News-in-Brief

Richmond Council is expecting to require £24m of external borrowing in 2026/27, according to the authority’s latest treasury management report. Richmond's balances are projected

A budget monitoring report has highlighted a “concerning” estimated closing reserve balance for 2029/30 at Basildon Borough Council, with reserves potentially falling below £1m.

Leed’s-based LGPS Pool Border to Coast has expanded its real estate investment team with a senior appointment, amid growing partner fund appetite for the

The Buckinghamshire Pension Fund, which is since last year part of London CIV, has announced the key leadership appointment in a bid to meet

A “material change of direction” is needed over local government reorganisation (LGR) to avoid creating swathes of new authorities that are less financially sustainable

Welsh local government will not be sustainable unless the “systemic weaknesses” of the current finance system are addressed, a new report has warned. Foundational

Funding of £91m is to go to 14 councils in England that already receive exceptional financial support (EFS), the government has confirmed. The funding

Enfield Council is to acquire 127 social rent homes as part of a regeneration project. A series of agreements with mixed-tenure homes provider Vistry

Wandsworth Council says it will need to increase council tax by £958 for a Band D property, a 94% rise, from April 2027 “unless

West Sussex Council has projected an overspend of £24.5m due to growing demand in both children’s and adult’s social care, a performance and resources

Abena Oppong-Asare has been elected as chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.   The committee scrutinises the policy, administration and spending of

Redcar & Cleveland Council has forecast an overspend of £5.6m for 2026/27, which is mainly due to increased pressures in children’s services, a financial

Powys County Council has warned that in order to achieve a balanced budget position in 2026/27, £15.4m will need to be delivered in savings. 

Chesterfield Borough Council has set an indicative efficiency target of up to £1m, a report showed.  As it currently stands, the council will need

The Border to Coast partner fund has shifted £173m from equities to gilts against the context of record-level bond yield rises. The £7.4bn Surrey

West Dunbartonshire Council is facing a cumulative budget gap of over £52m, presenting a “significant risk” to its financial sustainability. According to a best

North Lincolnshire Council has projected an overspend of £4.9m due to social care pressures, a financial position 2026/27 report showed.  The current revenue forecast

Merton Council has projected a £2.6m overspend for 2026/27 due to cost pressures in children’s services, temporary accommodation and adult social care, a report

Edinburgh City Council has received a £38.4m loan from the National Wealth Fund to support the development of a regeneration project.  The fund’s backing

A projected £20.9m overspend has required Brighton & Hove Council to approach the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for more exceptional

Halton Borough Council has projected a £72.6m budget gap by 2031/32 if current levels of spending are maintained, a report showed.  This represents 33.53%

The removal of “unnecessary” net zero-related projects and associated borrowing costs are part of initial draft savings proposals to be presented to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough

Devon County Council is seeking reimbursement for costs incurred in preparations for local government reorganisation (LGR) before the programme was paused. Transition funding of

Burnley Council held £28.5m in treasury investments as of 30 June 2026, a council report showed.  Of the £28.5m in place in Q1 2026/27,

Leeds Council has projected a £261m budget gap over the next five years, a council report showed.  £9m alone is forecasted for 2027/28 due