Lender of last resort: making sense of the PWLB rate rise
The government has finally lost its temper with ever increasing borrowing by local authorities and has added 1% to Public Works Loans Board interest rates. Anecdotally, much of this recent[…]
Blogs
Spending Review: Rainy day funds still needed despite generous settlement
Councils need to maintain healthy reserves despite increased funding for councils through last week’s Spending Review, says Chris Buss. One of the advantages of not being a serving section 151[…]
How councils can use modular homes to speed up housebuilding
Innovations in housebuilding technology can help councils deliver their ambitious housing targets, says Rosie Toogood, CEO of Legal & General Modular Homes. This article was sponsored by Legal & General,[…]
Collaboration – the key to sustainable regeneration
Kerrigan Proctor, CEO of Legal & General Capital makes the case for joint working between local government and institutional investors. This article was sponsored by Legal & General, Lead Sponsor[…]
Choppy waters: How to be an s151 at a troubled authority
Northamptonshire County Council recently announced the appointment of its fourth finance director in two years. Richard Harbord looks at the challenges of taking over financial leadership at an authority in[…]
Resetting the dial – getting public audit right
The complexity of the audit framework and fragmented responsibility for oversight are at the root of delays to the signing-off of last year’s accounts, says Paul Dossett. The audit profession[…]
Short-term thinking: reacting to recent bond market movements
Council treasurers should be wary of 50-year loans from the Public Works Loan Board, despite the impact of recent movements in the bond market, says David Blake. Something strange is[…]
Stephen Sheen: The state of local government audit
The pressure has been on external auditors this Summer. The first year of the new Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) contracts, with fees cut by 23%, reshuffled appointments, and firms[…]
The proposed changes to the LGPS: local valuation cycles and exits
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently issued a consultation on proposals to amend the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Barry Mckay looks at the potential implications.[…]
Central reservation: Why Brexit paralysis in Whitehall is ruining councils’ financial planning
With Brexit steering the Treasury’s aim for a three-year Spending Review off the road, Whitehall’s strong grip on council finance leaves authorities impotent, writes Richard Harbord. For my birthday this[…]
