57,000 Right to Buy homes ‘will not be replaced’
A further 57,000 social homes in England will be lost to Right to Buy by the end of the decade, with no region or local authority capable of providing one-to-one replacements.
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Digital switchover alert
Vital telecare equipment used by nearly two million older and disabled people, as well as traffic lights and cash machines, could cease to operate unless councils get more support with preparing for the upgrade to next-generation digital networks.
‘Devolve employment support to councils’ – LGA
People’s job prospects post-pandemic would have been better if councils and devolved authorities had been able to take the lead on supporting them, the LGA has said in response to a report on the Government’s Restart programme.
Cities can unlock potential, summit hears
Cities can level up the country, grow the economy and tackle the climate crisis if they have the right resources and extra powers, urban leaders have said.
Scrap costly funding bids, says levelling up inquiry
Costly competitions between councils vying for vital funding pots should be replaced to help realise the Government’s levelling up agenda, an LGA inquiry has found.
Unfunded NHS pay rises could mean cuts to services
Councils have warned that proposed new NHS pay rises could lead to cuts to vital public health services if they are not funded, after the new public health grant settlements were published.
‘Perfect storm’ for homelessness services
Some councils are ‘still not getting it right’ when it comes to preventing people from becoming homeless, according to a report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Rough road ahead…
The Government spent 31 times more per mile maintaining motorways and A roads last year than it did on funding councils to repair crumbling local roads, according to LGA analysis.
215,000 children missing out on free school meals
Nearly a quarter of a million children are missing out on free school meals worth nearly £500 per child because of the lack of an automated sign-up system, according to the LGA.
Tougher rules needed to tackle underage vape sales
The LGA has called for strict new measures to regulate the display and marketing of vaping products in the same way as tobacco, to crack down on a rise in stores selling to children.