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"More than 85 per cent of the potential core funding increase next year is dependent on councils increasing council tax by up to 5 per cent next year."

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, LGA Digital Connectivity spokesperson comments on the Which? Gigabit Advisory Group’s report on broadband connectivity.

“We have been clear all along that algorithms and formulas can never be a substitute for local knowledge and decision-making by councils and communities who know their areas best."

"Local knowledge and expertise will be crucial in encouraging everyone from all parts of the community to get vaccinated. Councils’ unique relationship with the people they represent mean they are well placed to reach out to those in the priority groups and beyond."

“Councils want to work with schools and local health teams to do all they can to ensure staff, pupils, parents and visitors can be in school settings, safely and securely, without risk of passing on coronavirus.”

“Efforts to get people sleeping rough off the streets and stop people from becoming homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic, has shown that it is possible to make a significant difference to the numbers of people forced to sleep on the streets."

The LGA’s new analysis, compiled following a survey of council heads of planning, estimates that more than a third (1,003,600) of the 2,676,200 homes allocated in current local plans in England have not even been submitted into the planning system.

The Early Years Local Government Programme has been instrumental in helping councils shape priorities and improve services and prospects for children and families, an independent external evaluation has found.

The LGA's latest research on the effects of climate change on local authorities shows that eight in ten councils have suffered climate-related incidents in the last five years - including over 23,000 properties in England being affected by flooding during this period

Responding to a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on councils’ children in care services, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Looking after vulnerable children is a top priority for councils, which work extremely hard to ensure that all children in care get the love and support that they need to flourish. This report provides useful guidance to help councils continuously improve to achieve this goal. “Unfortunately, many councils are being pushed to the brink by unprecedented demand and increasing