‘Free’ bus passes costing councils £452m
Councils had to spend nearly half a billion pounds last year to plug a shortfall in funding for free bus passes.
The Editorial Team
Councils ‘face £8bn funding gap’
Councils in England should be a major driver to boost local growth over the coming years, but could face a funding gap of more than £8 billion by 2028/29 without adequate funding, the LGA has warned.
£76m gap in temporary accommodation budgets
Changes in the allocation of the Homelessness Prevention Grant mean that councils are facing a £76 million shortfall in their temporary accommodation budgets, the LGA has warned.
Local government finances becoming ‘unsustainable’
Council finances in England are becoming unsustainable because of increasing demand on essential frontline services, the impact of delayed finance reform, and the erosion of investment in preventative programmes.
Government accepts Grenfell recommendations
Tough new rules on construction product safety, a new single construction regulator, and stronger protections for social housing tenants are among the building and fire safety reforms set out by the Government in its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Creative industries ‘need more support’
The Government should consider providing further support for business advice services delivered by council libraries, in response to a call for bespoke finance support for small creative organisations, the LGA has said.
Planning and infrastructure bill published
Planning fees will be localised and it will be easier for councils to purchase vacant land for house building, under proposals in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
More than 1.4 million homes ‘left unbuilt’
More than 1.4 million homes with planning permission have been left unbuilt by developers since 2007, according to a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank.
Councils ‘critical to digital inclusion’
Millions of people are set to gain greater digital skills and get online, in a plan to tackle exclusion and boost economic growth.