News-in-Brief

Enfield Council has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing housing shortages and supporting economic growth despite formally withdrawing from the government’s New Town programme. The

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds are easing their employer contribution rates due to improved funding levels,. With average funding levels rising to

Denbighshire County Council is facing a potential funding gap of £42m over the three years from 2027/28, as the scale of its financial challenge

Cotswold District Council’s Cabinet will consider whether to pursue options for the disposal of out of district investment properties which have fallen in value

A mayoral development corporation has been set up by West Midlands’ mayor to “significantly speed up” the £11bn regeneration of East Birmingham. The West

Bedford Borough Council has launched a £30m savings target to end its reliance on exceptional financial support (EFS), a strategic planning report showed. The

Somerset Council has delivered £53.6m in savings in 2025/26 reaching 90% of its target, a corporate performance management report showed. The council’s revenue budget

Replacing council tax and stamp duty with a proportional property tax (PPT) could generate an additional £912m a year for social housebuilding and, added

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced Bill Butler, chair of Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA), as its preferred candidate

Four new Reform UK councillors have joined the South Yorkshire Pension Authority committee following May’s local elections, leaving Labour and Reform UK with equal

Cornwall Council has warned that its Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit could hit £180m by 2028 if no further action is taken, a corporate

Medway Council has exceeded its transformation savings target for 2025/26 by £1.5m, a Q4 financial improvement and transformation plan update report showed. The council

Westmorland and Furness Council is seeking approval of revised governance arrangements that aim to “maximise the efficiency and effectiveness” of the increased flexibility provided

The newly elected West Surrey Shadow Authority has designated the interim statutory officers required for its shadow period, including Surrey Heath Borough Council director

The Local Government Association (LGA) has pledged to work with government to secure the additional funding needed to give communities “greater control over local

A ‘guarantee’ of minimum standards for public services is set to be introduced by the government – with intervention powers to “force change” if

The government has said it will not deliver a judgement over the division of resources between the two new Surrey unitaries, insisting it will

The £3.6bn Bedfordshire Pension Fund has approved a 3% allocation to natural capital as it expands its investments to climate solutions. The allocation, approved

The new acting chair of SIGOMA, mayor Chirs Cooke, leader of Middlesbrough Council, plans to make funding settlement protection a priority. He said: “Looking

Winchester Council has set aside £4.5m for its Central Winchester Regeneration scheme, a performance monitoring report showed. The proposal was made to the authority’s

Tamworth Borough Council’s cabinet has agreed on a “small number” of property disposals to help tackle maintenance backlogs on heritage, leisure and community buildings.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched a guide for local authorities on how to attract investment and growth. The guide has been produced

North Yorkshire Council’s external debt stood at £350.4m as of 31 March 2026, a budget monitoring report showed. The average interest rate of this

The London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) is pressing ahead with reducing the carbon footprint of its investment holdings amid strong member support for tackling

Income tax is still key to fiscal devolution in England – as outlined in the Layfield Report – according to think tank Centre for