Camden has long considered itself at the cutting edge of fashion and popular culture but now it is claiming another first. A 380-metre stretch of its High Street in North London is to become the citys only naked street.
Local authorities should seriously consider moving beyond their current role as service providers towards becoming commissioning and procurement hubs, a study by accountants KPMG and thinktank Localis has claimed.
Tens of thousands of civil servants may be moved out of London in a dramatic downscaling of Whitehall under Labour plans to cut public debts and instil a culture of “smarter government”.
This publication from the think tank Localis suggests that councils should set self-imposed targets to reduce expenditure by around 20 per cent by 2011. They are urged to reassess their priorities against cost and innovate if they are to achieve much needed expenditure reductions.
Councillor Liam Maxwell, the Lead Member for Policy and Performance, on the next stage of the transparency agenda at Windsor and Maidenhead Council.
Localis and KPMG have last week produced a new report, called The Bottom Line: A vision for local government. James Morris, Chief Executive of Localis, discusses the report as he urges for a stronger local government
Westminster City Council has called for a set of reforms to give councils powers over everything from police budgets to streetworks. Leader Colin Barrow (Con) said the council faced more than 600 new regulations and 11 pieces of primary legislation every year.
Plans to strip England’s regional development agencies of powers have prompted a backlash from business groups, which warn that a gap in regional development must not be allowed to develop.
Elected politicians with a remit for community safety must be able to remove police chiefs who are not focusing on and delivering the outcomes they desire, writes James Morris for Local Government Lawyer
Demand to build council homes is far exceeding government expectations, putting pressure on the Treasury to release extra cash as part of the spending review next month