News-in-Brief

North West Leicestershire District Council is to “evaluate and pursue” lower cost funding sources, solutions and opportunities in coordination with its advisor Arlingclose. A

Local authorities will “struggle to bear” the cost of local government reorganisation (LGR), which could “deepen the sector’s financial crisis”, according to UNISON. The

The government is “essentially profiteering” from local authority debt, according to trade union Unite. At a rally outside Parliament today (16 June), Unite general

North Tyneside Council saw its under-borrowed position go from £86.5m at 31 March 2024 to £41m at 31 March 2025, with the fall in

Warwickshire County Council is currently holding almost £100m in liquid funds to manage expected demands of “growing” Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit and cash

The LGPS fund has significantly scaled back its investments in the fossil fuel industry this year, but allocations through pooled funds remain a challenge,

Local authorities in England are set to see their core spending power rise by 2.6% a year in real terms from next year, but

Norfolk County Council has conducted financial appraisals of local government reorganisation (LGR) which show that a single unitary council covering the whole of Norfolk

The government is set to appoint commissioners at Croydon Council as part of a package of measures intended to “shift the dial” on the council’s

Barking & Dagenham Council added £211m in external borrowing in 2024/25 – but this was entirely related to its investment acquisition strategy. According to

One of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pools has launched its first global index proposition, with £2.6bn of assets committed to the fund.

Leicestershire County Council could make an additional £10m treasury management investment in a bank risk sharing product that has performed “ahead of expectations”. As

Buckinghamshire Council overspent on the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) by £17.6m in 2024/25, with its cumulative DSG reserve deficit

The London Borough of Hounslow saw total reserves fall by £59.8m in 2024/25, with this year-end position “outlining a clear deterioration in financial resilience

Sheffield City Council’s overall underlying financing requirement increased by 3.3% in 2024/25 compared to the previous year, to £1,307m. That figure is higher than

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool for local councils and planning officers developed by government with support from Google aims to speed up planning permissions.

A business support programme has seen £10m retained in Barnet’s local economy since its launch in 2022, according to Barnet Council. The Barnet Construction

Wales Pension Partnership is to support the construction of 56 energy-efficient homes across Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, one of the pool’s real estate managers confirmed

The £3.6bn City and County of Swansea Pension Fund, part of the Wales Pension Partnership Pool, has become a cornerstone investor backing a £51m

Councils are calling for reform of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to reduce the number of children needing an Education, Health

Barnsley Council’s underlying need to borrow for capital purposes is £46.8m over the period to 2026/27. The authority did not undertake additional borrowing during

Some £10m of borrowings via Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) will help Halton Borough Council plug a £16.073m budget over spend for 2024/25. Future EFS

Shropshire Council took on new borrowing of £101.9m relating to its general fund in the last quarter of 2024/25, and £19.2m for its housing

Middlesbrough Council will need to prioritise its capital investment decisions over the medium and longer term and secure its financing through third party funds

Blackpool Council’s wholly-owned tourism company is taking over the operation of Blackpool Tower and associated visitor attractions to “keep the benefits they bring” within