Local council elections and AV: The polls are open
Polls opened at 7am this morning for the public to cast their votes in the local, mayoral and AV referendum elections taking place today. Some 279 English councils are electing new members, while in some areas a bumper crop of votes will be counted, as residents vote for council, mayoral and AV elections on one day. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also see members elected to their Assemblies today and in Leicester-South there is a by-election to elect an MP to Parliament. Polls close at 10pm this evening.
Unison: Cutting council's legal duties 'could lead to corpses in the street'
Unison has raised concerns about government plans to cut red tape for councils, claiming that if the Department for Communities and Local Government abolishes the 1,200 legal duties imposed by central government it could see dead bodies piling up in the street. The public service union warned that taking the decentralisation agenda too far could see gas safety checks fail, recycling schemes end and unlicenced taxis rise, as councils would no longer be obligated to take responsibility for these services.
Report suggests higher tuition fees will be 'a blow to local economies'
A report for Centre for Cities has suggested that in some areas, students account for around 10% of economic activity and that raising fees will discourage them and hit local economies hard. Cities such as Hull, Brighton, Stoke and Nottingham have been labelled particularly at risk, as student numbers in these areas represent the highest proportional spend in the local economy compared to overall output. Cities have been warned to plan ahead for the effects of less students over the next few years.
LGA: Formula grant must be reformed alongside business rates
The Local Government Association has responded to the government's Local Government Resources Review consultation by calling for a review of the formula grant model as well as the business rate system. Concerns have been raised over how mismatches between business rate income and council spending are managed, and the LGA argue that some redistribution would still need to take place in order to ensure all councils are adequately funded according to their population size. Currently, councils collect business rates which are then redistributed by the Treasury through grants. However government plans to encourage localism and financial independence for councils would see the end of this system.
