Mandatory reporting exemptions a 'fudge'
13/05/2024 Ministers’ decision to exempt instances of child abuse from a new reporting law means they have dodged the mandatory duty demanded by a national inquiry. |
Council apologises over FOI delays
23/04/2024 Walsall Council has apologised for delays to its response under the Freedom of Information Act. |
Clark: Tories and Labour unwilling to address SEND crisis
15/04/2024 Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of an ‘unwillingness’ to confront the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services. |
Five million could be disenfranchised by voter ID, polling finds
11/04/2024 Five million voters could be disenfranchised by the Government’s new voter ID rules at the General Election, first-of-its-kind polling has suggested. |
Proposed law could ease housing emergencies
27/03/2024 Scottish councils may be required to assess the condition of private rented accommodation under a proposed law. |
Council leaders welcome anti-smoking Bill
20/03/2024 Local authority leaders have welcomed the prospect of new powers to discourage smoking. |
LGA warning over XL Bully dogs ban
19/03/2024 Councils face a double whammy of soaring costs and declining police support as they try to enforce a ban on XL Bully dogs. |
Four-day week council decision 'disappointing and arrogant'
14/03/2024 South Cambridgeshire DC’s decision to continue with its four-day week is ‘disappointing and arrogant,’ local government minister Simon Hoare has said. |
Scottish Budget 'not good' for communities
28/02/2024 Next year’s Scottish Budget is ‘not good’ for communities, council leaders have said. |
Officer warning over street votes
06/02/2024 Council officers have issued a scathing response to plans for street-level planning votes – dismissing the idea as a costly ‘proliferation of polls’. |
Housing minister among casualties of Sunak reshuffle
13/11/2023 The UK will have its 16th housing minister in 12 years after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s sweeping reshuffle affected the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. |
Government urged to push through ‘no fault’ evictions ban
09/11/2023 The chair of the levelling up, housing and communities (LUHC) committee has urged the Government to commit to a timetable for abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. |
Labour regeneration plans will fail 'without radical action'
31/10/2023 An incoming Labour government’s regeneration plans will fail without radical action to devolve financial decision-making, researchers have warned. |
London council calls for power to impose overnight levy
20/09/2023 Westminster City Council has called on the Government to enable local authorities to tax tourists on stays. |
Union vows to oppose controversial crackdown
12/09/2023 Local government’s largest trade union has warned any attempt to impose a controversial crackdown will be met with strong opposition. |
Gove to ease nutrient neutrality requirements
29/08/2023 Ministers have announced they will ease divisive development rules on water pollution blamed for low housebuilding rates in rural areas. |
Boycott Bill faces Scottish opposition
16/08/2023 The UK Government’s planned ban on council boycotts is facing opposition from Holyrood. |
Nutrient neutrality row goes to No10
24/07/2023 Council leaders have used a Downing Street summit to urge No10 to break the deadlock in a dispute over nutrient neutrality. |
Exploitation warning after Illegal Migration Bill becomes law
20/07/2023 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) could be in danger of being exploited after the Illegal Migration Act created an incentive for them to run away. |
First asylum barge arrives
18/07/2023 A controversial barge for 500 asylum seekers today arrived at its mooring off the Dorset coast. |
Calls for supported housing improvements
09/05/2023 MPs and Whitehall’s spending watchdog have demanded improved regulation and data on supported housing amid evidence the system is blighted by rogue landlords. |
Welsh Government to detail council tax reform later this year
03/05/2023 The Welsh Government has revealed it will announce details of its council tax reforms later this year. |
Peers' warning over supported housing reforms
24/04/2023 Ministers must avoid forcing high-quality supported housing providers from the market in their rush to tackle rogue landlords, peers have warned. |
Eastleigh finance review to start
07/02/2023 The Government has commissioned a review of Eastleigh BC’s finances to start this week after concerns over its debt levels. |
'Fierce resistance' to threatened strike clampdown
06/09/2022 Any attempt by new Prime Minister Liz Truss to outlaw strikes will be met with ‘fierce resistance,’ trade union Unite has warned. |
Nottingham escapes commissioners threat
02/09/2022 Ministers have held back from appointing commissioners at Nottingham City Council, instead deciding to strengthen the powers of its improvement and assurance board. |
Peers highlight lack of progress improving 'flawed' Act
11/07/2022 Little progress has been made in addressing the lack of coordination between the licensing and planning systems, a House of Lords committee has reported. |
New anti-Putin powers given to councils
26/05/2022 Councils have been handed powers to terminate commercial relationships with firms that have ‘strong links’ to Vladimir Putin’s ‘murderous regime’. |
EXCLUSIVE: Government 'risks battle' on moving districts' functions without consent
17/05/2022 Districts will push to change the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to ensure their functions cannot move to new combined county authorities (CCAs) without their consent, The MJ understands. |
Queen's Speech: Government plans to boost tenants rights
10/05/2022 Two separate housing bills in the Queen’s Speech set out the Government plans to tackle tenants rights improve the private rented sector. |
Queen's speech: Government brings back measures to stop protestors 'locking on'
10/05/2022 Boris Johnson’s government will bring back measures thrown out by the House of Lords in January to stop protesters ‘locking on’ to infrastructure. |
Queen's Speech: Levelling up bill unveiled for planning reform
10/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech has confirmed a levelling up Bill will include legislation on planning and regeneration reform. |
Queen's Speech: Plans unveiled to 'drive growth'
10/05/2022 The Government has unveiled a Queen’s Speech to boost the economy in a bid to fight the cost of living crisis. |
New Bill to put beauty at the heart of planning, says Gove
08/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech is set to include a new bill to revamp planning and kick start housebuilding, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has revealed. |
EXCLUSIVE: Whitehall risk warning over election reforms
29/04/2022 Whitehall officials have privately admitted councils could be overwhelmed by one of the largest sets of electoral reforms ever seen by local authorities, The MJ understands. |
Shapps confirms e-scooter legalisation in Queen’s Speech
28/04/2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed he will make an announcement about the legalisation surrounding e-scooters in next month’s Queen’s Speech. |
UK comes under pressure to adopt rights charter
26/04/2022 Local leaders will continue to be ‘heavily constrained’ until the UK follows through on its promise to guarantee the rights of local government in law, a sector expert has warned. |
Consultation on replacing Vagrancy Act is launched
08/04/2022 The Government has launched a consultation on replacing an 'outdated' law that criminalises homeless people. |
Law criminalising homeless people to be scrapped
23/02/2022 The Government has announced it will be repealing the 1824 Vagrancy Act that criminalises rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales. |
Government urged to allow remote council meetings
10/12/2021 Council leaders have urged the government to rethink the rules to allow remote council meetings. |
Leaked White Paper reveals reorganisation master plan
09/12/2021 A leaked version of the Levelling Up White Paper has revealed plans to scrap two-tier local government in England. |
Support for air quality enforcement
05/11/2021 Bruce Allen says councils need more knowledge and support to enforce the ban on selling and using wet wood and house coal for burning at home. |
Commission calls for funding re-set for local government
20/07/2021 Local government needs a ‘funding floor’, set at an agreed percentage of national income, a report on the future of the sector has said. |
Reed accuses government of dropping devolution
07/07/2021 Shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has accused the Government of dropping its commitment to devolution. |
Councils 'broadly support' focus of Health and Care Bill
06/07/2021 Councils ‘broadly support’ the focus of the Health and Care Bill introduced into Parliament on improving the health and wellbeing of the population, says the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Special needs deficits to grow to £1.3bn in two years
30/06/2021 A ‘spiralling deficit’ in special educational needs services (SEN) is expected to grow to an ‘unmanageable’ £1.3bn in just two years’ time, county councils have warned. |
Councils can issue traffic fines from December
15/06/2021 Powers to enforce moving traffic offences will not be extended to local authorities in England outside London until the end of the year, a Department for Transport (DfT) minister has said. |
Queen's Speech: No social care solution in sight
11/05/2021 The Queen’s Speech has said proposals on social care reform will be brought forward – but it fell short of a commitment to legislation in this Parliament. |
Queen's Speech: Controversial voter ID plans roll forward
11/05/2021 Voter ID is expected to be introduced by May 2023 after the Government pledged to introduce legislation to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’. |
Queen's speech: PM's 'live local and prosper' promise
09/05/2021 Levelling up, boosting the economy and backing the NHS are set to be the priorities for Tuesday’s Queen’s speech. |
New legislation extends proxy voting in local elections
24/02/2021 The Government has introduced new measures to ensure people needing to self-isolate will still be allowed to vote in the upcoming local elections. |
Proportional votes to come to Wales
19/11/2020 Proportional voting will be introduced to Welsh council elections for the first time as the franchise is extended to 16- and 17-year olds and foreigners. |
Councils gain COVID enforcement powers
23/10/2020 Councils are to be given new powers to issue businesses with improvement notices and close premises if they breach coronavirus restrictions. |
Public sector exit cap signed into law
15/10/2020 The £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments was signed into law last night and will come into force on November 4. |
ADASS issues stark warning as White Paper faces further delays
17/09/2020 The social care system risks complete breakdown experts have warned as it emerged that the long-awaited White Paper has been delayed again until next year. |
Remote local authority meetings
08/06/2020 Tiffany Cloynes and Clare Hardy outline the challenges and opportunities presented by conducting remote meetings in local government. |
Local lockdown powers up in the air
27/05/2020 Council powers over calling a local lockdown are still to be thrashed out as the NHS’ test and trace system is formally launched. |
MPs tell department to 'get a grip' on SEND
05/05/2020 The Department for Education (DfE) does not have a grip on mounting pressure in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, a watchdog has found. |
Care providers in law change call
01/04/2020 Care providers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the law to boost staff numbers in the sector during the COVID-19 outbreak. |
Charity says it ‘defies belief’ that renters evicted during a pandemic
24/03/2020 Shelter has warned that legislation to suspend new eviction cases during the coronavirus pandemic does not go far enough as 20,000 evictions set to go ahead. |
Environment Bill to give councils ‘clear framework’ to tackle pollution
30/01/2020 Local authorities will have a clear framework for tackling air pollution with the introduction of the Environment Bill, according to the Government. |
Councils sent back to drawing board on SEND
28/01/2020 Councils have been sent back to the drawing board after a quango ripped apart their plans to recover massive special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits. |
Northants reorganisation stalled amid election
08/11/2019 Plans to reorganise cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council have stalled amid the general election. |
Queen's Speech 19: Brexit, health and devo at the heart of Government plans
14/10/2019 Brexit, the NHS and devolution are at the heart of the next round of Government legislation as outlined in the first Queen’s Speech today. |
Plans for voter ID bill branded 'dangerous and undemocratic'
13/10/2019 Plans to introduce voter ID across the whole country have been branded ‘dangerous, misguided and undemocratic’ by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). |
Named person scheme dropped
20/09/2019 A mandatory named person scheme for every child in Scotland – underpinned by law – will not now happen, deputy first minister John Swinney has announced. |
Calls to scrap ‘draconian’ Vagrancy Act
19/06/2019 A new report has argued the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which makes rough sleeping and begging illegal in England and Wales, is ‘inhumane’ and should be scrapped. |
Sunak brings forward revaluation of business rates
13/06/2019 Business rates will reflect property values more accurately after a shake-up being introduced in new legislation. |
Security fears after candidate addresses published
02/05/2019 Security concerns have been raised after a loophole forced councils to publish the home addresses of candidates standing in the EU elections. |
Unfair evictions to be banned under new proposals
15/04/2019 The Government has outlined plans to abolish short notice and unfair evictions for private renters in England. |
Labour promises to repeal nineteenth-century Vagrancy Act
24/12/2018 The Labour Party has announced that they plan to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 which criminalises begging and rough sleeping. |
A missed opportunity?
12/10/2018 The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill should soften financial and operational pressure on local authorities, but it will still leave them open to legal exposure, argues Morris Hill. |
Christchurch reorganisation challenge defeated
07/08/2018 Christchurch BC may launch an appeal after a High Court judge today refused its challenge to local government reorganisation plans. |
Councils should not pick up costs of reversing ‘staircase tax’ warn MPs
18/04/2018 Councils should not be financially worse off if the Government decides to reverse the controversial ‘staircase tax’, MPs have warned today. |
Amendment to protect free bus passes announced
10/04/2018 The Government has announced a change in legislation that will ensure free bus passes for older and disabled people will be protected for the future. |
IFS implores action over growing social care funding chasm
20/03/2018 The Government will need to scrap its funding reforms, significantly boost top-ups or centralise care if it is to plug the social care funding gap, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned today. |
Mandatory reporting calls rejected by Government
05/03/2018 Ministers today rejected calls for the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse – claiming an effective case for a new law has not been made. |
Council chiefs support ‘common sense’ reform to noise pollution law
10/01/2018 Council leaders have thrown their support behind a campaign which will see a person or business responsible for a change in noise conditions being held responsible for managing that change. |
Inspectors sent in to probe Northamptonshire Council's finances
09/01/2018 Local government secretary Sajid Javid has ordered a best value inspection of Conservative-led Northamptonshire CC amid continuing concerns over its financial management and corporate governance. |
Councils win high-value home reprieve
20/12/2017 Local authorities will not be forced to sell high-value council homes until at least April 2019 after lobbying from the sector. |
Preventing progress
19/09/2017 Ashley Bijster argues that outdated legislation has become a barrier to smarter urban living. |
Councils urged to act on nuisance hedges
11/09/2017 Councils in Scotland are not always using legislation to tackle overgrown hedges effectively, an investigation by MSPs has revealed. |
Northern Ireland council leaders call for local government reform
18/08/2017 Council leaders in Northern Ireland have called for an ‘urgent’ review of legislation required to complete local government reform. |
Councils to be banned from adding credit card fees
19/07/2017 Councils will no longer be allowed to charge extra for people making credit or debit card payments, under new rules unveiled today. |
A legal duty to prevent homelessness
18/07/2017 Neil Merrick explores the impact and financial burdens the new Homelessness Reduction Act will have on local authorities. |
Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland
18/04/2017 A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation. |
Campaigners seek judicial review of Government’s ‘extreme surveillance regime’
10/01/2017 Civil liberties campaigners are launching a legal challenge against the ‘extreme mass surveillance powers’ in the Government’s new Investigatory Powers Act. |
Over 200 London families to relocate to Canterbury
25/05/2016 The law should be changed to restrict councils from re-housing large numbers of people outside their own districts, the leader of Canterbury City Council has said. |
Taking the strain off unpaid carers
17/05/2016 Paul Smith calls on local authorities to use the disabled facility grant to support carers as well fund adaptations. |
Trade Union Act threat to ‘a fundamental British liberty’, TUC says
05/05/2016 Whitehall’s controversial Trade Union Bill passed into law yesterday despite accusations it poses ‘a serious threat’ to industrial relations. |
Dog microchipping law to deliver significant savings for councils
06/04/2016 Local authorities are expected to save up to £33m a year now that compulsory dog microchipping has come into effect. |
There should be a law against it
04/04/2016 Graeme Creer examines new regulations, which are supposed to be make it easier for local authorities to make new byelaws. |
Inflation-proofing of pensions could cost councils £1bn warns firm
12/01/2016 Reforms to state pensions could cost local authorities and their contractors up to £1bn due to a ‘quirk of legislation', consulting firm Mercer is warning. |
Reform of Welsh public services ‘still too slow’
17/12/2015 Welsh public services need to radically change if they are to meet the challenges they face now and in the future, according to the Auditor General (AG). |
Tougher powers to tackle waste crime
02/11/2015 The Government has introduced tougher powers for tackling waste crime, which costs the country £568m a year. |
MPs approve English votes for English laws plan
23/10/2015 Plans to introduce ‘English votes for English laws’ have been voted through by 312 to 270 votes in the House of Commons. |
Leave Scotland out of Trade Union Bill, UK Government told
19/10/2015 The Scottish Government has asked that Scotland be excluded from the controversial Trade Union Bill, arguing it contradicts policy north of the border. |
Treading carefully on signage
24/09/2015 Find out why councils must ensure their variable message signs meet new government regulations. |
Oldham seizes van with new fly-tipping powers
09/09/2015 Oldham Council have used new powers to seize a vehicle suspected as being used for flytipping. |
Vnuk: an involuntary risk transfer
25/08/2015 How can local authorities prepare for upcoming changes to the Road Traffic Act to ensure that they are protected from any personal injury claims? |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.