Briefings and responses

The funding pressures facing schools are well known, with teacher and parent-led campaigns continuing to receive extensive coverage in the media. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates schools will see a real terms cut of 4.6 per cent in schools funding between 2015 and 2019

It is vital that the Government uses the Spending Review and its forthcoming green paper to deliver sustainable funding for social care for the long-term.  

Councils once again have a key role in delivering more affordable housing and helping to build 300,000 new homes a year.

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 response summarises the LGA's general views on the overall objectives of the proposals, as well as commenting on specific proposals where relevant to our membership.

Councils once again have a key role in delivering more affordable housing and helping to build 300,000 new homes a year.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has recently consulted on proposals to introduce a permitted development right for shale gas exploration.i Shale gas exploration takes place in order to identify suitable sites for hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), and can have a number of impacts on local communities.

The latest statistics from the National Crime Agency show that the number of council referrals of suspected victims of modern slavery to the National Referral Mechanism has risen from 153 in 2013 to 1342 in 2018.

Investing in councils will have a positive effect on wider economic growth and the public finances. Research suggests that putting money into infrastructure and services such as social housing, local roads, and green spaces is good for the overall economy.

Councils are particularly concerned about the proposed changes to high needs funding which will reduce council and school flexibility to make additional funding available where there are rising demand pressures for SEND support.