After debate stretching at least 35 years, it can only be the most optimistic who are confident that we are at last ready to seriously address the nagging issues of how we fund local services; incentivise good government and clarify just which set of elected representatives is responsible for what.
Ministers should allow councils to buy themselves out of the national business rates system and retain local tax revenues to encourage authorities to stimulate economic growth, a thinktank has proposed.
All of a sudden, local government finance is a hot topic, so it is good news that Localis has an in depth report out on Monday. The punningly titled The Rate Escape, which has been produced in partnership with Ernst and Young, will advocate that councils should be allowed to retain more of their locally collected business rates, cutting the apron strings from central government to once again let local authorities see real benefits from growing their local business rates base.
Eleven urban areas around the country, including London, have been named as enterprise zones with a further ten to be created following a competitive bidding process, the chancellor has announced.
Local Government Chronicle argues that the current state of fractious central-local relations must improve to benefit both sides
A ministerial group tasked with boosting the community budgets programme has been launched, as documents obtained by LGC revealed the extent to which a turbulent spending review period has hampered the programmes progress.
Almost all public services could be opened up to private companies under plans being put forward by David Cameron.
Ministers much-vaunted community-based budgets programme is at risk of collapsing, senior council figures have warned.
Councillors should have to approve local authority salaries of more than £100,000, the government says.
David Cameron has attempted to breathe new life into his much-criticised Big Society initiative, declaring that it is his ?mission in politics? to make it succeed.