Digital switchover scams warning
Criminals are exploiting the analogue-to-digital switchover to scam vulnerable residents who use health care telephony devices into giving out personal information such as bank details.
news
Planning fee delays ‘costing £5 million a week’
Taxpayers will continue to subsidise planning services by almost £5 million a week until the Government finalises measures to increase fees to cover the cost of processing applications, the LGA has warned.
National body needed on RAAC – LGA
The LGA has reiterated its long-standing call for a national lead body to raise awareness of the use of a collapse-prone concrete in schools and other public buildings.
High homeless rates among Afghans
More than a fifth (22 per cent) of Afghans who had been living in bridging hotels in England and Wales have presented to councils as homeless, an LGA survey has found.
Children’s social care budgets ‘buckling’
Years of funding reductions have left council budgets “buckling” under soaring costs for children’s social care, a group of five leading children’s charities has warned.
Voter ID ‘stopped some people voting’
The Electoral Commission has called for the Government to ensure future elections are as accessible as possible in a new report on voter ID arrangements.
Pothole repair funding ‘down more in UK’
A devolved, long-term plan for local road repairs is needed to get investment back up to the levels of other leading countries, the LGA has said.
COVID-19 booster programme to start sooner
The Government has announced that the COVID-19 winter booster programme will be moved forward because of concerns around a new variant, BA.2.86.
New homes standards ‘could cost £18m’
Research by the LGA has found councils in England could face an extra £18 million to deal with new housing standards.
‘Disappointing’ decision to delay recycling reforms
New rules to ensure producers pay for the cost of recycling their packaging have been deferred from October 2024 to 2025, the Government announced over the summer.