Borough moves to bring care company back in-house: Cabinet members at the London Borough of Enfield have approved proposals to bring a trading company created to deliver social-care services back in-house after the venture failed to generate the[...] dlvr.it/RNcC2Z pic.twitter.com/nhqi44yqNv

NAO rejects option to allow extensions of revised audit code remit: The National Audit Office has backed down on a proposal to allow the introduction of new reporting criteria for local authority audits during the lifetime of a new Code of[...] dlvr.it/RNbdBT

‘Risky’ councils set to struggle to access PWLB alternatives: The Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) could remain the only option to access borrowing for councils with poor credit ratings, according to industry experts. Local government finance experts… dlvr.it/RNb5Vr pic.twitter.com/T5W47H0bQu

Councillors voice worries over oversight of council-owned energy company: Councillors have raised concerns over the financial scrutiny of Britain’s first council-run energy firm. Conservative opposition members of Nottingham City Council have claimed… dlvr.it/RNXWYw pic.twitter.com/me2gValgIH

Council investigation uncovers evidence of ‘highly irregular’ loan discussions: Evidence implicates former senior management at a county council in offering a “highly irregular” multi-million pound loan to a developer seeking planning permission for a… dlvr.it/RNWw3k pic.twitter.com/IYhEjWo94r

Prime minister Johnson “impressed” with Spelthorne initiatives: Prime minister Boris Johnson declared he was impressed with Spelthorne Borough Council’s initiatives during a visit to one of the authority’s out-of-borough commercial property investments.… dlvr.it/RNSFJ2 pic.twitter.com/90vomDT77I

Oxfordshire growth arc set for £100m workplace parking levy: Oxfordshire County Council is set to approve plans for a workplace parking levy to raise up to £100m for new bus, cycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The council’s cabinet will next[...] dlvr.it/RN9Ztk pic.twitter.com/OEmf8L8rY0

Lancashire set to be first borrower from UK Municipal Bonds Agency room151.co.uk/treasury/bond-… #localgov #munibonds #bonds #funding

Scotland warns budget delay jeopardises council services: Scotland’s finance secretary has accused the UK government of being fiscally irresponsible for setting a budget date that makes it “impossible” for the devolved nation to debate its own… dlvr.it/RN7wT4 pic.twitter.com/e4VCXOQXcD

Bond agency’s first issue expected to be worth up to £300m: The UK Municipal Bonds Agency’s (UKMBA’s) first bond is set to be a floating rate note worth £250m to £300m, according to sources close to the deal. Last week, Room151[...] dlvr.it/RN5wWG pic.twitter.com/PmfdBRGAfx

Commercial income could be excluded from council funding calculations: The government is minded to exclude councils’ commercial income from calculations on how much funding they receive from central government, according to a senior official working on… dlvr.it/RN1fsW

LGPS funds and pools flex shareholder muscle on climate investment: Two Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pools and two funds have joined a group of investors calling on Barclays bank to cease fossil fuel investment. Brunel Pension Partnership, LGPS… dlvr.it/RMjk79 pic.twitter.com/s8fi4FF88W

Scottish councils fail to explain budget variations: Public spending watchdog the Accounts Commission has flagged up transparency failings in its latest annual report on the financial health of local authorities in Scotland. The body said an analysis[...] dlvr.it/RMjk1V pic.twitter.com/2NeDMmUkMC

Call for action on £250m annual cost of business rates avoidance: Councils are losing some £250m a year through business rates avoidance, equivalent to 1.0% of the total of this income source. That claim has come from the Local Government Association[...] dlvr.it/RMgN2s pic.twitter.com/Jr6jIZ2C34

Bonds agency on verge of first bond launch: The UK Municipal Bonds Agency is poised to launch its long-awaited first bond within weeks, with a second issue set to follow before the end of the financial year. Councillor[...] dlvr.it/RMdm1K pic.twitter.com/QOWZVUTM97

Audit: 2019 was a bust, let’s hope it gets better: Local government audit failed to reach optimum performance levels this year: Deadlines were missed and key staff lost. Things will need to improve in 2020, says Stephen Sheen Well, that[...] dlvr.it/RLdcDl pic.twitter.com/ee6A9xZkQ9