Localisation issues in welfare reform: CLG Committee report
The CLG Select Committee's report into the proposed changes to the discretionary social fund, council tax benefit and housing benefit is very critical of the plans. The changes will have serious implications for all councils.
How to be the greenest local authority ever
?Last week, Karen Lawrence, head of CRC and Consultancy at Local Energy, part of the LGiU, took part in a Guardian Q&A that explored how to be the greenest local authority ever. Karen said: The idea that ‘being green’ costs more needs to be tackled: Energy efficiency can save councils millions of pounds a year and…
LGiU Events: Planning seminar
The government’s planning reforms represent a significant challenge for councils. This seminar will outline what neighbourhood planning and the NPPF will mean for members and officers, the potential risks and opportunities for local government in these changes and existing best practice from around the country. Speakers include experts from local government, key trade organisations and the private…
C’llr Awards 2012: Judges’ Special Award for Contribution to Local Government
It is easy to think of political progress in terms of sweeping legislation, dramatic landslide elections, or grassroots movements building an unstoppable momentum on their brave journeys towards seemingly immovable barriers. The rolling out of universal suffrage, the creation of the NHS, and the various successes of civil rights campaigns show that, undoubtedly, some of…
What would a digital champion do for your authority?
Yesterday I gave a speech based upon LGiU’s recent Going where the eyeballs are report at the GovDelivery User Conference – #GovD11 on Twitter. One of the recurring issues that came up throughout the day was the lack of clarity across departments as to how to make digital technology work best throughout a whole local…
Health Select Committee Report on Public Health
This briefing summarises and comments on the Health Committee’s report into public health which includes recommendations directly relevant to councils and highlights crucial financial issues such as the scale and distribution of the public health budget.
C’llr Awards 2012: Leader of the Year
“Effective leadership is about knowing where you are going, in the broadest sense, articulating your goals and sticking to them, and then bringing people with you.” – Martin Hill, Leader of the Year, 2010, speaking in C’llr Magazine, April 2011. In the last post in this series we talked about how important innovation is for…
C’llr Awards 2012: Online Councillor of the Year
To mark the fact that that the 2012 LGiU and CCLA C’llr Achievement Awards are now open for nominations, we will be posting a series of pieces in the blog that provide a bit more information about each of the categories in this year’s Awards. As this very endeavour goes to show, blogs and other…
Flood risk management in England – NAO report
This briefing summarises and comments on the recent NAO report on flood risk management. The report highlights concerns that the reform laid out in the 2010 Act may be difficult to implement, with clear implications for local authorities.
On Your Radar November 2011: new monthly briefing
On Your Radar is a new monthly briefing that looks back over the last period, ahead at what could be hitting the headlines and comments on issues relevant to local government that will be influencing the political landscape over the coming months.
