News-in-Brief

The Visitor Levy Bill has today (4 November) been introduced in the House of Commons, giving mayors and leaders the ability to introduce a

Havering Council has proposed new savings requirements for 2027/28 totalling £10.96m, a report showed.  Th council has planned these savings in services such as

Severe financial reporting delays at East Dunbartonshire Council have seen the authority fail to meet its statutory accounts deadlines for the last four years,

Monmouthshire Council has forecast a four-year budget gap of up to £31.4m over its medium-term financial plan (MTFP), a report showed.  The refreshed MTFP

Cheshire West and Chester Council has forecast a £6.9m overspend in children’s services, a mid-year review of financial performance showed. The overspend was primarily

Haringey Council has projected a budget gap of £35.4m in 2027/28 due to rising demand in social care, a council report showed.  The report

Hounslow Council’s investment income beat its budget in 2025/26, the authority's treasury management annual report showed. Total investment income was £2.745m, against a budgeted

Rutland Council is set to deliver 96% of its planned savings for 2026/27 due to its implementation of targeted management action since Q1 2026,

Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has appointed Chris Cooper as its new head of real estate.  Previously, Cooper served as global chief executive of

Buckinghamshire Council has forecast a £9m overspend in children’s social care, its Q2 budget management report showed. The overspend was linked to the cost

South Yorkshire Pension Authority (SYPA) has reduced its target allocation to illiquid assets following a review of its investment strategy. The strategy reflected a

Barking and Dagenham Council has forecast a £13m overspend in children’s care and support, a period six budget monitoring report showed. The overspend was

Hastings Borough Council is expected to need £8.9m of borrowing this financial year to fund its capital programme, a treasury management update showed. The

Blackpool Council has forecast a £5.8m overspend for 2026/27, driven mainly by pressures in children’s services, a financial monitoring report showed. Children’s services are

Mansfield District Council intends to draw on a reserve to balance its £1.6m general fund deficit for 2027/28, a medium-term financial plan (MTFP) showed.

Only “some form of government support” will help Hampshire County Council close an expected budget shortfall of almost £199m in 2027/28. The authority called

Exceptional financial support (EFS) is “becoming a very real prospect” at South Tyneside Council, according to the authority’s lead member for finance and resources.

Local government reorganisation (LGR) and the uncertainty it has created is presenting “a distraction from the work” councils want to be doing, the chair

The government’s review of the local government reorganisation (LGR) process “so far falls some way short of providing the reassurance to our councils that

Forest of Dean Council has identified a savings requirement of £1.58m over its medium-term financial strategy (MTFS) period, a report showed.  The current MTFS

The LGPS Central partner fund has committed £200m to UK social housing, with parts of the portfolio to be invested in local communities Worcestershire

Cumberland and Liverpool councils have had revised plans to reform local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services approved by government. They were two

The Border to Coast partner fund has shifted £55m into the Border to Coast Overseas Developed Equity Fund as part of efforts to bring

North West Leicestershire District Council has identified a need for £3.9m of savings in 2029/30, a budget-setting report showed. The report said approximately £0.6m

Sutton Council has forecast a £13.8m Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) overspend for 2026/27, taking its deficit to £35.28m, a quarterly finance and performance report