Service Transformation

‘Enough is enough’: Powys County Council speaks out against cuts and demands fair deal from government

18.02.19: A Welsh authority set to increase its council tax by nearly 10% has publicly spoken out about the unfair funding formula for councils, and has urged the first minister to enter talks to deliver “a fair deal.” Powys County Counci...

Plastic packaging tax and weekly food collections in plans for government overhaul of national waste system

18.02.19: The government has launched plans to overhaul the country’s waste system, with packaging producers potentially being required to cover the full cost of dealing with their waste and also facing a new tax for plastic packaging. A series...

Council suspends contract with litter enforcement firm Kingdom after businesses complain about ‘aggressive’ fines

15.02.19: Wirral Council has suspended a contract with an enforcement firm after a raft of complaints around improper fines to businesses. The council’s cabinet member for environment Anita Leech announced she had directed that the current enfo...

Councils ‘left on life support’ as 97% set to raise taxes and half dig into reserves

14.02.19: Around 97% of councils plan on hiking up council this year and over half plan on dipping into their reserves as under-pressure authorities increase cuts to vital services, new figures reveal. A national survey from the Local Government Info...

Powys County Council moves forward with £12m cuts and 9.5% tax increase

13.02.19: County council leaders have backed a 9.5% council tax hike in Powys as the authority passed £12m of cuts – but the council stressed that frontline services, schools, and social services have been protected. Powys County Council...

Dundee ‘sick to the teeth with austerity’ as council propose multi-million cuts to staff and services

13.02.19: Dundee City Council has put forward proposals to save £9m a year from its budget with plans to axe principal teachers in secondary schools and introduce new charges. With the council facing a budget blackhole of £19m prior to th...

‘Novel’ One Yorkshire devolution deal rejected by government

13.02.19: Proposals for a One Yorkshire devolution deal handing powers and funding to the region has been rejected by the government. The One Yorkshire proposals were submitted to the government last year with the backing of 18 out of the 20 region&r...

Council to consider scrapping Amey super contract after report reveals public services failings

12.02.19: Trafford Council chiefs are considering ripping up a ‘super contract’ it has with a private firm to carry out a mass of council services over 20 years after a review has revealed a catalogue of failings and “high-level issues.&...

Glasgow City Council agrees deal to remortgage major venues to finance £548m equal pay settlement

12.02.19: Glasgow City Council has agreed to sell off a host of its major venues and buildings to an arm’s length council-owned body in order to meet the cost of a £548m equal pay settlement with its workers. The city council will sell a...

Edinburgh Council becomes first UK authority to introduce ‘tourist tax’

07.02.19: Councillors at Edinburgh City Council voted today to approve the first ever UK ‘tourist tax’ which will raise an estimated £14.6m annually. The Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) scheme will include a flat £2 per-night roo...

Leeds council proposes £85m investment in 10,000 new homes for the city centre

07.02.19: A proposed £85m investment in bringing 10,000 new homes to Leeds city centre is set to be discussed by councillors. Leeds City Council intends to submit a bid for the government’s housing infrastructure fund (HIF) for £85m...

‘We are on our knees’: Rotherham Council reveals £30m budget cuts with 175 jobs set to go

07.02.19: Around 175 jobs are to be cut at Rotherham Council as it tries to plug a £30m funding deficit over the next two years in its latest budget proposals. The authority has revealed cuts to the town’s Healthwatch, a 2.99% tax hike, a...

Interserve reaches rescue deal with lenders

06.02.19: One of the largest providers of public services in the UK Interserve has unveiled an emergency rescue deal which will see its debt slashed by more than £300m. Its deleveraging plan is expected to reduce Interserve’s debt from &p...

Tees Valley wins bid to bring hydrogen vehicles and fuelling stations to region

06.02.19: Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has announced its £1.3m bid to bring innovative hydrogen vehicles and refuelling stations has been approved by the government. The region will benefit from a fleet of hydrogen technology cars and...

Cuts of £82m approved at Surrey County Council as plans to close children’s centres move forward

06.02.19: Surrey County Council has approved cuts of £82m in its budget plans for 2019-20 which will see 31 children centres across the county close. Councillors approved the budget yesterday as Surrey leader Tim Oliver declared that “not...