News-in-Brief

Birmingham City Council has reached a framework agreement with unions UNISON and GMB to settle the historic equal pay claims brought against the authority.

Local government in Wales is “financially unsustainable over the medium-term unless action is taken”, according to a new report from Audit Wales. Many of

The government has pledged to make planning decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects this Parliament as part of the ‘Plan for Change’

The government should uprate temporary accommodation subsidy rates to 90% of 2024 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said,

The Welsh government has confirmed a £120m package of additional funding for 2024 to 2025 to support local authorities. Cabinet secretary for housing and

Somerset Council will continue to operate as if a section 114 notice has been issued after newly-proposed savings for 2025/26 of £43.95m will still

Coventry City Council is reporting a forecasted £10.2m budget overspend for 2024/25 despite taking “a significant number of one-off actions” to reduce the deficit.

Local authorities are now able to auction off leases for commercial properties that have been empty for long periods, following legal changes. The government

Swindon Borough Council will apply for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from government “as a last resort”, with the authority facing a forecasted £7.6m budget

Government funding of £740m is expected to create more specialist places in mainstream schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The

Devon County Council repaid short-term borrowing of £29m last month that was taken out to fund repayment of £46.5m in Lender Option Borrower Option

Haringey Council is reporting a £17.2m forecasted increase in overspend for 2024/25 from Q1 to Q2, to £37.2m. Increased pressures in adult social care

The Scottish government must provide £872m in capital funding for local government in 2025/26, according to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the

Lambeth Council has warned it is facing “impossible choices” on services with a £34m overspend projected for 2024/25. The council said the overspend was

Liverpool City Council has acquired a site for regeneration in Liverpool city centre that has seen development stalled since 2017. The Great George Street

Oxfordshire County Council is launching the first round of the Oxfordshire Green Investment, which the authority says will “allow residents and businesses to invest

Clwyd Pension Fund, the £2.48bn Local Government Pension Fund covering the Welsh counties of Flintshire, Denbighshire, and Wrexham, has voted to exclude assets deemed

Elmbridge Borough Council may have to restart the process of building 8,000 new homes, at a potential cost of £1m, after its request for

Brighton & Hove City Council is facing a significant loss affecting its overall budget after the company managing the Brighton i360 observation tower said

Two thirds of councils have not increased spending on youth services in the past five years, according to a new survey by the Local

The number of households living in temporary accommodation in England rose 16.3% between April and June 2024 compared to the year-before period, according to

Lancashire County Council has increased its holdings in Money Market Funds (MMFs), raising balances by nearly £10m over six months. According to the council’s mid-year

Vale of Glamorgan Council repaid a LOBO (Lender option, borrower option) loan of £4m held with an external bank in August 2024 “as the

The time period for Best Value Inspection reports at Warrington and Spelthorne councils has been extended again by the Ministry of Housing, Communities &

Hackney Council is facing a “major challenge” to its financial sustainability after its forecasted overspend for 2024/25 grew by £1.250m in one month, to