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Councils in England spent £142 million placing homeless households in bed and breakfasts in 2019/20, compared with £26.7 million in 2010/11 - a 430 per cent increase.

“From decarbonising building stock, reducing the number of car journeys and delivering clean energy projects, councils have influence over a third of emissions from their areas and have a pivotal role to play in addressing the climate emergency.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, councils have provided crucial local leadership and delivered services that have been absolutely essential in protecting lives and livelihoods, and keeping communities running.

Figures reveal only a small number of eligible youngsters are taking part in the Government’s National Citizen Service (NCS), despite hundreds of millions of pounds of government investment.

The LGA said councils want to work with the Government to tackle the housing shortage and ensure new housing meets the needs of communities. As part of this, it is calling on permitted development rules to be scrapped and local communities to be allowed to have a vital say on new developments in their area.

“We really do encourage parents to check if their child needs any vaccinations to make sure they are properly protected.”

More than 2.5 million working age people across England claimed a discount on their council tax between April and June this year - the highest number since records began in 2015.

The LGA said councils are bracing themselves for a rise in referrals for support that would have normally been made when children were being seen regularly by social workers and health workers. Some children and families will need significant interventions, including child protection plans or even coming into the care system. But for many, they will just need some extra help to get through a difficult period. That could be low level mental health support, sessions with a youth worker, understanding how to support children showing difficult behaviours, or working through parental conflict. H

Communities could have missed out on nearly 30,000 affordable homes in the past five years if proposed government planning reforms were in place, new analysis by the LGA reveals today.

Pubs and other licensed premises should be made to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines with councils given the powers to close down places where rules are being flouted.