Local Authority & Councils Archives - Government & Public Sector Journal

A damp social home with a solar panel is still a damp home

By Rory Evans, regional director, LHC Midlands and South East

A solar panel can cut a bill. But what it can’t do is dry a wall, repair a roof or make a damp home healthy.

That is the tension social landlords face as they respond to the latest Government announcement on the

Continue reading A damp social home with a solar panel is still a damp home

Let’s work at this together, says Fire Aware

Growing fire safety organisation Fire Aware has reminded the public sector fire safety industry – “We’re all in this together so let’s collaborate.”

Fire Aware CEO Gavin Skelly gave the reminder of the importance of working closely in the supply chains in the post-Grenfell era as the legal process in the aftermath

Continue reading Let’s work at this together, says Fire Aware

Believ’s Redcar and Cleveland EV infrastructure rollout underway

Charge point operator (CPO) Believ has commenced its rollout of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure across Redcar and Cleveland to help drivers in the area transition to EVs. This infrastructure will strengthen Redcar and Cleveland’s EV network, promote sustainable travel, and offer convenient charging for residents without driveways or home-charging options, as well as

Continue reading Believ’s Redcar and Cleveland EV infrastructure rollout underway

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Selects Unit4 ERPx and FP&A to Underpin Finance for the Future Transformation Programme

Embridge Consulting to replace outdated legacy applications with simplified redesign of financial operating model for reduced complexity and improved transparency

Unit4, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for people-centric organisations, today announced that East Riding of Yorkshire Council will move to Unit4 ERPx, its next-generation, cloud-native Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Together with

Continue reading East Riding of Yorkshire Council Selects Unit4 ERPx and FP&A to Underpin Finance for the Future Transformation Programme

One in four council professionals not confident their authority will be viable on ‘Vesting Day’, poll reveals

ICS.AI poll reveals concerns over council viability and service disruption ahead of Local Government Reorganisation

Martin Neale

Council professionals involved in Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) are concerned about the impact of the programme on service delivery and the long-term viability of new authorities, according to polling conducted by public sector AI specialist

Continue reading One in four council professionals not confident their authority will be viable on ‘Vesting Day’, poll reveals

Believ urges Government to maintain ZEV Mandate to protect UK investment and charging rollout

Believ has written to No.10 Downing Street urging Government to maintain the UK’s ZEV Mandate in its current form Company warns that policy instability risks slowing private investment and delaying charger deployment, particularly outside major cities Says long-term infrastructure pipeline depends on stable targets to unlock capital and support nationwide rollout

Believ, the electric vehicle (EV) charge point

Continue reading Believ urges Government to maintain ZEV Mandate to protect UK investment and charging rollout

When Contractor Conduct Becomes a Council Responsibility

Councils Cannot Outsource Accountability: The Contractor Screening Lessons from Harrow

Susie Thomson

By Susie Thomson, Chair Elect of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) and former founder of Security Watchdog

The Harrow Council enforcement incident that has recently attracted national media attention is deeply concerning, not only because of the behaviour captured

Continue reading When Contractor Conduct Becomes a Council Responsibility

Cultural change starts now, says Fire Aware

Gavin Skelly

Growing fire safety organisation Fire Aware has sent a stark message to those working across multiple sectors with decisions to make about fire safety – change needs to start now.

Fire Aware CEO Gavin Skelly made the call as the fire safety industry starts to understand the implications of the

Continue reading Cultural change starts now, says Fire Aware

Why collaboration, not funding alone, will determine the success of ‘Experts at Hand’

By Emma Sanderson

Emma Sanderson

As educators, school leaders, SEND professionals and families, we need to understand what these reforms will mean for already overstretched budgets, pressure on EHCP thresholds, and how the system will ensure schools are equipped to meet these ambitions. When the Government announced its plans for “Experts at

Continue reading Why collaboration, not funding alone, will determine the success of ‘Experts at Hand’

Believ and UrbanChain partner to deliver traceable, locally matched renewable energy for EV charging network

Electric vehicle (EV) charge point operator (CPO) Believ has partnered with UrbanChain, an AI-powered, licensed energy supplier, to power its UK charging network with traceable, locally matched renewable energy that bypasses the wholesale energy market to deliver stable energy prices.

This three-year extension builds upon an agreement first signed in 2025 and will

Continue reading Believ and UrbanChain partner to deliver traceable, locally matched renewable energy for EV charging network

108 new relocatable homes to expand temporary accommodation in West Northamptonshire

Boost TA co-founders Giles Donovan (left) and Will Roberts (right) with two of the prototype units

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has collaborated with Clear Futures, and Boost TA Ltd, to design and provide 108 modern, relocatable homes on two sites, aimed at improving living standards and supporting families facing homelessness in transitioning to

Continue reading 108 new relocatable homes to expand temporary accommodation in West Northamptonshire

Believ rolls out EV charging in Telford & Wrekin Council with over 200 new charge points

Charge point operator (CPO) Believ is rolling out its electric vehicle (EV) charging network across Telford & Wrekin Council, with 200 new charge points installed across 35 key public car parks. The project has been driven by the council’s sustainability strategy to decarbonise transport and support local residents in the transition to electric mobility.

Charge points are now live at a number of locations across

Continue reading Believ rolls out EV charging in Telford & Wrekin Council with over 200 new charge points

Brightly Software partners with AppyWay to support UK digital traffic order compliance

Brightly Software, a Siemens company, has announced a strategic partnership with digital Traffic Order specialist AppyWay to support UK highway authorities in managing digital traffic regulation orders (D-TROs) and kerbside infrastructure more effectively.

The partnership will integrate AppyWay’s Traffic Suite software that manages kerbside and traffic regulations with Brightly Software’s Confirm asset

Continue reading Brightly Software partners with AppyWay to support UK digital traffic order compliance

Believ marks three years of growth with major milestones in UK EV charging rollout

Electric vehicle (EV) charge point operator (CPO) Believ is marking three years following its rebrand from Liberty Charge with a series of major milestones across its growing standard, standard plus*, rapid and ultra-rapid nationwide network.

Over the past three years, Believ has focused on delivering reliable, inclusive and future-ready charging infrastructure for

Continue reading Believ marks three years of growth with major milestones in UK EV charging rollout

Communities step in as local building closures rise across Scotland

Whalsay Kirk in Shetland

New research by Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) shows a record 320 communities moved to buy or lease local buildings in Scotland in the past 12 months – an increase of 300% since 2024.

There is now a significant number of buildings in community ownership across Scotland, ranging from libraries

Continue reading Communities step in as local building closures rise across Scotland

How Hackney Council is Transforming Public Safety with AI-Powered Video Analytics

Photo courtesy: Hackney Council

Hackney Council is making public spaces safer by leveraging AI-powered video analytics tools to better detect and respond to incidents.

Managing safety during a major event Hackney Council approached long-time security and surveillance partner Synectics to understand how video analytics could help them strengthen public safety.

Continue reading How Hackney Council is Transforming Public Safety with AI-Powered Video Analytics

Believ partners with Big Ideas Programme to inspire Suffolk students to tackle environmental challenges

Electric vehicle (EV) charge point operator (CPO) Believ has partnered with the Big Ideas Programme, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) competition-based initiative aimed at developing creative solutions for sustainability, to support young people in Suffolk to address local and global environmental challenges.

The Big Ideas Competition 2025 National Final Winners – Diploflowcus from Perton Middle School

Delivered by social enterprise, Solutions for the Planet, the year-long programme,

Continue reading Believ partners with Big Ideas Programme to inspire Suffolk students to tackle environmental challenges

Voicescape Launches READY Framework to Help Councils Prepare for Local Government Reorganisation

A new whitepaper, Readiness is Resilience, has been launched by intelligent automation solutions provider Voicescape designed to help local authorities prepare for local government reorganisation (LGR).

UK local government finances have deteriorated significantly over the past decade and a half. Net debt has doubled since 2010, reaching £122.2 billion in 2024/25, while approximately 43% of

Continue reading Voicescape Launches READY Framework to Help Councils Prepare for Local Government Reorganisation

Why tackling waste crime is critical to keeping EPR costs under control

By Paul Empson, General Manager, Bakers Basco

Paul Empson

The recent arrest linked to alleged multi-million pound packaging fraud is a stark reminder that waste crime is evolving and that its consequences reach far beyond the individuals directly involved.

While this particular case centres on the Packaging Producer Responsibility (PPR) regime, the underlying

Continue reading Why tackling waste crime is critical to keeping EPR costs under control

Supply chains starting to make positive change, says Fire Aware

Supply chains are increasingly taking their duty of care for public safety seriously in the interests of protecting people across multiple sectors, according to growing fire safety body Fire Aware.

The fire safety organisation is seeing a behavioural change as a wide range of companies large and small start to adopt rigorous

Continue reading Supply chains starting to make positive change, says Fire Aware

LATEST EDITION

Recent Comments

Recent News

Archives