Take five
The LGA has sent ministers its “top five” suggestions for cutting the burden on local authorities in a dossier outlining the bureaucracy, red tape and outdated laws councils face.

Change of tack
The government has outlined a major shift in approach to the public sector equality duty. There will be no national equality priorities, but the amount of data published by public bodies will increase.

Gove names 16 free school proposals to reach business case stage
06/09/10: The Education Secretary has today unveiled details of the first 16 free school proposals that will move forward to the business case and planning stage with a view to opening in September 2011.

Social landlords warn against getting rid of ASBOs
06/09/10: The ASBO remains the only available measure to address serious anti-social behaviour by juveniles, a group of 15 social landlords from the north of England has warned the government ahead of a consultation.

Only elected officials should represent councils on LEPs, says IoD
06/09/10: All local authority positions on local enterprise partnerships should be occupied by elected officials and there must be no third party representation on the LEP board, the Institute of Directors has demanded.

NCVO demands level playing field in commissioning of public services
06/09/10: There must be a level playing field for public procurement so that voluntary and community organisations can compete fairly, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has argued.

Kirklees leader slams court closure programme
03/09/10: The Leader of Kirkless Council has hit out at the government’s proposed programme of court closures, arguing that the outcome could be “more expensive and less effective justice”.

Electoral Commission urges redraft of "confusing" Welsh referendum question
03/09/10: The proposed question for a referendum on devolving more law-making powers to Welsh Assembly is too confusing and should be redrafted so that voters can understand it, the Electoral Commission said this week.

Scottish government sets minimum unit price at 45p
03/09/10:  The Scottish Government has set a minimum price of 45p per unit of alcohol, with Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon saying it was crucial to reintroduce “realistic” pricing.

Westminster brings enforcement action over branded cigarette bins
03/09/10: Westminster City Council is taking legal action against a taxi business over its high-profile branded cigarette bins, a move the company's chairman described as "perverse" and a waste of taxpayers' money.

Association for local government barristers attacks "excessive" PC fee hike
02/09/10: The chairman of the association representing local government and public sector barristers has attacked Bar Council proposals to increase PC fees significantly for employed barristers as “quite disproportionate and excessive”.

Oxfordshire authorities name eight firms to framework agreement
02/09/10: A consortium including all local authorities in Oxfordshire and the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority has selected eight law firms to provide advice under a legal services framework agreement.

Law Commission proposes ombudsmen shake-up to make complaining easier
02/09/10: Public service ombudsmen should be given a statutory discretion to dispense with the requirement that investigations be conducted in private, the Law Commission has proposed.

Manchester CC and LSC commission £8.9m advice service
02/09/10: Manchester City Council and the Legal Services Commission have commissioned Manchester CAB to run a city-wide legal advice service. It will advise of a full range of social welfare and family problems.

Shoesmith granted leave to appeal against Haringey and Secretary of State
01/09/10: Sharon Shoesmith has today been given permission to appeal in her judicial review action against the London Borough of Haringey and the then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Council officer filmed sprinting while on sick leave found guilty of fraud
01/09/10: A payroll officer at the London Borough of Newham who coached athletics and participated in competitions while signed off sick from work has been found guilty of defrauding the council.

ACSeS to explore relationship between chief executives and chief legal officers
01/09/10: ACSeS is to conduct research into the relationship between chief executives and chief legal officers. The survey will consider a range of issues, including whether the CLO is expected to play a wider role than traditionally.

Government announces streamlined regime for the approval of new by-laws
31/08/10: Councils will no longer need to get the approval of ministers before creating or scrapping by-laws, the government has announced, with councils instead being required to consult with local residents before changes are made

Councils to be allowed to recognise "local connections" in housing policies
31/08/10: Councils will soon be free to acknowledge “local connections” in their policies for allocating social housing, the Housing Minister has said. Local authorities will also be able to reward people with a history of working.

Major retailers call for simplification of law on underage sales
31/08/10:  A group of leading retailers and major trade associations has called for the law on underage sales to be simplified and for test purchasing using deception to be used only with prior independent authorisation.

DCLG to revoke traveller planning guidance, strengthen enforcement powers
31/08/10: The government has announced plans to revoke Whitehall planning circulars that it blames for creating the perception that there are different rules for the travelling community and the settled community.

Scottish watchdog warns of tensions between councillors and officers
31/08/10: The Accounts Commission for Scotland has issued a report on effective working relationships amid concerns that financial pressures could put strain on relations between councillors and officers.

Battle over fell route to rumble on as High Court quashes inspector's decision
31/08/10: The Lake District National Park Authority has pleaded with motorbike riders and 4x4 vehicle drivers not to use a popular off-road high level fell route until its status is finally resolved.

Employed barristers face PC fee hike
27/08/10: Employed barristers are facing major rises in their PC fees under reforms unveiled by the Bar Council. Its treasurer suggested there was a similar regulatory risk between the employed and self-employed bar.

Children's Minister warns councils over excessive restrictions on foster carers
27/08/10: The Children’s Minister has reminded councils of their duties to make sure clear placement plans are agreed at the start of a foster placement so that parents, social workers and foster carers are aware of their responsibilities.

NAO sets out expectations for public bodies on managing staff costs reduction
27/08/10: The National Audit Office has issued a framework setting out its expectations for how central government organisations should manage staff costs in a period of spending reduction in public services.

Council chiefs call on government to close litter lout loophole
26/08/10: Local government chiefs have called on the government to close a legal loophole that they claim makes it difficult and often very expensive for councils to tackle litter lout motorists.

Give public limited right of appeal over planning decisions, say campaigners
26/08/10: Two leading campaign groups have called on the government to create a new, limited public right of appeal against planning decisions, and not pull a U-turn on its promise to rebalance the planning process.

Government tells councils to tackle excessive street signage
26/08/10: Councils are installing traffic signs in the mistaken belief that they are legally required, ministers have claimed. Calling for a reduction in ''street clutter", they announced a Department of Transport review of its policy.

Scrap low-level criminal offences in regulatory field, says Law Commission
25/08/10: Low-level criminal offences in the regulatory arena should be scrapped and a greater emphasis placed on the use of civil sanctions, the government's legal advisory body has argued.

Developer agrees to pay £4m to Barnet after prolonged planning battle
25/08/10: A developer has agreed to pay Barnet Council £4m after a lengthy planning enforcement battle. The company built 83 flats on the grounds of a former mental hospital, instead of the 64 for which it had permission.

Ministers change tack on public sector equality duty
25/08/10: The government has outlined a major shift in approach to the public sector equality duty. There will be no national equality priorities, but the amount of data required to be published by public bodies will increase.

Tribunal rules that monitoring officer was not legally privileged
24/08/10: A report prepared by a monitoring officer who was also a qualified solicitor was not legally privileged, a tribunal has ruled. There was no evidence, beyond assertion, that the officer was acting in her professional capacity.

Liverpool crackdown on single person discount fraud nets £150k
24/08/10: Liverpool City Council has hailed a crackdown on people fraudulently claiming the single person discount on their tax bill, claiming it has generated at least £150,000 in extra income.

Law Society and SLG call on EC to end confusion over services concessions
24/08/10:  The Law Society has called on the European Commission to issue guidance on the law in relation to services concessions in a bid to reduce confusion over its implementation.

Research points to sharp rise in public sector supplier insolvencies
24/08/10:  The number of public sector suppliers to go bust rose by 47% in the first six months of 2010, it has been claimed. Accountants Wilkins Kennedy said the problem was being exacerbated by delayed spending decisions.

High Court hits Daventry with £2.4m pension liability after stock transfer
23/08/10: A High Court judge has ruled that Daventry District Council is liable for a multi-million pound pension fund deficit, rejecting its claim that a clause in a housing stock transfer contract should be rectified because of a mistake.

Bournemouth to review processes for member conduct investigations
23/08/10: Bournemouth Council is to hold a review of how it conducts investigations into members’ conduct. The move follows the resignation of its leader after pornography was found on his laptop in January 2009.

London boroughs outline vision for new breed of foundation councils
23/08/10: Three London boroughs have called for a range of powers to be handed to a proposed new breed of ‘Foundation Council’. This would include allowing them to set local fees and charges, including variable business rates.

Tough approach to frivolous claims pays off for Manchester
23/08/10: A “zero-tolerance” policy to frivolous claims and an aggressive approach to investigating and challenging incidents has led to a fall in the number of successful legal actions against Manchester City Council, it has been claimed.

Home Secretary bans Bradford march by English Defence League
20/08/10: The Home Secretary has agreed to Bradford City Council's request to ban a proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) scheduled for the bank holiday weekend (28th August) on the grounds of public safety.

Court of Protection blocks bid to force vulnerable woman to use contraception
20/08/10: The Court of Protection has ruled that an unnamed local authority is not able force a woman with a low IQ to use contraception, describing the plan as an “horrendous prospect [with] shades of social engineering”.

Law Society launches legal action over family legal aid tender
20/08/10: The Law Society has sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Legal Services Commission (LSC), challenging the lawfulness of its decision to proceed with the allocation of family law contracts.

Government to introduce new temporary bans for 'legal highs'
20/08/10: The government has announced that it will introduce new 12-month temporary bans for use against so-called 'legal highs' to enable the authorities to respond more quickly to apparently dangerous substances being used as drugs.

ACPO warns local authorities and RSLs as number of cannabis farms doubles
20/08/10: ACPO has urged local authorities and social landlords to better monitor their empty housing stock as new figures show that the number of cannabis factories more than doubled in the past two years to 6800.

CQC and EHRC consult on new human rights guidance for social care inspectors
20/08/10: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has joined with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to create new guidance for social care inspectors and assessors.

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