Tag: News Story

STORY

Essex County Council has promised to challenge the Government’s decision to cancel a new primary school planned for Witham.

The Lodge Farm Free School had been expected to provide 420 primary school places for children on the 750-home Lodge Farm development in the north of the town, along with a 56-place nursery. The council said the Government notified it in December that it planned to cancel the long-awaited project, before confirming that decision on 21 May.

Councillor Peter Harris, the council’s leader-elect, described the decision as disappointing and short-sighted, saying it would affect a rapidly growing community already under pressure for school places. Essex County Council said it would write directly to the Government to challenge the decision and continue making the case for local investment.

STORY

Councillor Graham Harrison has been confirmed as the new leader of Hartlepool Borough Council following the authority’s annual council meeting.

The Reform UK councillor, who was elected earlier this month for the Burn Valley ward, said his first priority would be to understand the council’s financial position. He said residents expected public money to be managed responsibly and that he wanted a clear and transparent review of the authority’s finances.

Councillor Harrison said the new administration would look for opportunities to deliver services more efficiently, while acknowledging that many councillors were newly elected and still learning how the council operates. He said the council would focus on serving all parts of Hartlepool fairly and treating residents with respect.

STORY

Suffolk County Council has elected Councillor Michael Hadwen as its new leader, with the authority saying he has become the youngest leader in its history.

Councillor Hadwen used his first speech at the council’s annual general meeting to pledge that communities would be at the centre of the new administration’s work. He said the council would focus on better services, living within its means, less bureaucracy, greater accountability and leadership that prioritises the people of Suffolk.

The new Cabinet includes portfolios for adult social care, finance and economic development, children’s services, education and SEND, transport and highways, planning and devolution, public health, coastal affairs, waste and rural affairs. Councillor Hadwen said difficult decisions lay ahead, but promised to protect frontline services, support sustainable growth and reform the way the council operates.

STORY

Hampshire County Council has confirmed its new administration and Cabinet team after the 7 May local elections left the authority under no overall control.

Councillor Nick Adams-King was elected as leader at the council’s annual general meeting on 21 May, continuing in the role after discussions between political groups on how the county authority would be governed. The council said the administration would oversee services affecting around 1.4 million residents, including schools, roads, social care, countryside access, waste sites and libraries.

The new Cabinet includes executive roles covering universal services, children’s services, adult social care and public health, highways and passenger transport, education, finance, people and local government reorganisation. Councillor Adams-King said the administration would be collegiate, cooperative and transparent, while also pursuing a judicial review of the local government reorganisation outcome.

STORY

A national pilot testing the use of restorative justice in youth justice services is being expanded across England and Wales after securing multi-year funding. The project will test a shared practice model across 10 youth justice services, covering Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Lambeth, Leeds, Northamptonshire, Salford, West Mercia and Southwark. It is being led by Restorative Justice for All, supported by the Youth Justice Board and funded by the Youth Endowment Fund.

The model is intended to help youth justice practitioners deliver restorative approaches consistently for children aged 10 to 17. It sets out 10 practical steps, from referral to follow-up, and supports both direct and indirect restorative justice work. The Government said the approach is grounded in the Child First evidence base, centred on victims and designed to allow flexibility for local needs

The pilot follows a 2025 co-design phase involving frontline practitioners, a dedicated Restorative Justice Practitioners Board and insights from 15 children with lived experience. Coram will independently evaluate the programme through a randomised control trial, with the aim of building stronger evidence on what works for children, victims and communities.

STORY

The Competition and Markets Authority has called for an overhaul of public road and rail procurement after warning that fragmented and short-term approaches are increasing costs, slowing delivery and limiting innovation in major infrastructure projects.

The regulator’s market study into public road and rail civil engineering said around £19 billion of taxpayers’ money was spent on public road and railway infrastructure in 2023/24, excluding High Speed 2. It said long-standing problems in the market included funding uncertainty, short-term decision-making, complex regulation and gaps in public-sector procurement capability.

The CMA said external research highlighted in its report suggested that UK and devolved Governments could potentially save up to £5 billion a year by addressing weaknesses in the sector. It recommended that the Treasury take strategic ownership of system-wide reform, with a clear sector plan, more credible long-term project pipelines, multi-year funding and procurement designed around long-term value rather than short-term cost.

STORY

The Government has laid the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated draft Code of Practice before Parliament, setting out guidance on the Equality Act following the Supreme Court ruling on the legal meaning of sex. The draft guidance is intended to help organisations understand how to apply equality law in services, public functions and associations.

The code addresses the provision of single-sex spaces such as toilets, changing rooms and wards, and has already prompted strong reactions from campaigners, service providers and unions. Ministers have said the aim is to give clear and accessible guidance, while critics have warned that implementation may be legally, practically and socially difficult.

The issue remains one of the most sensitive in British politics, sitting at the intersection of women’s rights, trans rights, workplace policy and public services. Parliament will now consider the draft code, with the Government facing pressure both to ensure legal clarity and to avoid creating new uncertainty for organisations expected to apply the rules.

STORY

Reform UK has set out plans to abolish the Cabinet Office and the post of Cabinet Secretary as part of a proposed overhaul of Whitehall. The plan would create an Office of the Prime Minister and place more power in the hands of ministers and politically appointed advisers.

The blueprint, associated with Reform MP Danny Kruger, also proposes substantial reductions in parts of the civil service, including policy, communications and human resources functions. Reform argues that the existing machinery of Government is too slow and resistant to ministerial direction, while critics are likely to see the proposals as a move towards politicising the permanent civil service.

The plan underlines Reform’s attempt to move beyond protest politics and present a programme for Government. It would also create a major constitutional and administrative battle if implemented, particularly with civil service unions and former senior officials who argue that political neutrality is central to stable Government.

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The Local Government Association has published new guidance designed to help councils attract private investment and support inclusive local growth. The report, produced by Henham Strategy, examines the barriers councils face when trying to turn local development ambitions into investment-ready propositions.

The guidance says there is appetite from institutional investors, pension funds, developers and businesses to invest in local projects, but that councils are not always perceived as ready for investment. It sets out how authorities can better understand investor priorities and structure propositions that align public value with private capital.

The publication follows the end of UK Shared Prosperity Fund financing in March 2026, which has left some councils without dedicated resource for investment activity. The LGA argues that better practical guidance can help councils move from general ambition to deliverable schemes that support local economies.

STORY

The European Commission has proposed mobilising €144 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund to help Spain, Romania and Cyprus recover from climate-related disasters. The funding would support reconstruction and recovery after major natural disasters in 2025.

The Solidarity Fund is used to support member states and accession countries dealing with severe natural disasters and major public health emergencies. In this case, the proposed support is intended to help rebuild damaged infrastructure and reduce the immediate burden on national authorities.

The proposal will need approval through the EU budgetary process before the money can be disbursed. It also reflects a wider political challenge for the EU as climate-related disasters become more frequent and the bloc faces competing demands for spending on defence, competitiveness and resilience.