday.

The trend of soaring exeutive pay is established across the public sector, drawing criticism and scrutiny, Income Data Services said.

Monday 30th March 2009

Two police authorities face being capped after setting excessive council tax increases well above the average three per cent rise for England, the Government announced last night.

The move came after Local Government Minister John Healey announced the average Band D council tax bill would rise by £41 from April 1st, the lowest for 15 years.

Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "Local authorities have made huge efforts to keep down council tax this year and have set the lowest rise for 15 years.

The increase of three per cent works out at 79p a week - less than a loaf of bread."

Friday 27th March 2009

Powers designed to fight terrorism have been used by local councils to carry out more than 20,000 covert operations into everything from stealing fairy lights to the illegal sale of crabs.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that thousands of council staff have been authorised to use anti-terrorism powers for spying.

One in five was below senior management grade. A spokesman for the LGA said that councils were 'discussing with local politicians what they [the powers] should be used for and training staff to make sure that they're used appropriately.'

Friday 27th March 2009

Local authorities ignored warnings and 'negligently' put nearly £33 million of taxpayers' money into Icelandic banks day before their collapse, the Audit Commission said today.

Margaret Eaton, the Chairman of the LGA, said that the way councils made investments needed to be adjusted rather than replaced and that investments had kept council tax down.

Thursday 26th March 2009

Schoolgirls will be able to request the morning-after pill by text message to their school nurse as part of a scheme being introduced at six schools in Oxfordshire this year.

Thursday 26th March 2009

The future of school meals is in jeopardy because only half of all secondary schools are on course to comply with stringent government standards, catering leaders will say today.

From September they will have to buy costly computer equipment to calculate the nutritional content of every meal.

Wednesday 25th March 2009

More than one million nurses, midwives and other NHS staff face losing a promised pay rise in the first sign of a salary squeeze for public sector workers.

The freeze would set the tone for pay negotiations with local government workers and civil servants.

Wednesday 25th March 2009

Police have been called in after "eco-terrorists" launched a campaign against councillors planning to cut back on municipal flower beds.

Colchester council plans to turf over some of them to save money but "wanted" posters sprang up around the town with pictures of two councillors who supported the scheme.

Tuesday 24th March 2009

VAT should be slashed on long-term empty homes to bring hundreds of thousands of properties back into use, the LGA has said.

Chairman Margaret Eaton as written to the Chancellor calling for a cut in VAT on the refurbishment of homes that have lain empty for more than six months.

Tuesday 24th March 2009

Switching public spending from 'grey' projects building roads and expanding airports, to 'green' schemes creating parks and allotments, would save billions of pounds, improve health, cut climate emissions and create jobs, say official advisers to the government.

Natural England and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) say urban areas could be transformed into healthier, wealthier and much more pleasant places if green infrastructure received even a fraction of the investment allotted to 'grey' areas.

Monday 23rd March 2009

More than 60,000 children were given the wrong grade in A levels, GCSEs and key stage tests last summer, according to a report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Monday 23rd March 2009

Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, has introduced a new 'tax' for all non EU migrants arriving to work or study. It is expected to raise £35m a year to cover the extra burden on public services.

Friday 20th March 2009

The number of people out of work rose yesterday to two million, the highest level since Labour came to power in 1997.

Official figures show that 30,000 jobs were created in the public sector last year, although posts were lost in areas such as local government.

The LGA has warned that job cuts among refuse collectors, teaching assistants and librarians would be needed to fund a 2.75 per cent pay increase for 1,400,000 workers.

Friday 20th March 2009

A 'doomsday scenario' of what services may have to be cut if the Government makes huge cuts in public spending is being drawn up by SOLACE, the organisation that represents council chief executives, and CIPFA.

Thursday 19th March 2009

The Local Government Association has produced a list of 200 'council-speak'  phrases it wants members to ban so people can understand what councillors and officers are talking about.

Entries range from 'gateway review' and 'holistic government' to 'predictors of beaconicity' and 'funding streams'.

Chairman of the LGA, Margaret Eaton, said: "Councils must not hide behind impenetrable jargon.

It is vital that we explain in plain English how to get access to the 800 services on offer."

Thursday 19th March 2009

Large parts of the public sector could go in to the next election not knowing what their budgets will be for the succeeding year.

Both cabinet ministers and Number 10 advisers say it now looks unlikely that a comprehensive spending review, which in the normal political timetable would take place this summer, will happen.

Wednesday 18th March 2009

Trainspotters may be banned from railways across the UK after a rail union labelled them a security risk.

Richard Boyd, a local government official from Altrincham, has posted a petition on the Downing Street website to end the harassment of rail enthusiasts.

Wednesday 18th March 2009

Essex County Council has issued guidance which will allow more generous parking provision in new housing estates, acknowledging that the government's policy to limit car ownership has failed.

New parking area standards will be treated as a minimum, rather than a maximum, allowing developers to create larger spaces for parking and get cars off the streets and into garages.

John Jowers, Cabinet Member for Planning, said, "Rationing parking spaces doesn't stop people owning cars, it just means they park where it is most inconvenient for everyone else".

Tuesday 17th March 2009

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission will tell the UK government today that the economic climate is too fragile to impose equal pay reviews on business.

With women's pay on average 17% less than men's and the gap increasing, the EHRC will say that the reviews should be excluded from the forthcoming equalities bill when it publishes its recommendations.

An accompanying article asks the question, "Who is worth more, classroom assistant or gravedigger?"

Tuesday 17th March 2009

A lawsuit is being taken in the American courts on behalf of North Yorkshire and Merseyside council pension funds against the Royal Bank of Scotland for hundreds of millions of pounds.

Cherie Blair has been hired by the two local authority funds to seek compensation for the 'massive losses' incurred when RBS was bailed out and the share price collapsed.

Monday 16th March 2009

Almost nine out of ten councils are experiencing or anticipate an increase in demand for social housing because of the recession, new research published today has revealed.

A survey of council leaders conducted by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, shows that 57 per cent of authorities are seeing more people in need of social housing and 31 per cent expect to.

Monday 16th March 2009

Half of children moving to secondary school failed to get into the one they wanted in some areas, according to official figures.

Overall about one in six children did not get into the school that their parents wanted them to attend.

Friday 13th March 2009

A family who ignored council orders to turn down their TV had it seized by officials, and were left with just the remote.

Rochdale Council issued a noise abatement order in 2006 after complaints but the couple ignored it.

Friday 13th March 2009

Almost nine out of ten councils were experiencing or expecting a rise in demand for social housing because of the recession, according to a survey by the LGA.

Councils should be able to borrow on the open market and keep all the rent from council housing to help increase the supply of homes, the association said.

Thursday 12th March 2009

A report from the Department for Transport is likely to dismiss the widely held belief that street lighting reduces accidents by 30 per cent - to the delight of campaigners against light pollution.

Thursday 12th March 2009

Tony Blair's former speechwriter, Philip Collins, comments on yesterday's White Paper and how the credit crunch should encourage devolution of power.

Wednesday 11th March 2009

Speed limits could be cut from 60mph to 50mph to reduce the number of deaths on rural roads.

Wednesday 11th March 2009

A revival of traditional Saturday morning community 'litter picks' and 1950s-style penny-for-a-bottle schemes is needed to help prevent Britain's countryside from an unprecedented rubbish epidemic, according to heritage campaigners.

The call has been made as a report revealed that the amount of rubbish on the streets had grown by 500 per cent since the 1960s and costs local taxpayers £500 million a year to tackle.

Tuesday 10th March 2009

Tens of thousands of retired public sector workers have not been paid their full pension entitlement for decades because of poor government record-keeping, it is claimed.

Tuesday 10th March 2009

Hollywood actress Samantha Morton, who spent some of her formative years in care, will today lead a demonstration in her home city of Nottingham against plans to close one of the city's four children's homes.

Monday 9th March 2009

The family courts system is at 'breaking point' and thousands of vulnerable women and children at risk of abuse are going without legal help, according to a new report by the Bar Council.

The first research into the likely effect of proposed £6.5 million cuts in family legal aid suggests that they will have a 'severe impact' on women and children in the courts.

Monday 9th March 2009

Less than half the public (46 per cent) has confidence in the police and councils to deal with antisocial bevaviour and crime, according to figures from the British Crime Survey.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, said that all forces should reach a confidence rating of 60 per cent by 2012.

Friday 6th March 2009

West Sussex Council has been found guilty by the ombudsman of failing a child of twelve after he missed two years of school.

Friday 6th March 2009

Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Michael Machell is driving neighbours mad - by playing the Star Wars theme on an organ at all hours.

Neighbours in Wallasey, Wirral, have complained to the council about the noise.

Thursday 5th March

Council chief executives hit back yesterday at charges of 'fat cat' pay as the latest assessment of local authority performance showed a record number of councils achieving the maximum four-star rating.

Solace published a survey of its members' average pay against that of selected private sector companies with similiar turnovers and staffing levels.

It showed that private sector chief executives were typically paid about three times as much, before bonuses and incentives.

Thursday 5th March 2009

The final round of Comprehensive Performance Assessment has seen 62 councils getting the top four-star rating - almost three times as many as 2002, when the inspection regime was introduced.

Local government inspectorate, the Audit Commission, issued the seventh and last CPA league tables, with no zero-rated councils.

Wednesday 4th March 2009

The government is to lend potentially billions of pounds of public money to save ailing PFI projects in the face of the recession.

Details of the scheme are to be announced today with the package receiving strong opposition from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Wednesday 4th March 2009

Schools have been accused of flouting Labour's rules on admissions as figures showed thousands of pupils failed to get preferred places this year.

Hundreds of schools across England are asking parents for personal information - including marital status, occupation and even children's hobbies - to pick the best pupils, according to a study by the London School of Economics.

The Guardian reports that 100,000 families have missed out on their first choice of secondary school this year.

Tuesday 3rd March 2009

Local authorities face a hit to their budgets as declining commodity prices mean that they can no longer make profits from recycling.

The FT also reports that altering the frequency of bin collections can be an explosive issue at the ballot box.

Tuesday 3rd March 2009

The Government is to order a review of the use of lotteries to allocate school places, prompted by concerns they have a "destabilising" effect on children.

The moves come in the same week that half a million 11 year-olds will be told which secondary schools they will attend in September.

Random allocation by lottery has been used by around 25 local authorities.

A Guardian poll shows that Labour has failed to convince voters that its drive to improve education has led to a fairer schools system.

Monday 2nd March 2009

About 10,000 jobs are estimated to have been axed by local councils in England, with many more likely to go, as income from planning applications, land sales, deposits and other revenue generators has fallen because of the recession.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "There is a fine balance between helping to stimulate the economy and keeping council tax down for hard-pressed taxpayers."

Monday 2nd March 2009

Local Government Minister, John Healey, has announced that councils will be forced to reveal the pay packages of chief executives.

Mr Healey said the level of disclosure of salaries in the public sector was "a good deal lower then we require, rightly, from civil servants and ministers and the private sector".

Friday 28th February 2009

At least 40,000 council jobs could be cut according to a survey revealed in today's Times.

A separate survey of 129 council leaders by the LGA shows that half of councils have cut jobs and a further seven in ten expect to make further redundancies.

Councils say they are facing a 'perfect storm' of declining revenues and increasing demand for services at a time when they are under huge pressure to keep council tax rises down.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA is quoted: "Just as the private sector is having to cut back during tough times, so too councils are faced with incredibly difficult decisions."

Friday 28th February 2009

A report commissioned by six local authorities found that the eco town proposed for Middle Quinton near Stratford-upon-Avon would make a loss of nearly £400m, even before obligations to pay for roads and other infrastructure.

The CBI will today call for planning applications to be extended to avoid delays in development.

Thursday 26th February 2009

Town halls are revising down this year's council tax rises to help hard-pressed residents deal with their bills, new research published today shows.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, has today revised its prediction for council tax rises for this year to 3% as local authorities finalise their budgets - the lowest rise in over a decade. A previous LGA estimate from January suggested a 3.5% rise.

Thursday 26th February 2009

If your council has signed up to Government Connect in phase 1 you'll know that you have until 1st April to get up and running. 

Come along to the free Government Connect meeting in Bristol on Tuesday 10th March to meet some Learning Pool subscribers who are ahead of the training game. 

Meet L&D professionals who have created e-learning on this topic and hear how you can benefit from their work.

You can repurpose their e-learning if you're already part of the Learning Pool club.

And if you're not yet part of the best collaborative community in the public sector come along to find out how to join and what else you'll get for your money.

Wednesday 25th Frbruary 2009

Councils face a £6bn fall in contributions from property companies as developers halt work and renegotiate plans.

The consultancy EC Harris said that income that councils receive from planning obligations and used to pay for affordable housing and infrastructure will fall by around two thirds.

A spokesperson for the LGA is quoted: "As the housing market stagnates, town halls are seeing a drop-off in the income they receive across the board and it is putting a real strain on council finances."

Wednesday 25th February 2009

The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, will do a U-turn over controversial sweeping new powers which were to allow public bodies to swap the data they hold on individuals.

In a clear sign the Government is worried about growing criticism that it is creating a "Big Brother Britain", Mr Straw is to rewrite his Coroners and Justice Bill to build in new safeguards to protect the public.

Meanwhile Home Secretary David Blunkett will today warn of the dangers of allowing an 'oppressive' Big Brother state to develop.

Tuesday 24th February 2009

A new group, chaired by Kate Barker, will today warn the Government that £6bn needs to be invested in social housing over the next two years to tackle the shortage of social housing.

The 2020 Group comprises the LGA, Shelter, the TUC and the National Housing Federation.

Tuesday 24th February 2009

The Police are preparing for a 'summer of rage' as people affected by the economic downturn take to the streets.

David Hartshorn, who heads the Met Police's public order branch, told the Guardian that middle-class people, who have never taken part in similar action before, may join demonstrations as the recession bites.

Monday 23rd February 2009

Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB, the two banks bailed out by the Government, are to add between £1 trillion and £1.5 trillion to the public debt, the equivalent of between 70 and 100 per cent of GDP, the Office for National Statistics indicated yesterday.

Tax receipts have slumped by 11 per cent as a result of the downturn, with income tax receipts falling 3 per cent compared to January 2008, VAT down 11 per cent and corporation tax receipts down 21 per cent.

Monday 23rd February 2009

The Times reports that local government pension funds could be used to bail out the government's PFI school projects.

Partnership for Schools, the government body responsible for the  £55bn building programme, has approached several councils to ask for emergency cash from pension funds because private finance has dried up.

Friday 20th February 2009

A dramatic deterioration in the public finances is expected to be revealed as official figures show extremely weak tax revenues in the crucial month of January and lay bare the cost of the government's capital injections into Britain's banks.

Friday 20th February 2009

Significant parts of the country had not fully recovered from the 1990s recession before the latest one struck, the Local Government Association said yesterday.

The findings of new analysis by the LGA underlined the need for the government to back local action on unemployment if a fresh 'lost generation' of workers were not to be created, said Margaret Eaton, the LGA chairman.

Thursday 19th February 2009

A joint investigation by Sky News, the Independent and Greenpeace has discovered that tonnes of toxic materials from electronics items have been illegally shipped to Africa to be dumped.

A television left at an amnesty site run by Hampshire County Council was tracked to an electronics market in Lagos despite it being classed as "hazardous waste".

The Council has launched an inquiry into its waste sites but insists it only uses contractors that export functional equipment.

Thursday 19th February 2009

There has been a sharp increase in the number of children living in poverty who have at least one parent in work.

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that even parents who are earning may not have enough to drag their family above the poverty line.

Wednesday 18th February 2009

A study by the Local Government Association has found that while the total weight of supermarket food packaging has reduced in the past two years, almost 40 per cent still cannot be easily recycled.

Waitrose had the heaviest packaging per shopping basket and Lidl had the worst record on recyclable materials.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, is quoted: "At a time when we're in recession and shoppers are feeling the pinch, we have to move on from a world that tolerates clingfilmed coconuts and shrink-wrapped tins of baked beans.

If retailers create unnecessary rubbish, they should help taxpayers by paying for it to be recycled."

Wednesday 18th February 2009

Leeds City Council is planning to cut hundreds of jobs over the next year, blaming low government grants and a drop in income.

Richard Brett, the council's joint Leader, said: "It is regrettable that we've had to consider our options around the size of our workforce, but the council is in an almost impossible position."

The LGA said that the situation for councils had worsened since it released figures in early January showing that one in seven councils would cut job.

Tuesday 17th February 2009

Friends and family of the comedian Peter Cook gathered to unveil a plaque in his honour over the weekend, put up by Westminster City Council and the Heritage Foundation.

Tuesday 17th February 2009

Schools labelled as failing and threatened with closure by the government last year have been told they will receive as little as £5,000 to help them improve, according to figures seen by the Guardian.

Some headteachers have not yet seen a penny of the cash promised last June as part of a £400m plan to eradicate underperforming schools.

Monday 16th February 2009

A coalition of leading British leisure companies is demanding the brief for tourism be handed to the business department as it is treated as a 'poor relation' in its current home within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Monday 16th February 2009

Responding to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on home insulation, council leaders call for energy suppliers to pay a £500 million annual charge to help fund a comprehensive home insulation programme that would lift half a million people out of fuel poverty.

Friday 13th February 2009

The £1.4million 'B of the Bang' sculpture in Manchester is to be mothballed after fears some of its 180 pikes could drop off.

Friday 13th February 2009

A new drive to reduce carbon emissions from residential homes by Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will be announced today, that will set out ways to make it easy for householders to install environmentally-friendly technologies.

The LGA called on energy companies to set up a multi-million pound fund to pay for a mass insulation programme.

Vice Chairman, Sir Jeremy Beecham, is quoted as saying that "A comprehensive home insulation programme is the best long-term solution to tackling fuel poverty, cutting domestic carbon emissions, creating jobs and saving people money."

Thursday 12th February 2009

As many as two in five people think that local authorities and public transport have done a good job of handling the recent snowstorms and bad weather, according to the latest Populus poll for The Times.

The poll, undertaken over the weekend after the worst snow in England for 18 years, shows a surprising degree of tolerance for the plight of public authorities.

This is highest in the South East, which normally does not receive much snow and experienced unusually severe disruption for a few days.

Thursday 12th February 2009

Fire crews sprang into action across the south of Britain yesterday, rescuing people from their homes and vehicles as torrential rain, gale force winds and snow caused flash floods.

Some areas in the South-West recorded a month's worth of rainfall in 24 hours.

Wednesday 11th February 2009

If your council has signed up to Government Connect in phase 1 you'll know that you have until 1st April to get up and running. 

Come along to the free Government Connect meeting in Bristol on Tuesday 10th March to meet some Learning Pool subscribers who are ahead of the training game. 

Meet L&D professionals who have created e-learning on this topic and hear how you can benefit from their work.

You can repurpose their e-learning if you're already part of the Learning Pool club.

And if you're not yet part of the best collaborative community in the public sector come along to find out how to join and what else you'll get for your money.

Wednesday 11th February 2009

Large parts of Britain were hit by a second front of bad weather yesterday as torrential rain and more snow swept across much of the country.

Councils were preparing for possible evacuations after 65 flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency.

Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of the LGA's Environment Board, is quoted as saying that councils had emergency planning teams on full alert to help people before floods struck.

Tuesday 10th February 2009

Children in two fifths of England's council districts will be denied the Government's Olympics promise of free swimming.

Councils said that achieving the pledge would depend on a massive increase in funding that may not be available in this economic climate.

Tuesday 10th February 2009

More snow and ice have pushed Britain's coldest spell for two decades into a second week.

As a national salt shortage continued, table salt was spread on roads in Gloucestershire as the council ran desperately low on rock salt.

West Sussex County Council has ordered 1,600 tonnes of salt from Germany at £97 a tonne.

It usually costs £25-30 a tonne.

Monday 9th February 2009

The Met Police has issued a memo to officers saying that they no longer have the power to penalise drivers for offences such as driving the wrong way down a one-way street, meaning enforcement will be left to councils.

Monday 9th February 2009

A House of Lords report published Friday states that the spread of the 'surveillance society' is undermining fundamental freedoms.

The report said that there were serious concerns about the RIPA powers that councils use, saying that a consultation into how the powers were being used doesn't go far enough.

Friday 6th February 2009

Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, has announced plans for teenagers to be trained as classroom assistants. 4,000 apprentices for roles such as cooks, ground staff and lab technicians will be made available. 

However, 16-year-olds will not be expected to teach 17-year-old pupils.

Friday 6th February 2009

Councils in some parts of the country are warning that in some areas gritting salt is likely to run out in days leaving them with no choice but to grit A and B roads only. 

Salt Union, one of the largest salt providers to councils, said it is working around the clock to keep up with demand.

Cllr Paul Bettison, LGA Environment Chairman was quoted in the Independent, Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail, stressing that in some regions more salt had been spread in the past four days than in the whole of last winter. 

Thursday 5th February 2009

A quarter of all council tax is being used to meet the rising cost of local government pensions, according to the Daily Mail, as taxpayer subsidies reached £5bn last year.

Leaders at the LGA met last month to try to address the issue and the perception of a 'widening gulf between the public and private sector'.

Thursday 5th February 2009

Schools and councils came in for criticism yesterday, with one in three schools closed for a second day, as the Federation for Small Business estimated that the UK could lose out on £3.5bn in productivity by the end of the week.

The LGA defended the decision, arguing that parents preferred to know early whether or not schools were opening.

There were also fears that councils could run out of grit by the weekend. Cllr Paul Bettison, LGA's spokesperson on the Environment, is quoted: "Councils with better stockpiles should be able to help out others."

An LGA spokesperson added: "Councils would have been accused of wasting taxpayers' cash on unnecessary grit if they had spent millions of pounds building up reserves that were lying idly by for years."

Wednesday 4th February 2009

A parish council has used its reserves to declare a tax holiday.

Islip council near Oxford said it hoped that some of the average £47 residents will save would end up in the village's two pubs.

Wednesday 4th February 2009

Industry groups and the Conservatives have condemned plans to raise business rates by 5% this year. Caroline Spelman said that it could signal a 'nail in the coffin for many struggling firms.'

Tuesday 3rd February 2009

The heaviest snow storms for 18 years covered Britain yesterday and brought widespread chaos.

Forecasters said the snowfall has been the worst since February 1991.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "We've been working with the Highways Agency, travel operators and councils and they will do their best to keep things open."

Tuesday 3rd February 2009

Peter Mandelson has announced plans to turn post offices into banks to plug up the gap left by the recent banking crisis.

A new state-owned People's Bank could save the Post Office from privatization using the network of  £12,000 post offices.

Monday 2nd February 2009

The biggest council house building programme for decades was ordered by Gordon Brown as he urged town halls to rescue the construction industry and help to kick-start the economy.

The Local Government Association said that the proposed changes would give real incentives for councils to build more housing for some of society's most vulnerable people and for the thousands of people who are being repossessed.

Monday 2nd February 2009

The LGA has condemned as 'irresponsible and alarmist' a report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission which accuses more than 100 councils of failing to provide services for victims of rape, domestic violence and trafficking.

Friday 30th January 2009

A senior council official is being sued for £1 million by her employer after she allegedly lied on her job application.

Christine Laird secured the job of managing director of Cheltenham Council without revealing she suffered from depression, it has been claimed.

Friday 30th January 2009

Parents would be able to put their children into nursery for the whole week free of charge under plans to encourage more mothers back into work.

Thursday 29th January 2009

The government is paving the way for local authorities to offer low-cost mortgages to first-time buyers and others struggling to get loans, with Margaret Beckett understood to be looking at resurrecting schemes last seen in the mid 1970s.

Several councils have been lobbying the government to lift restrictions.

Thursday 29th January 2009

A High Court challenge to the government's eco towns project has failed.

Mr Justice Walker rejected the challenge by the Better Accessible Development campaign, which is against the building of 6,000 homes in Warwickshire.

Wednesday 28th January 2009

Wednesday 28th January 2009

The government is considering underwriting private finance initiative deals to build schools and hospitals in order to prevent public sector building plans grinding to a halt.

Tuesday 27th January 2009

Lack of private finance has led to many massive building schemes stalling, including projects affecting over 100 hospitals and schools.

Calls are increasing for the government to inject more capital to ensure these projects are completed as private funding sources are drying up due to the recession.

Chris Wilson, Chairman of 4Ps, is quoted: "Essentially, too many projects are chasing too little money."

Tuesday 27th January 2009

From today, councils will be able to access details on every child in England.

The next phase of database ContactPoint, designed to protect children at risk and help health workers, police and social workers share information, has raised concerns about data security.

Monday 26th January 2008

Anthony Douglas, chief executive of CAFCASS (the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service) believes child protection has become so difficult that a complete rethink is needed about recruitment, qualifications and training.

Monday 26th January 2008

The number of homes being repossessed has almost doubled in a year and the rate is now running at one every 10 minutes.

A total of 13,161 properties were repossessed in the three months to the end of September, a year-on-year rise of 92 per cent, the FSA said.

Fridary 23rd January 2009

Ministers killed off their plans for pay-as-you-throw bin taxes yesterday after claims that not one council volunteered to take part in the pilot schemes planned to begin this spring.

Richard Kemp, deputy chairman of the LGA, blamed the Government for not publishing clear rules on how the trials would operate. 

Friday 23rd January 2009

Graham Watts, chief executive of the Construction Industry Council, yesterday warned MPs that the government's £45bn programme to refurbish of rebuild every secondary school in the country risked grinding to a halt because of the economic downturn.

Thursday 22nd January 2009

April's council tax rises could be capped below last year's 5 per cent limit as the country heads deeper into recession, the government has signalled.

The LGA predicted this week that bills would rise by an average 3.5 per cent during the coming financial year.

John Healey has warned local authorities to show restraint as they prepare their demands.

In an interview with the FT, Healey said he wanted councils to be shamed into setting remuneration packages that were more appropriate rather than having limits imposed by central government.

Thursday 22nd January 2009

Plans to switch off street lights to save energy and reduce carbon emissions could put road users at risk, according to scientists.

A spokesman for the LGA is quoted: "If people complain about an unsightly glare coming from a street light, councils will endeavour to respond."

Wednesday 21st January 2009

Parents are calling for more men to become teachers because they fear their children lack male role models, according to new research.

Demand is even stronger among single mothers, who told the survey their children had little contact with men in caring roles.

Wednesday 21st January 2009

Schoolchildren are wearing stab-proof vests in class because they fear knife attacks, according to a report by the NASUWT.

Tuesday 20th January 2009

The competition to find the best course shared back to the Learning Pool catalogue will be ending on Friday 23rd January 2009 (5.30pm sharp!).

So don't miss out on the opportunity to win a DS Lite and upload your courses straight away. For help see our Share page.

Our very own Deborah Limb, e-learning guru extraordinaire, will judge which course is the most worthy of the prize.

Tuesday 20th January 2009

Powers which allow the Government to impose bin taxes on the whole country without consulting parliament have been brought in through a clause in the Climate Change Act.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed powers in the clause will allow any pilot scheme to be implemented across every council in England by ministerial order.

Tuesday 20th January 2008

Council tax bills are expected to rise by an average 3.5 per cent across England in April, according to a survey by the Local Government Association.

The figures suggest the average Band D council tax bill will rise by £47 from £1,374 to £1,421.

Margaret Eaton, the chairman of the LGA, said: "Money is tight for everyone and nobody likes paying more council tax, but town halls are making enormous efforts to keep bills down.

Money that councils earn from services they charge for is falling sharply at a time when demand on their services is rising."

Monday 19th January 2009

Tameside Council in Greater Manchester is offering staff unpaid leave to have, and recover from, cosmetic surgery, suggesting this will "generate goodwill" among staff.

Monday 19th January 2009

Families on incomes below £60,000 will now be able to avoid having their homes repossessed by getting their council to pay off some or all of their mortgage.

Friday 16th January 2009

Powers to remove barriers to the widespread bulk sharing of data across Whitehall departments and throughout the public sector were unveiled yesterday by the Justice Minister, Jack Straw.

The Coroners and Justice Bill will reverse the fundamental data protection principle that information provided to one government agency for one purpose should not normally be used by another for different purposes.

The Daily Mail reports the news saying that 'town hall snoopers' will get files on every Briton and that even junior staff could have access to personal data such as incomes and details of the benefits people receive.

Friday 16th January 2008

Thursday 15th January 2009

The credit crunch resulted in only 34 PFI deals being signed in 2007, the lowest number since the initiative was launched ten years ago.

Schemes such as the waste management project in Greater Manchester, the largest in Britain, are struggling to raise money and concerns are being raised that more public funding may be needed.

Thursday 15th January 2009

Wednesday 14th January 2009

Business leaders have warned that the Business Rates Supplement Bill being debated in Parliament  could force retailers out of business as town halls are given the power to raise taxes.

Wednesday 14th January 2009

Some of England's poorest regions are losing out on extra funding from Europe while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are benefiting.

The government rejected the option for the regions to apply for European Commission funding to fight the recession, a decision described by Flo Lucas, deputy leader of Liverpool Council, as "disgraceful".

Tuesday 13th January 2009

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears hailed a "seismic change" in English devolution as further areas sign partnerships with central government that give them more control over spending.

Tuesday 13th January 2009

A survey by the LGA, IDeA and SOLACE has shown that one in four councils have reported an increase in homelessness and more than half a rise in housing benefits claimants as the recession bites.

The LGA is today publishing a ten point plan to help cash strapped families.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, LGA Chairman is quoted: "At this time of repossessions and redundancies, even more people need the vital support that only councils can provide.

Town halls are taking decisive action to protect local people and businesses from the worst effects of the recession."

Monday 12th January 2009

Doorstep rubbish collections are being scrapped by one council and replaced by huge communal bins in a scheme which might roll out across the country.

Brighton and Hove council will begin installing 3,200 litre communal bins next week, one for every 40 homes.

The LGA supports the scheme but says that the choice of rubbish collection should be decided locally.

"You cannot prescribe from the centre that every single home must have a bin which must be emptied every week," a spokesman said.

Monday 12th January 2009

A Tory-controlled borough plans to give every council tax payer a rebate of £50.

Councillors have trimmed £5.4m off the budget of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and plan to give the money back to residents.

Merrick Cockell, leader of the council, said the idea was to put money back into the local economy.

Friday 9th January 2009

Learning Pool has recently launched a new service to make it easier for you to add video to your e-learning, we call it LPTV.

LPTV gives you access to a hosted online video storage and sharing space. It's a great way of dusting off your DVD's and making them more accessible.
 
You can post your files and make them available to colleagues within your organisation only or you can make them available to the full Learning Pool community.

These videos can then be linked to your DLE or any course created in the Authoring Tool.

And the best bit?  It's completely free to all Learning Pool subscribers.

Click on the TV tab in the Learning Pool website to view LPTV and find which video will help bring your e-learning to life.

Friday 9th January 2009

Smaller private schools are facing a spate of takeovers as pupil numbers decline in the economic downturn, with at least 25 independent schools discreetly seeking buyers.

Friday 9th January 2009

Local authorities have defended their pursuit of people in council tax arrears with the LGA saying that only one per cent of arrears cases end up in court. Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice-chairman of the LGA said councils gave "as much leeway as possible".

He said: "Town halls only take measures such as bankruptcy as an absolute last resort and with people who have a history of non-payment."

A letter from Sir Jeremy Beecham to the Times urges anyone struggling to pay their bills to call their council as soon as they can.

Thursday 8th January 2009

Lancashire County Council is spending £100,000 on an "anti-recession guru".

The director of economic development should protect residents from the looming recession.

Thursday 8th January 2009

Thousands of vulnerable people are being made bankrupt as town halls increasingly resort to bringing bankruptcy proceedings against those who refuse to pay their council tax, show new figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats.

Bailiffs were used in 1.2 million cases to recover council tax arrears last year, and 2.5 million households received courts summonses.

Sir Jeremy Beecham is quoted: "People struggling to pay bills are given as much leeway as possible.

Councils have a duty to all council taxpayers in their area. Were collection rates to dip, it would mean that council tax would have to rise for everyone simply because a few didn't pay."

Wednesday 7th January 2009

Taunton Deane Council in Somerset has spent more than £100,000 on failed bids to evict travellers from an illegal camp.

Wednesday 7th January 2009

Thousands of children are being suspended for sexually bullying other pupils or teachers. Government figures show that 3,500 children were given fixed-term exclusions from school for sexual misconduct in the 2006-2007 academic year.

Tuesday 6th January 2009

Gamblers will be able to bet more and win bigger prizes on slot machines after successful lobbying of the Government by the gaming industry.

Tuesday 6th January 2009

Plans to grant Christians free parking could be blocked, as councillors fear causing offence to other religions.

Tewkesbury is considering scrapping charges for churchgoers on Sunday mornings. But a majority of the Gloucestershire town's review team feel it could be viewed as unfair to other faiths.

Monday 5th January 2009

A survey by the Press Association has found that over 100 councils in England are not planning to take part in 'pay-as-you-throw' rubbish charging pilot schemes because of fears it will damage public confidence.

Monday 5th January 2009

The public may be able to vote for what form of punishment is handed out to convicted criminals in their neighbourhood under plans being drawn up by ministers.

The government is preparing a green paper which will look at giving the public a greater say in the handling of low level crimes such as disorderly conduct, possibly through local votes on punishments such as clearing graffiti.

Friday 2nd January 2009

Conservative plans for a shake-up of local government could see clusters of councils merge their frontline services and chief executives on the highest pay losing their jobs.

Many chief executive posts could disappear, with the remainder running larger 'economic areas' covering several council areas that would take over extra responsibilities, such as Primary Care Trusts.

The LGA has argued that chief executives are paid modestly compared with the private sector and the rest of the public sector.

Other Conservative proposals, to be released in January, are giving councils the power to raise funds by selling their own bonds, scrapping the Standards Board and establishing a more 'equitable' relationship between central and local government.

Friday 2nd January 2009

The Leader of Wokingham Borough Council has launched a campaign to ban council gobbledegook after becoming frustrated by the amount of complex language in council documents.

Words such as 'conditionality', 'worklessness' and 'seedbed' are to be banned.

Wednesday 24th December 2008

Ministers were today urged to press on with policing reforms, despite the home secretary's 11th-hour decision to abandon controversial plans for directly-elected authorities for the service.

The Local Government Association, which played its part in forcing Jacqui Smith to back down two weeks after the move was signalled for the coming legislative programme in the Queen's speech, believes ministers must still make the 43 authorities more representative of the people they serve.

Wednesday 24th December 2008

The government is to press local councils to drop a "dull and uninspiring" obsession with trees and fields when naming streets, in favour of miniature history lessons to inspire the young.

Roads named after Olympic heroes, writers such as JK Rowling and even the occasional politician will be part of Gordon Brown's Britain, if a programme of more "evocative and inspiring" street names goes ahead.

Tuesday 23rd December 2008

More than 200 homes will be repossessed every day next year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders warned.

There are fears many people will be left homeless, after the Local Government Association warned that the council housing waiting list will reach five million by 2010.

Tuesday 23rd December 2008

Lapdancing clubs have been allowed to open near schools, a minister admitted, as he predicted the number of such venues would start to fall. 

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said the Policing and Crime Bill will enable councils to turn down applications they have previously been forced to approve.

Monday 22nd December 2008

The government's spending watchdog warned last night that the recession and rising unemployment will cause a wave of social problems over the coming year.

Research by the Audit Commission found the credit crunch is already causing more homelessness in a third of local authorities and two-thirds predict the problem will worsen.

Monday 22nd December 2008

More children are being switched to state schools because their parents can no longer afford to keep them in private education, according to a survey by the Local Government Association.

One in ten councils say fee-paying parents have contacted them to ask for places at state nurseries, primaries and secondaries. Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said: "These figures demonstrate the effect the recession is having on councils across the country and the potential impact on education and children.

Councils and schools must work together to ensure that children who may be at risk of lowing their family homes, or whose parents may have lost their jobs, are getting the pastoral and educational support they need."

Friday 19th December 2008

A survey by the Local Government Chronicle has found that more than two thirds of councils are predicting council tax rises of more than three per cent.

Stephen Jones, head of Finance at the LGA, is quoted: "A reduction in income coincides with an increase in the demand for some services.

Many councils are seeing increases in benefit claimants and will have to work out how best to cope with that."

Friday 19th December 2008

The Government has announced it will abandon plans for direct elections for some members of police authorities, which was opposed strongly by councillors.

Patrick Wintour, writing in the Guardian, said Sir Jeremy Beecham, leader of the local government Labour group, described the proposals as 'potentially catastrophic' and organised a successful campaign of resistance.

Thursday 18th November 2008

Care proceedings in court could be opened to the media to increase accountability and transparency, Jack Straw has announced. The move would 'lift the veil' on the system and name social workers involved in individual cases.

Thursday 18th December 2008

Boris Johnson plans to make nearly £1bn of savings across the GLA, Met Police and Transport for London over the next three years. The savings are designed to allow the mayor to freeze the GLA precept of council tax.

Wednesday 17th December 2008

The Home Secretary announced yesterday that councils will be prevented from using anti-terror legislation to monitor for anything other than the surveillance of serious law-breakers.

Wednesday 17th December 2008

At least two local authorities are among the bodies that been exposed as victims of the financer Bernard Madoff's pyramid scheme in which £30bn went missing.

Hampshire County Council has invested about £8 million, and five Merseyside boroughs fear they will lose around £2 million from the scam.

Tuesday 16th November 2008

Unison has said that the library service is nearing 'crisis point' because of cuts and closures. The union has launched a campaign to reverse the trend.

Tuesday 16th December 2008

Ministers will this week outline plans for major public sector reforms to lift the aspirations of millions of the least ambitious children.

Liam Byrne, the Cabinet Minister, will call for a new wave of locally based reforms to offer 'cradle to grave' education, health, retraining and parenting skills.

Monday 15th November 2008

Councils will be able to impose a 'workplace parking levy' on people who park at work under new rules proposed by ministers.

Monday 15th November 2008

The Taxpayers' Alliance has released a report showing that councils are spending £430 billion on advertising and publicity.

A spokesperson from the LGA dismissed claims that councils were wasting money on spin doctors as 'absurd', adding:

"People need to know how to access the £100bn worth of vital services that councils provide every year.

Mothers need to know when they can take their children to the swimming pool.

Elderly people need to know the benefits they are eligible for.

Which part of this would the Taxpayers' Alliance like to see cut?"

Friday 12th November 2008

A report released today from the House of Commons Business and Enterprise Committee will call on energy giants to cut retail bills.

Friday 12th December 2008

Nearly one in four children is obese or overweight when they start primary school, and one in three is too fat by the time they leave according to a government report. This comes despite the injection of billions of pounds into schemes to help end child obesity.

Thursday 11th December 2008

A lollipop man has been ordered to remove tinsel from his STOP sign in case it distracts drivers and puts children in danger.

Hampshire County Council insisted that strict guidelines govern dress codes for lollipop people, but council leader Ken Thornber said: 'I'd want to be sure officers were not being over-zealous and see if a balance can be struck between festive fun and safety.'

Thursday 11th December 2008

Government plans to create thousands of traditional playgrounds will be announced today.

The £235m strategy to build and refurbish up to 3,500 play areas comes after the government admitted that public areas are no longer safe for children to play in.

Wednesday 10th November 2008

Cigarettes will have to be sold under the counter as part of Department of Health proposals which were announced yesterday to cut smoking.

Wednesday 10th December 2008

Regional Development Agencies have failed to close the north-south divide and should either be closed down or merged and given new objectives, according to a report by the think-tank The Centre for Cities.

Tuesday 9th December 2008

Learning Pool has grown at a rate of knots in recent months and, like all good forward looking organisations, we now need to take a little time out for a day of team building and bonding.

This means that, on Friday 12th December, we will be running the Learning Pool office with a skeleton staff only. 

The phones will be answered (by the lovely Trish McVeigh) and we will, of course, deal with any emergency issues that should arise on the day.  For all other queries please bear with us and we'll get back to you over the weekend and on Monday 15th December.

Thanks for your understanding.

Please don't hesitate to contact us now if you have any queries or concerns.

Tuesday 9th December 2008

The Centre for Policy Studies has said that the Government could save £15bn by cutting red tape and removing quangos.