News

Lord Porter, the LGA’s building safety spokesman, responds to the Government consultation on sprinklers and other fire safety measures in high-rise blocks.

“We fully support the Committee’s calls to give councils the flexibility and extra funding to ensure they meet the recycling challenges under the Waste Strategy, and for local authorities not to be forced to provide free garden waste collections or a minimum frequency of residual waste collections."

“We are delighted that today’s Spending Round has delivered a funding package of more than £3.5 billion for our vital local services next year."

“To support protection work by councils to prepare for heavy rainfalls this winter, funding for flood defences needs to be devolved to local areas to ensure money is directed towards projects that best reflect local needs."

“It is important that tomorrow’s Spending Round provides much-needed investment in council services, including public health. Every pound invested by government in council-run services, such as public health, can relieve pressure on other essential services like the NHS and save much more money further down the line."

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to the latest official suicides statistics, for 2018.

“Ending homelessness remains a top priority for councils." 

Responding to an announcement by the Department of Education about an extra £700 million for children with special educational needs, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Children and Young People Board, said: "It is great that the Government has acted on the LGA’s call for a significant funding boost for services that support children with special educational needs next year. "Councils want to ensure every child gets the best education possible and that every parent can choose the sort of education setting they want for their child. "This funding will help councils meet unprecedented

Mainstream schools should be incentivised to take in more children with special needs, to ensure the country offers a more inclusive education system, say councils.

Councils are in a unique position of being able to make the real and effective change needed locally that will ultimately help to solve some of the biggest problems the nation is facing and changing the lives of their communities.