Local Government Chronicle

Strategic authorities have the tools and increasingly the powers over housing and transport needed to address health inequalities, writes the deputy chief executive of Cles. Unaffordability is making us sick. Across the UK, high housing costs and expensive transport are contributing to worsening public health outcomes and the widening of health inequalities.

Redbridge LBC’s campaign won the campaign of the year category at the LGC Awards 2025. Entries for the LGC Awards 2026 close at midnight on Friday 9 January. Submit your entry here. This has to stop Objective: Reduce incidents of harassment and improve the sense of safety among women and girls; educate the public on the definition and impact of sexist harassment, and equip bystanders and communities with tools to challenge harassment and sexist behaviours.

LGC asked some of the leading figures in the sector to outline their hopes or predictions for the 2026. Here is the second set of responses. Kevin Bentley, Conservative group leader on the Local Government Association: My prediction for 2026 is disappointingly a gloomy one.

LGC asked some of the leading figures in the sector to outline their hopes or predictions for the 2026. Here is the first set of responses. Louise Gittins (Lab), chair of the Local Government Association: 2025 has been another extraordinary year for our sector, one of challenge, but also one of real progress. Local and regional government received the first multi-year settlement in a decade, which will make a huge difference as we plan for the years to come.

Practitioners must use the government consultation to preserve a guardrail that protects member interests, fund autonomy and the credibility of the entire pooling project, writes the tri-borough director of treasury and pensions at Westminster City Council. Phil Triggs, tri-borough director of treasury and pensions at Westminster City Council When the new Local Government Pension Scheme investment regulations , many expected a modest tidy-up of the 2016 rules: evolution, not revolution.

As council pension funds prepare to set employer contribution rates for the next three years, excessive levels of prudence could see councils paying more than they need to, writes a partner at Isio. Steve Simkins, partner at Isio There has been a fundamental shift in the fortunes of UK defined benefit pension schemes like the Local Government Pension Scheme over the last three years.

Efficiency must be considered alongside the value councils bring – including driving growth, writes the chair of the District Councils’ Network. Richard Wright (Con), chair of the District Councils’ Network Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth was the name of the white paper in which local government reorganisation (LGR) was announced a year ago today. Since then, growth has been curiously low-profile in much of the LGR debate, despite it being ministers’ biggest priority.

New research shows what really matters is where new homes are placed within local authority boundaries, write two assistant professors at the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick. Nikhil Datta (left) and Amrita Kulka, assistant professors, Department of Economics, University of Warwick The government wants to build millions of new homes to tackle the UK’s housing crisis.

A new survey reveals key trends in facilities management in local authorities, writes David Parrett, founder and principal of Cadaema. Sponsored comment from Cadaema. David Parrett, founder and principal of Cadaema Local government is a sector in flux. In December 2024 the government published the English Devolution White Paper to set out its vision of a simpler structure of local government to create better outcomes and more accessible services for residents.

Worcestershire CC won the public health award at the LGC Awards 2025. Entries for the LGC Awards 2026 are now open. Read about the categories and awards here, and submit your entry here. We Are Westlands Objective: To work with the community to improve the healthy life expectancy in one of Worcestershire’s areas of highest unmet need – Westlands housing estate.