The UK Government has announced additional funding for councils in England, including towards the cost of increases in employers’ National lnsurance contributions – as called for by the LGA in December (see first 700).
Two-tier council areas will be forced to reorganise if they don’t come up with their own plans under proposals set out in the Government’s English Devolution White Paper.
Councils must meet new mandatory housing targets as part of government plans to build 1.5 million homes by the next general election.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced to Parliament in December, includes plans for new registers to identify children who are not in school – something for which the LGA has lobbied for years.
Office-to-residential conversions under permitted development have led to the loss of 23,990 affordable homes in the past decade, according to LGA analysis of official data.
While eagerly awaiting the local government settlement at the end of 2024, Welsh councils were yet again called on to respond to widespread damage and disruption wrought by appalling weather conditions.
The final by-elections of 2024 only served to emphasise what we have been pointing out for months – that the electorate appears both volatile and disengaged.
