Inflexible Local Authority Funding

LGO / SPSO decision

100match

25-002-449 - Shropshire Council

LGO (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman)

Summary: Ms C complains about the care provided to her son, Mr D, by Yani Care Solutions Ltd, which was commissioned by the Council. I have ended my investigation of Ms C’s complaint. I cannot say whether Ms C, or Mr B acting on behalf of Ms C, are suitable representatives to bring the complaint to us. It...

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

89match

#22 - Thirteenth Report: Whole of Government Response to COVID-19

Public Accounts Committee

Local authorities’ budgets are under more pressure than ever as a result of COVID-19, and many local authorities are concerned that they are not getting the financial support that they need from central government.55 The Local Government Association told us that without certainty of further funding and flexibility around their budget setting, many councils will have to take...

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

Committee recommendation

81match

#133 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development

Built Environment Committee

We welcome the Government taking steps to address the funding shortfall in local authority planning departments. The Government should complete its proposed fees review within the next 12 months to provide greater long-term certainty for planning departments and applicants. The proposed skills and resources strategy should be published by the end of 2023.

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

Committee recommendation

81match

#35 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development

Built Environment Committee

We welcome the Government taking steps to address the funding shortfall in local authority planning departments.

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

Committee recommendation

81match

#175 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Parish and town councils that can demonstrate appropriate maturity in their financial management should be eligible to bid for Government funding directly. 286 National Audit Office, Levelling up funding to local government , HC 191, Session 2023–24 (17 November 2023): https:// www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/levelling-up- funding-to-local-government.pdf [accessed 20 November 2024] 287 Commiteee of Public Accounts, Levelling up funding to local government...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

81match

#156 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Witnesses criticised the previous Government’s programmes for focusing on capital funding support and argued that greater access to revenue funding would have been useful. Brighton & Hove City Council stated that revenue-funded initiatives “typically have a quicker impact on high street vitality than large capital investments” and the emphasis on capital funding had restricted the benefits for high...

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

NAO recommendation

81match

Local government finance in the pandemic

c) the Department and HM Treasury should explore how to provide the sector with greater clarity over future funding both during the pandemic and the recovery including: • signalling clearly on a timely basis the likelihood of further funding or support; and • supporting value for money in local decision-making by looking for ways to reduce uncertainty in...

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#158 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The previous Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT), published in October 2023, responded to the criticisms about a lack of resource funding. In total, the LTPT provides £1.5 billion of endowment style funding over 10 years to 75 towns across Great Britain to invest in local priorities including supporting high streets. 25 per cent of the funding provided...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#46 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

We consider there is still an appropriate role for bidding processes in allocating funding to local authorities, where it is not overly onerous and serves a clear purpose.

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#29 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The government must ensure the fees landlords need to pay to register on the Private Rented Sector Database are sufficient to fund a substantial increase in local authority capacity. The government should then use this income to provide an annual ringfenced amount to local authorities to help fund their regulatory activities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 118)

Matched on terms: authority, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#28 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Councils need sustainable, predictable sources of revenue to fund a much- need expansion of regulatory activity. In principle, our view is that the costs of regulating the private rented sector should be borne by all landlords, not just those who breach the law. We fully support the government’s intention to use registration fees from the Private Rented Sector...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#23 - Thirteenth Report: Whole of Government Response to COVID-19

Public Accounts Committee

Although the Ministry has set out the areas of local government funding that central government will refund, this does not include all of the detail needed to give local authorities clarity. For instance, on homelessness and rough sleeping it is not clear whether the whole of the homelessness and rough sleeping spend by local authorities will be refunded.62...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

77match

#8 - Thirteenth Report: Whole of Government Response to COVID-19

Public Accounts Committee

Central government has not given local authorities the clarity or support they need over longer-term funding. Central government promised that local authorities would have the resources they needed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, but many local authorities are facing income shortfalls and increased demand and will not be able to fund crisis spending out of their current...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#145 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development

Built Environment Committee

Where there is a model in place for cost recovery through the planning process, the Government should provide up front funding to local planning authorities to undertake mitigation activity. This could be repaid through the creation of a local credit scheme to ensure that mitigation schemes are available to all developers.

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#161 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Whilst it is too early to assess the outcomes of the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns, the inclusion of revenue funding is an improvement to the previous funding programmes. We are supportive of the Government’s plans to continue the Long- Term Plan for Towns and thus provide stability to local authorities. Any amendments to the programme should ensure...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#114 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

We received a wide range of suggestions for reforming the business rates system. This included introducing a dedicated hospitality sector multiplier, 230 extending relief and removing the cap on access to reliefs, 231 extending empty rates relief, 232 a reduction in all baseline rates, 233 and altering valuation processes to give a better reflection of profitability or turnover....

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#113 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Regarding the specific impact on high streets, we heard that the business rates system “penalises town centre uses compared with out-of-town premises” as rateable values (used to calculate the amount of business rates owed) are often far lower in out-of-town centres. 224 Furthermore, Mr Weedon highlighted that the targeting of reliefs can change what types of stores are...

Matched on terms: authority, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#39 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The previous Government’s ‘funding simplification doctrine’ is a sensible approach and should be expanded to all local authorities in receipt of more than one funding stream seeking to revive high streets and town centres. This should be introduced for the next financial year and be a core tenet of any local growth funding reform.

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#38 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The range of different Government programmes which provide funding to local authorities, with similar but slightly different purposes, is confusing and indicates a historic lack of policy clarity.

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#46 - 2nd Report - Reading for Pleasure

Education Committee

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government must commit to restoring the funding for public libraries that has been lost since 2010 by the end of this Parliament. They should also establish a ‘library sufficiency standard’ for local authorities and work with local authorities to fill gaps in provision,...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#20 - 8th Report - Northern Powerhouse Rail

Public Accounts Committee

At the local level, it has discussions with mayors and local councils about specific stations or corridors, integration with local transport and development plans, and local funding contributions.41 The NAO reported the Department has signed agreements with individual combined authorities setting out how they will collaborate, including on key decisions and funding mechanisms.42

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#11 - 8th Report - Northern Powerhouse Rail

Public Accounts Committee

The Department told us that local places could also top up the funding from central government.19 We asked how the Department was supporting local funding contributions and ensuring areas less able to mobilise funds are not left behind. The Department did not set out a clear approach, but explained that local funding could come from existing funding streams...

Matched on terms: funding, local

Committee recommendation

73match

#35 - 1st Report – Raising the standard: licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles

Transport Committee

Enabling full cross-border enforcement will only be effective if licensing authorities have the capacity and incentives to undertake it. The government should address the current mismatch between enforcement responsibilities and funding by enabling licensing authorities to recover the costs of enforcement action taken against out-of-area drivers from the authority that issued the licence. Transitional support may be required...

Matched on terms: authority, funding

Committee recommendation

73match

#21 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Local authorities should receive 100 per cent of Right to Buy receipts. The time limit for using these receipts to fund a replacement should be extended to five years, rather than three. Councils should also be allowed to combine receipts with other pots, like grant funding, to maximise flexibility. Receipts must be used to fund like-for-like tenure replacements:...

Matched on terms: funding, local

NAO recommendation

73match

Local government financial sustainability

We recommend that MHCLG: work with the local government sector to improve the transparency and consistency of local authority reporting on reserves to aid understanding of local authorities? overall financial positions;

Matched on terms: authority, local

NAO recommendation

73match

The condition and maintenance of local roads in England

To improve its approach to funding local road maintenance, DfT should consolidate the number of shorter-term funds through which local authorities receive funding for road maintenance. This should include consolidating funding pots that use similar mechanisms to allocate funds.

Matched on terms: funding, local

Inquiry recommendation

72match

P2-46 - Local authority funding for security expedited

Fuller Inquiry

There must be a process to ensure that, where there is a requirement for funding to strengthen mortuary security, it is expedited and considered at the highest levels within the local authority.

Matched on terms: authority, funding, local

LGO / SPSO decision

68match

22-006-428 - West Midlands Combined Authority

LGO (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman)

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that West Midlands Combined Authority has failed to provide concessionary travel passes to his son’s carers to assist disabled people to use public transport. This is because there is no requirement for the Authority to issue passes to carers and the substantive issue concerns the cost of meeting his son’s...

Matched on terms: authority, local

Inquiry recommendation

66match

MAI-159 - Consider funding arrangements for police services

Manchester Arena Inquiry

The Inquiry heard evidence that the impact of public funding cuts fell disproportionately hard on metropolitan police services, such as Greater Manchester Police, compared with non-metropolitan services. In the event that public funding cuts are in the future considered necessary by the government, the Home Office should consider whether some funding arrangement for police services different from that...

Matched on terms: funding

PFD report

65match

Mary Jones

Jul 2023 · North West Wales

The coroner noted continued lengthy ambulance and patient offload delays in North Wales' Emergency Departments. Concerns were also raised about the lack of evidence of Local Authorities' involvement in addressing patient flow issues due to social care deficiencies.

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

65match

#4 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development

Built Environment Committee

Too many local planning authorities do not have an up-to-date local plan. Given the importance of local plans in balancing ambitions for development and the need to protect the environment, the Government should ensure that all local planning authorities have the necessary resources and information to produce a plan. It should explore legislative or legal routes to enforce...

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

65match

#110 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Business rates are levied on all commercial properties and are the product of each property’s rateable value (assigned based on the annual rent of the property) and the ‘multiplier’ (set by the Government). Following the Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023, a revaluation process will take place every three years. 211 In 2022/23, local authorities retained 62 per cent of...

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

65match

#15 - 1st Report – Employment support for disabled people: Connect to Work

Work and Pensions Committee

The funding profile for CtW exposes some rigidity in how departmental resources are being managed across financial years, particularly where delivery does not align with planned timelines. The indication that any unspent funding from delays to Connect to Work would not be carried forward into 2026–27 or kept within the programme raises concerns about how effectively the department...

Matched on terms: funding

NAO recommendation

64match

Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain

On facilitating local delivery, Defra should: ensure local authorities have sufficient and timely funding certainty to allow longer-term planning;

Matched on terms: funding, local

PFD report

61match

James Wheeler

Jan 2020 · Manchester (South)

The coroner identified an absence of national guidance on monitoring people with refractory epilepsy, particularly concerning assistive technology. Concerns were also raised that Stockport Council did not consistently undertake annual Care Act Reviews for eligible individuals, citing insufficient resources provided to local authorities.

Matched on terms: local

PFD report

61match

Lauren Bridges

Sep 2023 · Manchester South

Delayed discharge of out-of-area mental health patients was noted due to underfunded local beds and reliance on independent providers. Communication gaps stemmed from varied processes, incompatible IT systems, and no national repatriation standards.

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#117 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The Government should seek to legislate to allow markets operated by local authorities outside London access to the same level of business rates relief available to those markets operated by local authorities within London. Ownership and tenancies Who owns the high street?

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#112 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The Local Government Association criticised the current centralised approach to relief schemes, suggesting that it is “not targeted” and that “if local authorities had more discretion … They would be able to help local and independent businesses”. 220 Businesses in receipt of relief schemes were also critical of the current approach, deeming it “too complicated and unpredictable”. 221...

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#48 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

Parish and town councils that can demonstrate appropriate maturity in their financial management should be eligible to bid for Government funding directly. (Paragraph 175) < Back Next > © Parliamentary copyright 2024 A-Z index Glossary Contact us Freedom of Information Jobs Using this website Copyright Privacy notice Cookie policy Cookie Manager House of Lords - High Streets: Life...

Matched on terms: funding

Committee recommendation

61match

#26 - 1st Report - High Streets: Life beyond retail?

Built Environment Committee

The Government should seek to legislate to allow markets operated by local authorities outside London access to the same level of business rates relief available to those markets operated by local authorities within London.

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#23 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The government should provide local authorities and strategic authorities with a ring-fenced portion of the fees from the Private Rented Sector Database to support them to adopt initiatives, such as the Good Landlords Charter, that help tackle unintentional non-compliance among landlords. (Recommendation, Paragraph 96) Regulation and enforcement

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#9 - 4th Report - Housing Conditions in the Private Rented Sector

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The government must ensure local authorities are adequately resourced to ensure landlords comply with the new standard. More detail on this is set out in Chapter 5. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54)

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#10 - 2nd Report – Affordability of Home Ownership

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The government must provide local authorities with the necessary clarity for future borrowing by extending the Housing Revenue Account rate of borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board at least two years into the future on a rolling basis. (Recommendation, Paragraph 58)

Matched on terms: local

Committee recommendation

61match

#24 - 3rd Report: Building more social housing

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

If the Government’s intention is that the Right to Buy should both give people an opportunity to own their homes, but also to provide resources which will then be reinvested into social housing to ensure one-to-one replacements, then consideration must be given to local authorities who are unable to deliver sufficient replacements 56 Building more social housing because...

Matched on terms: local

NAO recommendation

59match

Active Travel in England

DfT should: c. develop a more stable funding environment for local authorities delivering active travel interventions by working with others in government. This would help local authorities to invest in plans and resources and deliver interventions more efficiently;

Matched on terms: funding, local

PFD report

57match

Bernard Gerrard

Mar 2018 · Derby and Derbyshire

The coroner noted significant delays in ambulance response times, including a 10-hour wait for a Category 3 call. EMAS indicated that insufficient funding and demand are causing unacceptable response times.

Matched on terms: funding

PFD report

57match

Matthew Dale

Jan 2023 · Liverpool and Wirral

The coroner identified confusion among multiple agencies regarding the funding, assessment, and provision of Matthew's care. This stemmed from differing understandings of care terms, leading to discrepancies between expected and actual care.

Matched on terms: funding

PFD report

57match

Barry Myers

Mar 2025 · West Sussex, Brighton and Hove

Insufficient funding at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust limits the availability of urgent mechanical thrombectomy services between 4 pm and 8 am.

Matched on terms: funding

PFD report

57match

John Alston

Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen

The coroner noted confusion regarding which Integrated Care Board was responsible for commissioning a patient's care, leading to delays in securing appropriate placements and accessing necessary funding. This reactive process for determining ICB responsibility could delay essential care or changes in future cases.

Matched on terms: funding

Committee recommendation

57match

#130 - 2nd Report - The impact of environmental regulations on development

Built Environment Committee

All LPAs affected by Natural England’s nutrient neutrality advice received additional funding from the Government, but not those impacted by water neutrality. 174 Water neutrality advice impacts development beyond housing—it relates to all development including the building of new schools—and the geographical limits of the advice mean there is less ability for affected LPAs to share the burden.

Matched on terms: funding