Briefings and responses

Waste and recycling are among the most valued services any council provides. They are used by all council taxpayers and represent the third biggest spend item in a council’s budget. A doubling of spend by councils to £3.28 billion has seen recycling rates improve 400 per cent in the last decade.

Councils have been successful in establishing recycling infrastructure and services. 99 per cent of local authorities currently collect plastic bottles, and over half (52 per cent) provide drop off points for plastics.

This emergency has highlighted the essential value of social care and public health to the wider public and this needs to be harnessed in thinking about the future of care, support and wellbeing when we look beyond the pandemic.

It is vitally important that the nation’s local roads network enables commuters, businesses, residents and visitors to travel easily and freely within our local areas.

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted that broadband is essential infrastructure. Access to fast and reliable broadband connectivity is vital to help communities stay connected, drive inclusive recovery and create quality jobs.

In order to contribute most effectively, councils need earlier involvement in decisions at a national strategic level, and local government should also have representation on longer-term bodies like the Tourism Industry Council.

Libraries are trusted spaces, free to enter and open to all. They provide people with the opportunity to read and learn with a range of books, digital and other resources. The way people use libraries is changing, and councils have a key role in their development as these changes take place, including exploring alternative models of delivery such as trust or community-run libraries.

Fly-tipping is an environmental and public health hazard. It blights our streets and green spaces, and often rewards criminal activity. Local authorities want to work with the Government to strengthen deterrents to fly-tipping and ensure those who illegally dump waste are punished.

Years of unprecedented funding reductions have had a significant impact on the local services our communities rely on, and the knock-on effect on other parts of the public sector.

The internet has created a powerful medium for the exploitation and abuse of children on an international scale and makes it harder to monitor abuse and bullying. Social media has provided a platform for the sharing of harmful images and information affecting self-esteem, self-image and mental health. These issues must be tackled on a local to national to international level.