London Councils

The Spending Review announced by the Chancellor this week is a welcome opportunity to bring desperately needed stability to council finances. Boroughs are making the case for action to stabilise the local government funding system. Priorities include increased investment, a fairer distribution of funding, greater funding certainty and more financial autonomy. If you're interested in understanding more about the financial challenges facing London local government and how the new government could resolve them, why not take some time to watch our new explainer video? Presented by Paul Honeyben London Councils’ Strategy Director for Local Government Finance & Improvement it covers: -How London boroughs are funded -Key policy and demographic changes since 2010 -Financial pressures driving the most acute problems -What needs to be fixed in the wider local government finance system -London Councils’ priorities for reform Watch the full video: https://lnkd.in/dVWsRwqq

We have responded to the government's announcements today on housing and planning reform - including new flexibilities in how local authorities can use the money raised from council house sales for funding replacement homes. As Cllr Peter Mason, our Executive Member for Planning & Skills, says: “There is no doubt that more homes are urgently needed in London and indeed around the country. Boroughs are strongly pro-housing growth and welcome the government’s focus on boosting housebuilding – including affordable homes and social housing. “New flexibilities over how we use Right to Buy sales receipts are a big step in the right direction. Reducing restrictions will help ensure more money raised from council house sales is better invested locally in building replacement homes. “London boroughs have a good record in granting planning permission, but construction of new homes has seriously stalled in the capital and we’re keen to work with the government in addressing this." Read our full press release here: https://lnkd.in/e7t72Djb #planning #planningreform #housingpolicy #localgov #London #Londonhousingcrisis

We welcome the Spending Review announced by the Chancellor as an opportunity to bring “desperately needed” stability to council finances. Boroughs are making the case for action to stabilise the local government funding system. Priorities include: ·      Additional funding. To stabilise finances and prevent any more boroughs being forced to issue Section 114 notices (effectively declarations of bankruptcy), increased investment is needed. London Councils estimates boroughs face a £700m funding gap across the capital next year (2025-26). ·      Fairer funding. The distribution of government funding needs to become more reflective of local needs. The government’s core funding formulae have not been updated since 2013 and a ‘fair funding review’ is urgently required. ·      Funding certainty. Boroughs are seeking long-term funding settlements of at least three years and fewer bidding pots where councils compete for funding from the government. Greater funding certainty will enable better planning and strategic investment in prevention. ·      Greater financial autonomy. With more financial freedoms and devolved powers, boroughs will be in a stronger position to sustain services and encourage local economic growth. These could include measures such as 100% business rates growth retention for London, powers to create a new tourism levy, and ensuring government grants are un-ringfenced by default (i.e. do not come with burdensome restrictions). Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils, said: “We welcome this Spending Review as an opportunity to bring desperately needed stability to town hall budgets and strengthen our role as drivers of local growth. “Turning the tide on the council finance crisis is crucial for tackling so many of the UK’s most pressing challenges. Whether boosting housebuilding, making faster progress on net zero targets, or arranging social care support that keeps people out of hospital, councils and the services we provide for residents and businesses are essential. “Insufficient and unpredictable funding has resulted in unsustainable pressures on council finances, as London’s population has grown and demand for services – particularly social care and homelessness support – has skyrocketed. “Restoring stability to boroughs’ finances will put us in a much stronger position to work in partnership with the government on our shared priorities and help make a positive contribution to its national missions.” #localgov #publicpolicy #SpendingReview #SpendingReview2024 #Londongovernment

A privilege to have had the chance to share reflections from a London Councils perspective at the Future Governance Forum launch of "Impactful Devolution: Laying the foundations of inclusive growth and national renewal". Just the best when you're able to learn from fellow panellists, in this case Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon, Kim McGuinness, Ben Lucas and Liam Robinson. Huge thanks as well to Heather Jameson for her always able chairing. My three starting reflections on the report: 1. So welcome to see a recognition that devolution to London is not "job done". Whitehall doesn't make better decisions for London than it does for other places just because it is based here. Our devo settlement is from another century and, coming up to its 25th anniversary, needs a refresh - starting with giving us parity with other English city regions by codifying shared decision-making among all the democratically-elected leaders in the city. (Incidentally, you can read more about why London's devolution settlement needs revisiting in this briefing by our friends Centre for London https://lnkd.in/gWGE6CBS) 2. Devolution should absolutely be the default position unless there's a compelling case for centralisation - but it has to be true devolution and not just delegation, which is still mostly the territory we've been in. For example, there's a strong consensus across places in England, and across sectors too, that our skills and employment system is not fit for purpose now, let alone for the future. We don't want to deliver existing DWP/DfE programmes - we need the authority and resources to work with businesses, providers, and a range of partners to develop approaches tailored to our labour markets and industrial sectors, informed by our residents' aspirations and needs. 3. Finally, the idea of a missions-driven approach feels like it's exactly what has been missing. The challenges we face just can't be solved by one tier of government or indeed by government alone. Take the need for investment to achieve net zero and build more homes - there's so much private capital out there keen to invest but, certainly in local government, we're struggling to find the models that balance risk and reward for all parties. I'm incredibly lucky to be part of discussions with 3Ci (Cities Commission for Climate Investment) and Opportunity London where private sector partners are prepared to grapple with the potential solutions alongside us - but for the most part, national government hasn't been in the room. There are definitely signs that that's changing, which makes me optimistic that we'll finally find a way to lever in private investment while retaining public value. An altogether energising session. Thanks Nathan Yeowell and FGF team for all your hard work in organising it!

The UK National Audit Office has published a new report on government effectiveness in tackling homelessness. Key findings include: ·      Homelessness has increased in recent years and is now at the highest level since comparable data collection began in the early 2000s. ·      A shortage of available housing makes it expensive for local authorities to house people in temporary accommodation, as well as harder for people to find a home. ·      Local authority spending on homelessness services has more than doubled since 2010-11. This puts severe financial strain on councils, with some telling the NAO that homelessness pressures could result in them issuing a Section 114 notice – effectively a declaration of bankruptcy. Central government’s funding arrangements for local authorities’ homelessness services remain “complex, fragmented, and sometimes uncertain”. The NAO's analysis shows why a new approach to tackling homelessness is urgently required. Cllr Grace Williams, our Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, said: "As this report clearly demonstrates, government policy could be far more effective in tackling homelessness and getting to grips with its underlying causes. Better co-ordination across government departments, greater housing security, sufficient funding for councils, and more investment in building affordable homes are key to turning the situation around." Read our full statement here: https://lnkd.in/edeHVSVT #homelessness #housingpolicy #localgov #Londonhousingcrisis

We are launching the latest data on London's consumption-based emissions, providing a detailed look at the city's consumption impact. Join us online on Wednesday, 3PM, to learn more about how our Climate Programme is building capacity to enable local government to deliver solutions and tackle the climate crisis. Follow the link below to register and find out more about the speakers. https://lnkd.in/d6TsKQZm #BeTheSolution

Retrofit London is leading a pan-London Strategic Partnership bid, which allows for a quicker funding access and more flexible grant allocation in retrofitting homes across the capital. Read our latest blog by Isabelle Nest-Coleman, Retrofit London Project Officer, to find out more about the partnership and opportunities to get involved in free workshops delivered by RISE (Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise). #RetrofitLondon #BeTheSolution

"We are in a new political era. A change of government offers a fresh start in so many ways and presents exciting opportunities. London boroughs are determined to work positively and at pace alongside the government and its missions." Our new Chair Cllr Claire Holland has written for Local Government Chronicle on the five key areas where – with the right support – boroughs can make real progress in tackling the issues we face in London. https://lnkd.in/e6seePqV

Retrofit London is leading a pan-London Strategic Partnership bid, which allows for a quicker funding access and more flexible grant allocation in retrofitting homes across the capital. Read our latest blog by Isabelle Nest-Coleman, Retrofit London Project Officer, to find out more about the partnership and opportunities to get involved in free workshops delivered by RISE (Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise). #RetrofitLondon #BeTheSolution

"In London these days, most discussions about pressing policy challenges lead back to housing. "From the impact of high housing costs on businesses’ ability to recruit and retain staff through to the effects poor-quality housing has on health and wellbeing, it has never felt more evident that housing is a fundamental building block to economic prosperity and thriving communities." Piali Das Gupta, our Strategy Director - London's Future, has written for LocalGov on the importance of tackling London's #housingcrisis. https://lnkd.in/edAk3b2Q