eGov Monitor - Local Government News
Local Government News
Tuesday 13:06
Bulgaria Begins Testing On Integrated Web Platform For Muncipal And Central GovernmentsOn 1 February 2010 the Bulgarian Government officially started testing an integrated web platform providing 13 municipal and central government services online. The platform was made accessible at http://portal.egov.bg/ (in Bulgarian only for the time being).
Tuesday 12:44
Housing Minister Healey Allocates £2.5 Million More To Make Repossesion Last Resort In Hot SpotsHousing Minister John Healey has today extended a Government campaign across the country with a special local push in 86 repossession "hotspot areas", and an extra £2.5million funding to ensure struggling homeowners get the help they need to avoid repossession.
Tuesday 12:39
Communities Secretary Wants Chief Executives Who Move To Another Council To Return Their Pay Offs To The PublicCouncils should have the power to claw back taxpayers’ money paid out to cut ties with their town hall chief if they later get re-hired to another local government job.
Tuesday 11:35
Spain: Cantabria Receives EUR 75 Million EIB Loan To Finance Investment In EducationThe European Investment Bank has granted a EUR 75 million loan to the Instituto de Finanzas de Cantabria (ICAF) for financing investment in education in the region. The finance contract was signed today in a ceremony hosted by the Vice-President of the Government of Cantabria, Dolores Gorostiaga Saiz, EIB Vice-President Carlos da Silva Costa, and the Region’s Finance Minister and Chairman of ICAF, Ángel Agudo San Emeterio.
Tuesday 10:31
Concessionary Bus Travel In Northamptonshire Is Set To Change From Next Month.The government has announced changes to the national free concessionary travel scheme, which will come into force on April 6th, which will affect residents reaching their 60th birthday.
Tuesday 10:10
Two Thirds of Police Authorities Do Not Have Any Strategic View of Policing Priorities Says Audit CommissionOnly a third of a sample of police authorities inspected are setting effective long-term strategic plans for themselves or their force, finds a joint report by HMIC and the Audit Commission. As a result, they are not doing enough to identify and deliver policing priorities for their area.
Tuesday 08:45
Three In Ten Council Chief Executives Leave With Pay Off Before Their Contract Is Over Reveals New Report From Audit CommissionToday the Audit Commission calls for more openness in pay-off deals for council chief executives in England. From January 2007 – when new rules came in – to September 2009 there were pay-off deals for 30 per cent of departing council chief executives.
Monday 22:00
Election 2010: Think Tank Series: Total PlaceTotal Place is a big opportunity to radically shake-up public services, but we face a missed opportunity if the Treasury cannot be persuaded soon that the radical option is a political reality.
Monday 15:28
Additional £50 Million For Local Authorities To Ride Out The Economic CrisisAn extra £50 million is being given to councils to help them make big strides toward economic recovery in their local area, announced Communities Secretary John Denham today.
Monday 11:42
Scotland's Social Work Inspection Agency Submits ReportMinisters today welcomed a report from Scotland's Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) which looks in detail at how social work services have been performing for local people during the last four years.
Monday 11:09
Green Cornwall Director Stephen Cirell Helps Drive The Change In Laws On Local Government Energy InnovationGovernment legislation which could have prevented Cornwall Council from delivering some parts of its ambitious and innovative Green Cornwall programme looks set to be changed – thanks to the efforts of the Council’s Green Cornwall Director Stephen Cirell.
Monday 10:58
Consultation Launched On Greater Nottingham Aligned Core StrategiesAt its meeting on 5th March 2010 Stapleford Town Council received a presentation from Broxtowe Borough Council regarding the Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies.
Monday 10:40
Three Quarters Of London To Be Covered By London Permit SchemeA major summit attended by the Mayor’s Office, utility companies working in the capital, Transport for London, and the boroughs discussed how to improve the flow of traffic in the capital last Friday.
Monday 10:03
Using Public Data To Make People Feel SaferA Facebook quiz that challenges perceptions of crime and a website that gives the public the chance to feed into local neighbourhood policing boards, are just two of the innovative new ways that government data is to become accessible to the public following a 'hack day' yesterday.
Monday 08:54
Flooding Minister Huw Irranca-Davies Announces Funding For Lake District National Park To Repair Flood DamageFlooding Minister Huw Irranca-Davies last week visited residents and businesses in Cumbria affected by the November 2009 flooding to see how they have been recovering, and to show that they are open for business.
Monday 08:45
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan Announces £20m Transport Improvement Schemes In South WestTwo vital schemes to regenerate towns in Dorset and Somerset through £20m of transport investment were given the go-ahead today by Transport Minister Sadiq Khan.
Monday 08:30
Changing Building Regulations Would Reduce Emissions And Costs - Communities Secretary John DenhamHousing and Planning Minister John Healey today announced changes to the country's building regulations to make our homes, shops and offices warmer and cheaper to run and take Britain a step closer to meeting our low carbon commitments.
Friday 11:50
Lack Of Investment In the South East Is Short-Changing The CountryThe Leaders of West Sussex and Surrey County Councils have joined forces to demand the government prioritise investment in the South East’s roads, saying it could boost the entire UK economy by £1.6 billion a year.
Friday 10:42
Buckinghamshire Conty And District Councils' Disappointment At High Speed Two Route AnnouncementCouncils have today voiced their frustration and disappointment at the news that the new High Speed rail link between Birmingham and London will cut through Buckinghamshire.
Friday 09:53
Regional And Infrastructure Policy Key To Future Economic Success – MandelsonToday Lord Mandelson will visit Manchester to discuss the Government’s policy on regional economic development, and see first-hand how this has delivered jobs, skills, investment and growth for the city.
Thursday 11:47
NI :Farm Modernisation Criteria Is An Opportunity To Tackle DisadvantageIn a statement to the Assembly today, Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA has expressed her desire to ensure that the Tranche 2 selection criteria of the Farm Modernisation Programme (FMP) proceeds without delay.
Thursday 09:38
Despite Investments Inequalities In Public Health Still Remains Says Audit CommissionA new Audit Commission briefing looks at progress on improving health and reducing health inequalities in England. Out today, 11 March, Healthy Balance analyses where the money has been spent. (Read in full here)
Thursday 09:32
"Fast Laners" - A New Project To Help East London Graduates Into JobsMinister of State for Higher Education, David Lammy MP, will today announce the launch of ‘Fastlaners’, an East London-based scheme to help graduates make the transition into the world of work.
Thursday 08:12
Results of 'Rural Insights Survey 2009' PublishedToday (Wednesday 10 March), the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) is publishing the results of a comprehensive survey, which took place during late 2009, on the perceptions and priorities of rural people. The survey provides detailed information on the views of residents across rural England, and comparisons with the views of people who live in urban areas.
Wednesday 11:23
Central Lincolnshire Moving Towards Greener Development With £1.5 Million Government FundingOne and a half million pounds of funding is heading to the county to help develop more eco-friendly homes and communities for the future. A share of the cash will also be used to convert existing homes to greener more energy-efficient technology and to find ways to switch housing onto new localised generation of energy from waste in and around Lincoln.
Wednesday 11:16
Significant End-Of-Contract Pension Risks On Outsourced Local Authority Services - New ReportMore than two-thirds of contractors who take on outsourced local authority services are unaware of a potential sting in the tail on their pension costs, according to a survey published today by consulting actuaries and administrators, Punter Southall.
Wednesday 11:03
Read The Latest eGov monitor WeeklyThe latest eGov monitor Weekly has been published and you can read it by clicking on the link below:
Wednesday 09:52
PlansTo Improve Private Rented Housing Revealed In ScotlandPlans to improve the standard of private rented housing in Scotland were unveiled today. The Scottish Government is consulting about the proposed Private Housing (Scotland) Bill.
09-03-2010 14:58
ICT TO Continue To Shape Our Lives - Chancellor Angela MerkelInformation technologies make a lot of things easier, safer and more energy efficient for us in our everyday lives, a process that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is convinced will continue to shape the coming years. At the same time, customer-oriented innovations could generate new growth across the whole of Europe, Merkel emphasised at the start of CeBIT, the world's largest IT trade show in Hanover.
09-03-2010 09:02
Government Backs Affordable Housing And First Time Buyers With £83 MillionHousing Minister John Healey has today announced £83 million to get building over 5,700 new and affordable homes stalled by the recession back on track.
08-03-2010 16:47
US State News: Calfornia Communities Receive $9.2 Million To Fight Gang ViolenceContinuing his commitment to combat gang violence in California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced over $9.2 million in competitive grants have been awarded to 24 cities throughout the state under the Governor’s California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative.
08-03-2010 11:28
Empty Homes Provide Housing And Training Opportunities For Local People In WalesDeputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM has visited a former empty home in Rhyl that is to be sold as an affordable house to a local first time buyer.
08-03-2010 10:43
Scottish Government Unveils Plans For A New £50 Million Big Lotery FundPlans for a new £50 million BIG Lottery Fund initiative to support young Scots leaving care and older people with dementia and their carers can transform many thousands of lives across Scotland, First Minister Alex Salmond said today.
08-03-2010 10:36
City of Edinburgh Launches Early Action Plan For Children Between 0-8 YearsThe Action Plan has been developed by the Council, who have been working in partnership with the wider Children and Families department, NHS Lothian, the private and voluntary sector.
08-03-2010 10:34
Companies Seeking To Work With Edinburgh Council Are Invited To Propose Alternative Service DeliveryThe City of Edinburgh Council has taken the next step towards exploring alternative ways of providing its services by inviting companies to express an interest in working with the Council. The aim of the programme is to secure best value for the city and improve services in a tough financial climate.
08-03-2010 10:32
Edinburgh Council Highlights Partnership As Key To Funding Charities EffectivelyThe Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council has said that a positive relationship with the capital's voluntary sector has been essential in managing the impacts that the recession has had on public funding. Cllr Jenny Dawe said that vital changes in how the authority allocates money to voluntary bodies had been successfully developed through working with charities and other organisations.
08-03-2010 10:15
Councillors Approve Herefordshire’s Lowest Ever Council Tax RiseHerefordshire Council approved today (5 March 2010) the lowest council tax rise ever in its history. The rise of 2.54 per cent represents £29.85 a year, or 57.4 pence a week, on a Band D property, which will rise to £1,205.09 in the next financial year but is still below the average council tax level for the country.
08-03-2010 10:09
Technology And Positive Attitude Improving Older People's LivesThe population of the UK is ageing. Sixteen per cent of the UK population is 65 or older, and for the first time, there are more people over the age of 65 than there are under the age of 18. This raises a lot of questions on issues such as pension provision, health care and wellbeing. Ensuring that elderly people have access to medical and social support; the use of new technologies to make it easier for them to live independent lives; and helping the elderly to stay active within society. These are issues discussed during the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Festival of Social Science (12-21 March).
08-03-2010 10:05
Public Sector Cuts Are Putting Rural Citizens In A Vulnerable Situation - New ResearchRural communities will face disproportionately severe cuts in public services after the next election if Whitehall fails to recognise the unique challenges which rural communities face, according to new research from the Rural Services Network (RSN). With the cost of service delivery up to 90% higher than in urban areas, and lower average wages than their urban counterparts, the research highlights the damage which across-the-board budget cuts would inflict on rural England’s most vulnerable.
08-03-2010 10:03
Bristol CCTV Centre, National Example Of Good Practice, hosts visit.Bristol City Council's CCTV control centre, praised recently by the Government and the BBC, will be visited by police, local authority and other representatives from organisations from all over the country on 8 March.
05-03-2010 11:42
New Guidelines To Help Regional Authorities Assess Potential For Renewable EnergyNew guidelines published today will help regional authorities assess the potential for renewable and low-carbon energy in their area.
05-03-2010 11:21
Ten Housing Pathfinder Areas Are Making Good Progress Despite The Recession Says Audit CommissionThe Audit Commission has assessed each of the pathfinder partnerships involved in the Housing Market Renewal programme. The Commission assessed five partnerships as performing strongly (the ‘top mark’) and five as performing well.
05-03-2010 10:50
Buckinghamshire's Efforts To Generate Energy From Waste Facilities Face DifficultiesBuckinghamshire County Council officers are recommending reopening discussions with Covanta Energy (Covanta) and Waste Recycling Group (WRG), both of whom submitted bids in January 2009 to provide the county’s Energy from Waste service.
05-03-2010 10:24
Put More Trust In Democracy - London CouncilsA guide to help councillors work more closely with the communities they serve has been launched. The publication, Trust in Democracy, highlights examples of where councillors have worked with communities to make life better.
05-03-2010 09:56
UK And Ireland Lakes Network Established At Gathering In WalesWhen worldwide delegates congregated in Ambleside last year, it was agreed all those responsible for lakes should work together more closely. The aims and aspirations were taken a step further when lakes manager, John Pinder, chaired a gathering in Wales which saw the UK and Ireland Lakes Network established.
05-03-2010 07:01
Community Organisations To Receive £3.5 million To Receive Properties For Local CommunitiesCommunity organisations are to receive up to £3.5 million helping them to purchase and refurbish existing properties for the benefit of their local communities, Local Government Minister Barbara Follett announced yesterday.
04-03-2010 23:48
Arhag Housing Association Offers "Fair" Says Audit CommissionArhag Housing Association provides a 'fair' housing management service, which has 'promising' prospects for improvement, according to an independent report released today by the Audit Commission.
04-03-2010 21:32
San Francisco Mayor Newsom Launches National Initiative to Open 311 Customer Service Centers to DevelopersMayor Gavin Newsom was joined by President Obama’s Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra to launch a national Open311 API (Application Programming Interface) that will transform 311 Customer Service Centers into tools of even greater value. Open311 will allow software developers to write web applications that do two things: 1) get service request data directly from the 311 system, and 2) submit new service requests to city departments.
03-03-2010 07:21
Welsh Assembly Government Publishes Welsh Deep Rural Localities ReportThe Deep Rural Localities Report, commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government, with research undertaken by the Wales Rural Observatory, will be debated in Plenary yesterday
03-03-2010 07:16
Barry Designated Latest Strategic Regeneration Area In Wales And Would Receive £9 million investment From Welsh GovernmentJocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration has announced that Barry is to become the seventh Strategic Regeneration Area (SRA) in Wales with a £9 million investment from the Welsh Assembly Government.
03-03-2010 06:43
Five Projects Across Scotland Receive A Share of £100,000 To Tackle Anti-Social BehaviourThe establishment of the five pilots was a commitment in the Scottish Government's ASB Framework published last year. The objectives of each of the pilots include:
02-03-2010 17:09
London Mayor Boris Johnson Announces New Fund To Support Music Education In The CapitalThe Mayor of London Boris Johnson has today published 'Making Music Matter: Music Education Strategy for London 2010-2012' and unveiled plans for a new fund aimed at increasing music education across the capital. More than £250,000 is being put into a range of projects under the Mayor's plans to boost musical opportunities for young Londoners, both as players and as audiences, including the Music Education Fund, which is worth £100,000.
02-03-2010 17:01
Portsmouth Launches Inquiry Into High Level Of Alcohol Related Hospital AdmissionsAn in-depth inquiry into Portsmouth’s high level of alcohol related hospital admissions gets under way on Thursday. (4 March 2010)
02-03-2010 16:59
KPMG Releases Cheltenham Borough Council Public Interest ReportKPMG LLP, the appointed auditors of Cheltenham Borough Council, have issued a public interest report which highlights flaws in the decision-making process followed by the Council in pursuing a legal claim for damages against its former Managing Director.
02-03-2010 16:26
US Health Care: Governors Discuss Role of State Govts. In Transforming Health Care Delivery SystemsThe 2010 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting began last week with a robust opening plenary session highlighting the role states can play in improving health care delivery systems to provide cost-efficient and effective health care to all Americans. The session also showcased NGA Chair Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas' initiative Rx for Health Reform: Affordable, Accessible, Accountable.
02-03-2010 10:51
New Planning Regime Would Help In Delivering A Low Carbon Future Says Housing Minister HealeyPlanning Minister John Healey today (1 March 2010) heralded the start of the new planning regime for major infrastructure as it begins receiving applications for energy projects that have the potential to provide up to £50bn worth of international investment and supply electricity to 22m homes.
01-03-2010 18:42
Q&A David Moody, CTO, Lagan - Part IIIn the second and final part of the interview, David Moody discussed marginal investment in technology vis - a vis savings, aligning technology with a holistic service view as well as local government assessment.
02-03-2010 10:38
Local Government And Police To Work Together To Tackle Anti Social Behaviour - Home SecretaryOn the day that the Prime Minister set out his vision for how the Government will step up the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour, the Home Secretary has announced new measures to ensure that police and local services work together to tackle antisocial behaviour, boost local confidence and keep neighbourhoods safe.
01-03-2010 19:29
The Digital Route To RecoveryThe author discusses the Digital Birmingham project and its impact on the local community while highlighting how this makes the council more efficient and effective.
01-03-2010 11:23
BBC Poll Shows Tough Times Ahead For Councils - LGACommenting on the BBC survey on council spending cuts, Dame Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:
“Whoever wins the next election, local authorities and other parts of the public sector know they face the prospect of having to do more with less. A spending slowdown will inevitably mean tough decisions have to be taken, but councils will do everything they can to protect frontline services.
01-03-2010 11:14
Welsh First Minister Calls For Public Services Transformation As Budget Are Under PressureThe public services – including the NHS, education and social services – were facing a period of growing pressure on their finances as well as the impact of recession and an ageing population.
01-03-2010 10:31
Lagan Responds To BBC's Report On Council Job CutsResponding to today’s BBC report on potential job losses at local councils across the UK, Des Speed, CEO of Lagan Technologies, the global leaders in government to citizen (G2C) technology, said:
“Our experience of working as a technology partner with 120 local authorities throughout the UK is that it is possible to reduce costs, improve services and achieve productivity gains of 20% without necessarily losing staff. One of the difficulties organisations under budgetary pressure face is the struggle to achieve the holy grail of cutting costs whilst safeguarding jobs and services. We implement technology that cuts unnecessary paperwork, speeds up the process of dealing with requests and in many cases actually creates jobs while reducing cost.”
Lagan Technologies innovations include case management software, systems for managing avoidable contact and mobile applications, including Citizens Connect, a free phone-based application that enables residents to pinpoint local problems such as graffiti, broken street lights, potholes and more via a photo with a GPS reference and report them direct to the council official responsible for dealing with the request.
01-03-2010 10:11
Home Office Focuses Its Efforts On Reducing Violent Youth CrimeThe operation is one of a series taking place across the country to clamp down on serious youth violence as part of the Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP).
01-03-2010 09:20
Government Appoints New Board Members For Northwest Regional Development Agency BoardRosie Winterton, Minister for Regional Economic Coordination, today announced two new business appointments and one trade union appointment to the Board of the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
01-03-2010 09:05
Local Families Move Into First New Council-Owned Homes in Cornwall Built For 30 YearsFive local families received the keys to their new Cornwall Council-owned homes in Perranporth this week. Cornwall Council owned company Carrick Housing has built one 4 bedroom, one 3 bedroom and three 2 bedroom houses to rent in the Tregundy neighbourhood of Perranporth in Cornwall.
01-03-2010 09:00
Stockport Council Launches "Pay Back" Pilot Project For OffendersA new scheme to ensure offenders in Stockport 'pay back' their communities for the harm they have caused is being piloted by Stockport Council. The Council's Area Conditions Officers, Hygiene Action Service and Youth Offending Service have worked together to launch the pilot this month.
01-03-2010 08:41
Windsor And Maidenhead Council Offers Residents Opportunity To Have A Real Say On Council BudgetLocal people are being given the opportunity to directly influence the way part of their council tax is spent in a Royal Borough budget first.
01-03-2010 08:23
Thanet Council Tax Rises By 2.46% Or Less Than 10p Per Week For Most Homes In The AreaCouncil services have been preserved and the lowest Council Tax rise in at least a decade delivered in Thanet District Council's 2010/11 budget, despite a massive slump in income.
01-03-2010 08:20
Suffolk Coastal Releases Budget Focused On Delivering Better Value For Money For ResidentsSuffolk Coastal has agreed a budget that will mean only an eight pence increase in the weekly cost of its services to an average Band D home while bringing its total of efficiencies made since 2001 to over £10 million.
26-02-2010 13:46
Reducing Health Inequalities Is Key To Economic Growth Says EU Committee of RegionsEurope's efforts to boost its economy and get people back to work will be undermined by the failure to tackle the key issue of improving healthcare, claims Dave Wilcox (UK/PES), Committee of the Regions' (CoR) rapporteur on health inequalities.
26-02-2010 13:30
Welwyn Hatfield Sets Council Tax For 2010-11Council Tax for Welwyn Hatfield in 2010-11 was agreed at a Special Full Council meeting on 25 February. Council Tax bills will increase by an average 0.43 per cent.
26-02-2010 13:18
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Delivers Inflation Busting BudgetBlackburn with Darwen Council is due to set its council tax below the level of inflation for the third year running.
26-02-2010 12:06
Transport Infrastructure Is Key To Continued Prosperity Of the South West Says New Report From MPsSouth West Regional Select Committee says the region needs a coherent voice when bidding for transport improvements whilst regional bodies and local authorities must do more to improve public transport, cut congestion, and boost walking and cycling, say the MPs. The report points out that the region has some of the worst performing areas in the country in terms of traffic congestion, access to bus services, and the cost of rail fares.
26-02-2010 10:40
South Somerset and East Devon District Councils To Share Chief Executives From March 2010South Somerset and East Devon DCs, the biggest district councils in the South West, have approved plans to share a chief executive as from March 2010 as part of a phased approach to driving out millions of pounds in efficiency savings.
26-02-2010 09:03
West Somerset Council Delivers A Balanced BudgetAt West Somerset Council’s meeting on Wednesday, February 24, councillors and members of the public heard how the council has achieved a balanced budget, despite the recession and tough financial climate.
26-02-2010 08:25
West Oxfordshire District Council Is Inviting Residents Share Their Views On Social Housing AllocationThe Council has not held any housing stock since 2001, but is responsible for keeping the District’s Common Waiting List for housing.
25-02-2010 18:05
Irish Government Appoints Committee To Explore Suitable Local Government Arrangements For Limerick“The need to put in place more effective local government arrangements for the Limerick area has been widely accepted for some time,” said Mr John Gormley T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, today (18 February 2010). The Limerick Local Government Committee, which I am establishing under the chairmanship of Mr Denis Brosnan, is being tasked to advise me on the most appropriate solution.” The Minister was speaking after meeting the Chair of the Committee, Mr Denis Brosnan.
25-02-2010 18:03
Dublin Region To Have A Directly Elected MayorIrish Local Government Minister John Gormley T.D. today (24 February 2010) published details of legislation to provide for a directly elected Mayor for the Dublin region.
25-02-2010 15:16
Mid Staffordshire Inquiry Report - Care Quality CommissionCQC has responded to the findings of the government inquiry into care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
25-02-2010 15:05
Hart District Council Delivers Fair Benefits Services Which Is ImprovingThe benefits service provided by Hart District Council is 'fair' and has 'promising prospects for improvement', according to an independent report released today by the Audit Commission.
25-02-2010 15:01
Watchdogs Say Greater Manchester Police Authority Performing AdequatelyGreater Manchester Police Authority is 'performing adequately', according to a new report released today by the Audit Commission and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
25-02-2010 14:59
Gateway Housing Association Repair Services Needs Improvement Says Audit CommissionGateway Housing Association is not working well in providing responsive repair services, according to a report released today by the independent Audit Commission.
Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of how the London-based housing association deals with routine repairs to tenants' homes, income management and the servicing of gas appliances. Inspectors found a balance of strengths and weaknesses in gas servicing and income management.
25-02-2010 14:49
Liverpool based Villages Housing Association Services Have More Strengths Than WeaknessesAn inspection of the Liverpool based Villages Housing Association found 'more strengths than weaknesses' in the services inspected according to a report released today by the independent Audit Commission.
25-02-2010 10:39
Learning The Lessons - Review Of Central Scotland Police's Appropriate Adult PolicyThe Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland has asked Central Scotland Police to review its Appropriate Adult Policy, specifically whether its current definition of “vulnerable adult” remains suitable in the light of guidance published by the Scottish Government on this subject in 2007.
25-02-2010 10:35
London Is Awarded £17 Million To Develop UK's Largest Electric Vehicle Charge Point NetworkThe Mayor, Boris Johnson's, ambitious plans to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe took a major step forward today with the confirmation of up to £17 million for electric vehicle infrastructure. This will deliver a network of around 7500 charging points by spring 2013 with 1,600 charge points to be installed over the next twelve months.
25-02-2010 10:27
Local Council Funding System Should Be Frozen To Provide Says London CouncilsLondon Councils believes that for distribution of over £29 billion funding to be allocated through such an unstable system is perverse.
25-02-2010 08:30
Role of Medium Sized Companies In Economic Recovery - New Research From The Work FoundationMedium-sized cities like Exeter, Ipswich and Norwich are important “nodes” within the national economy. And they should work with each other and larger neighbours to drive economic recovery across the UK, claims a report published today (25 February) by The Work Foundation.
24-02-2010 17:29
Swanseas Waste Collection Plans Look To Improve EnvironmentSWANSEA Council has unveiled plans to transform recycling and household waste collections across the city.
24-02-2010 09:47
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson Announces £64.4million Package For Regional DevelopmentThe funding will be distributed by the nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to support a range of new initiatives in key industrial sectors, including green energy provision, low carbon manufacturing and R&D, support for science and innovation and urban regeneration.
24-02-2010 09:44
Third Sector Urged To Focus on Lobbying Newly Empowered Local CouncilsCharities and campaigning organisations are today being urged to push for change through their local council.
23-02-2010 16:50
US State News: California Governor Urges Counties To Speed Up Renewable ProjectsCommitted to the timely permitting of renewable energy projects to help California achieve its shared goals of economic development and environmental protection, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent letters late yesterday to the board of supervisors of 10 counties that have high concentrations of large-scale renewables projects.
23-02-2010 12:43
New Report Explores Technology Enabled Innovation Across Regions And Devolved AdministrationsA new report published today shows that businesses across England are benefitting from greater co-operation between the Technology Strategy Board and the Regional Development Agencies, with planned support for regional technology innovation exceeding £400 million.
23-02-2010 12:29
Bus Industry And Scottish Government Agree On Concessionary Fares And Operator's Grants Deal Worth £740 MillionThe bus concessionary fare scheme will be maintained and funding for the Bus Services Operators Grant will be increased as a result of a new funding agreement with the bus industry.
23-02-2010 11:29
Shropshire Council Looks To Cut Carbon Emissions By 35% Over Five YearShropshire Council’s Cabinet and full Council will this week be asked to approve an ambitious plan to cut the council’s carbon emissions by 35% over five years.
23-02-2010 10:17
Halton Launches New Website For TeensThe site www.Halton4Teenz.com, designed and managed by young people, is a one stop website of information for teenagers looking for places to go and things to do in Halton. It has already had hundreds of hits in just a matter of weeks.
23-02-2010 10:05
Stockton Council Along With NHS Stockton-On _Tees Launch Innovative New Project For Youth HealthNHS Stockton-on-Tees, in collaboration with Stockton Council and NWA Social Research Ltd, is leading the way in young people's alcohol, drug and sexual health campaigns by launching an innovative new project in eight Stockton schools.
23-02-2010 09:21
Government Has Awarded £17.3 Million To Newham Council To Create 2000 More Primary School PlacesNewham Council is one of only 34 authorities in the country to be awarded a Government capital grant to ease the pressure on primary school places. The new primary school places will be for children aged 3-11.
Newham's birth rate has increased by over 25% in the past 5 years and this funding will go towards ensuring that all Newham's children have a school place.
The majority of the places will be created at Brampton Primary School in East Ham; Dersingham Infant School in Manor Park; Sheringham Junior School in Manor Park; Avenue Primary School in Manor Park and Vicarage Primary School in East Ham.
The Government puts the increase in pupil numbers is down to a number of factors, including changes in the housing market in the current economic climate, and also increased demand in the state sector due to better local schools and in some cases less demand for independent places.
23-02-2010 09:15
Government Decision To Build Third Heathrow Runway Faces Legal Challenge From Coalition Of 13 OrganisationsToday sees the start of court proceedings challenging the Government’s controversial decision to give the go ahead to a third runway at Heathrow.
23-02-2010 09:12
Rotherwas Futures Project Delivers High Speed Broadband For The AreaBusinesses on Hereford’s Rotherwas estate will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of super fast high speed broadband.
Thanks to the Rotherwas Futures project - a £20m joint venture between Herefordshire Council and Advantage West Midlands – an agreement has been reached with wireless broadband provider Airband Community Internet Ltd.
21-10-2009 12:41
Educational Achievement Is Key to Setting Young People On The Right Track Says London Mayor's AdvisorPamela Chesters, the Mayor’s Adviser on Health and Youth Opportunities, will today outline the Mayor’s commitment to tackling youth violence at a meeting with London colleges to share ways of successfully tackling and preventing gang problems.
