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Rural areas face losing out on investment in infrastructure and affordable homes as a result of forthcoming planning changes allowing more new homes to avoid local approval, the Local Government Association warns today.

“Social care needs to be put on an equal footing with the NHS and government needs to address immediate pressures as part of funding gap facing social care, which is set to exceed £2 billion by 2020.”

“Government should first make a down-payment on the green paper by injecting additional resources into the system to fund immediate funding pressures which are set to exceed £2 billion by 2020. This will enable the system to stay afloat until such time as the green paper reforms bring in new resources.”

Local government currently has a formal advisory role in the EU law and policy-making process through its membership of the EU Committee of the Regions. This formal involvement in law-making has ensured that EU laws are improved by the experience of those at the frontline of delivery. The LGA, together with the local government associations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, have been in discussion with the UK Government about how this advisory role might be replicated in UK law. Our shared ambition is to replicate the advisory role of local government in the UK post-exit, without

“Careful and efficient management of our roads by councils has seen some progress being made into tackling the backlog of road repairs. However, increasing traffic levels, and more cars on our roads, together with continuing extreme winter weather conditions means that government needs to keep funding of local roads as a priority in its spending plans. “Only long-term and consistent investment in local road maintenance can allow councils to embark on the widespread improvement of our roads that is desperately needed, to the benefit of all road users up and down the country, including cyclists

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, responds to the Gambling Commission’s report on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.

"Councils are clear that the Government should provide additional and ongoing funding to meet this need, otherwise councils may not be able to meet their statutory duties and children with high needs or disabilities could miss out on a mainstream education."

Council leaders are encouraging residents to check in on any elderly or vulnerable neighbours to make sure they’re not suffering in silence and have everything they need during the snow and freezing weather.

"If we’re to meet the demand for school places then councils should be given back the powers to open new maintained schools and existing academy schools should expand where required."

"When the £2 billion for adult social care was announced by the Government in last year’s Spring Budget, it said this could be spent in three ways – meeting adult social care needs, reducing pressures on the NHS, and ensuring the local provider market was supported."