More than 85,000 fines have been issued under lockdown rules in England alone, but is the system of fixed penalty notices fair or are some people wrongly fined by the police and local authorities? A swift read based on a report by a parliamentary committee looks at the situation.
Improving the energy efficiency of housing is a vital part of tackling the climate crisis. This means upgrading council homes and other social housing to reduce carbon emissions. This briefing looks at the money available to councils and whether local authorities can take a lead in encouraging higher energy standards in other tenures of housing.
This clear and well researched Nuffield Trust report paints a depressing picture of a system that, despite good intentions, is fractured and, combined with difficulties in oversight, teeters on the brink of failure.
This briefing provides a summary of Oireachtas activity in April, covering social housing, new personal injuries guidelines and private security services.
This briefing looks at Australia’s cities and regions, and how they function now and into the future, with a specific focus on employment density – and aims to answer the question: ‘is there such a thing as an ‘optimal’ size for a city or region?
In an unusual move, Cork County Council recently brought a High Court challenge against a minister in a dispute over the Minister’s direction that it annul a change to the county development plan. This briefing examines the background, policy context and dramatis personae in this interesting battle,
Today, in the first major event since the death of His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty the Queen opened a new Parliamentary session with her speech outlining the Government’s legislative agenda. Key focuses for local government were on voter ID, Covid-19 recovery and delivering a programme for levelling-up.
Becoming a councillor is an exciting time but can also be daunting. This short guide provides information and advice for our new councillor members to help navigate through the initial period in this critical role.
As the International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination is coming up on 17th May, this briefing looks at how councils are working to acknowledge, support, and engage the diverse groups that make up their workforces and communities.
It is well known that Covid-19 has affected individuals and groups very differently. Two reports published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation examine what has happened to low income families and insecure workers.
