News-in-Brief

Avon Pension Fund plans to further allocate between £100m and £150m to natural capital investments in 2024/25, according to its latest Responsible Investment report. The

LGPS Central has launched a new sterling investment grade credit fund, seeded with £650m from the West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF). The new fund,

Changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions announced in the Budget could cost the adult social care sector over £900m next year, according to a

The Welsh government has introduced legislation that would give councils the power to apply a visitor levy on overnight stays in visitor accommodation. The

Islington Council has reported a £3.96m increase in temporary accommodation overspend between Q1 and Q2, to a total of £5.36m. The “adverse movement” from

Guildford Borough Council has?published the first of six-monthly updates on its Improvement Plan, which was created following a report from the Society of Local

Cheltenham Borough Council has replaced £5m of its general fund temporary debt with a 10-year PWLB annuity loan at the rate of 4.30% to

Kent County Council’s forecasted budget overspend for 2024/25 has increased by £10.5m between Q1 and Q2, and now stands at £26.8m excluding schools. A

Think tank Localis has outlined financial reforms which it says could help to restore sustainability to local government as part of wider, systemic reforms.

Havering Council has received £23.985m in funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) aimed at increasing affordable housing. The Council Homes Acquisition Programme funding is part

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has approved the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Diploma in Local Audit as local audit specialist

The government intervention at Slough Borough Council will be extended by two years, until 30 November 2026. Local government minister Jim McMahon confirmed the

City of York Council has maintained an under-borrowed position during the first half of 2024/25, according to a treasury management mid-year review. The authority

Woking Borough Council’s debt now stands at over £2.1bn while the value of its realisable assets is less than half of that amount, a

Medway Council appears likely to require Exceptional Financial Support from government again to set a balanced budget in 2024/25, unless it can deliver “urgent

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has launched a consultation on proposals to reform Right to Buy with the aim of ensuring the scheme is

Home-to-school transport costs are set to reach £3.6bn per year by 2030 for councils across England, according to a new report published by the

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is forecasting savings of at least £4m for 2024/25 as a result of its treasury management strategy. The council has

Oxfordshire County Council repaid a £5m Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loan of £5m without penalty during the first half of 2024/25 when the

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pool ACCESS has announced that its assets have reached £50bn, bringing its pooling progress to over 75%, amid

Worcestershire City Council is forecasting a net £12.5m overspend at the end of 2024/25 following the use of £7.9m budgeted risk reserves and without

Fifty-seven local authorities across England, in partnership with the Rural Services Network (RSN), have written to local government minister Jim McMahon to advocate for

The government has released £20m of funding in preparation for the setting up of Lancashire’s new Combined County Authority (CCA). The money, which was

Sheffield City Council is looking to a transformation initiative to address a “challenging” financial outlook in the longer-term, as reserves will be needed to

Thurrock Council has confirmed it has filed a legal claim against 23 member councils of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), after a