Support your market
Currently, there are around 1,150 regular, traditional retail markets, and almost 80 per cent of them are operated or licensed by local authorities. But this situation might soon change unless councils support their markets.
Learning through crisis
I read recently that, in a crisis, you should “deploy an innovation team alongside the business recovery teams… to capture the novel practice”.
Rebuilding mentally healthier communities
Mental ill health costs thousands of lives and more than £105 billion every year – an average of £700 million per upper-tier council area in England alone.
The councils prone to by-elections
What factors influence the frequency of by-elections, and are some councils more prone than others to having to fill casual vacancies?
Free school meals extended
More than a million young people entitled to free school meals will get free meal vouchers over the summer holiday, after a campaign by Manchester United and England footballer Marcus …
Increased help for child asylum-seekers
The Home Office has increased financial support for councils who look after asylum-seeking children, including a targeted 25 per cent uplift for local authorities looking after the highest numbers of such children.
Early years funding warning
Additional funding is needed to support all early years’ providers for the period of the coronavirus crisis if enough childcare places are to be available for families who need them, the LGA has warned.
Speaking up for victims of domestic abuse
With so many of us confined to our homes during the coronavirus pandemic, domestic abuse helplines have, alarmingly, reported a significant increase in cases of domestic violence.
Lockdown restrictions easing
As first was going to press, the Government was working on a review of the two-metre social-distancing rule, which was expected to report by 4 July.
‘Plan needed to keep homeless off streets’
The Government needs to bring together a comprehensive national strategy to prevent rough sleepers and homeless people returning to the streets after the pandemic, according to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee.