Cotswold District Council elections – more interesting than you imagined?
Chris Game I’ve literally just finished watching the LGIU’s promotion of its new Future Local Lab – asking me personally, albeit rhetorically (“Chris, are you ready?”): “How are we going to survive climate?”, “Will there be enough houses?”, “What can we use Artificial Intelligence for?” and a dozen other similar teasers. If this is the … Continue reading Cotswold District Council elections – more interesting than you imagined?

Placemaking: how do we design better homes and neighbourhoods?
Jon Bright and Vincent Goodstadt The Government wants to build 1.5m new homes. Here, we discuss one aspect of this ambition: how to ensure that they are designed well. Many in the past have not been. Good design results in attractive homes, streetscapes and neighbourhoods. It contributes to placemaking, creating popular places, with community facilities, … Continue reading Placemaking: how do we design better homes and neighbourhoods?

Dusting down the cautious welcome: Initial reflections on the devolution white paper
Phil Swann When I was director of strategy and communications at the LGA I was frequently criticised, by the late professor John Stewart among others, for issuing press releases “cautiously welcoming” one Blairite initiative or another. The criticism was probably justified, but I would definitely have deployed that phrase in response to the government’s recently … Continue reading Dusting down the cautious welcome: Initial reflections on the devolution white paper

How the ‘Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council’ campaign aims to help councils address the local government recruitment crisis
Cllr Abi Brown OBE The successful recruitment and retention of skilled professionals in local government has long been a challenge for the sector. Given the impact of the pandemic, a significant shortage of staff in several key delivery areas, increased demand on services, together with being the lowest paid part of the public sector, capacity … Continue reading How the ‘Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council’ campaign aims to help councils address the local government recruitment crisis