Keeping in touch with members
As the summer comes to an end and autumn approaches, I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some time off after what has been a very busy six months for us all.
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Will warnings on council finances go unheeded?
Another week, another U-turn – this time, the botched A-level results saga. And a government that claims to be ‘levelling up’ has proved once again that this is just one more empty slogan to add to the pile.
Riding roughshod over local communities
We finally saw the Government’s planning reforms, sneaked out at midnight on a Wednesday, just before the start of the summer holidays.
Planning ‘does not prevent development’
August was dominated by new government proposals on planning, scene setting for a White Paper on recovery and reorganisation, and the school exams fiasco.
The costs of inequality
Witnessing the distressing scenes of George Floyd’s death as a white police officer knelt on his neck as he gasped for air was beyond belief.
Reorganisation – a pointless deckchair shuffle
After six months at the frontline of the emergency response to COVID-19, the unique ability of councils to respond to the needs of local communities has never been more evident.
Plan to stop the slums of the future
The Prime Minster has demanded that we “build, build, build” our way out of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
Encouraging active, healthier lives
The LGA held its annual conference remotely in July, bringing sessions to our members. Our councillors did a great job, raising good questions and entering the debate.
The transition to a more sustainable future
Having declared a climate emergency in 2019, we believe Southwark was the first English council to appoint a director of climate change, tasked with taking forward a plan that is inclusive, transparent and ambitious.
Getting communities back on their feet
With the hospitality sector now open, the country is slowly leaving the first phase of the pandemic.