Insights

The long-awaited response to the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) consultation was published at the end of November. The consultation was aimed at finding equitable means to stop local authorities investing in commercial property portfolios to generate income. Many green projects have a financial payback, indeed for some years only those with good payback managed […]

As more councils begin to develop their strategies to deliver on climate emergency declarations, action plans are being developed. It is easy for these to become a shopping list full of commendable actions. However, what is really needed is action at scale and pace that delivers impact. Local Partnerships helps councils to review, prioritise and plan their […]

Local authorities need to plan for the inevitable consequences of a changing climate. Local Partnerships is working with the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) to provide climate adaptation tools to help local authorities understand and prepare for climate change. We are keen to hear from all local authorities on their current adaptation plans.  Please complete this very […]

COVID-19 has impacted councils’ ability to generate revenues in a number of service areas, as a result of the lockdowns, government restrictions, social distancing measures and changes in consumer behaviours related to the pandemic. In addition to other compensation packages aimed at businesses, Government made some funding available as a one-off income loss scheme that will compensate councils […]

A new pilot scheme to help councils work effectively with SME builders to provide housing in difficult to develop areas is being launched. We are looking to support participating authorities with additional capacity to help deliver the pilot, together with standard procurement and contract templates. To register your interest click here. The SME construction sector plays an important role […]

A new SME pilot scheme to help councils partner effectively with SME builders to provide housing in difficult to develop areas is being announced. We are looking to support areas with additional capacity to help deliver the pilot. To register your interest (if you have not already done so) click here. Key elements of the project are: With the […]

A new report, “Lessons learnt from councils’ response to rough sleeping during the COVID-19 pandemic“, commissioned by the Local Government Association from Local Partnerships, has just been published and has received national coverage.  To maximise the value of this report to councils we are hosting a webinar at midday on Thursday 3 December to discuss our findings […]

As gossip about s114s swirl, and the sector waits on tenterhooks to see which council might fail next, it is clear (and unsurprising) that the financial pressures on local government continue to be significant. Budgets are going down and cost pressures are going up, with the sector simultaneously facing high inflation and increasing demand, with […]

The greenhouse gas accounting tool is a free resource available for councils seeking to calculate their own carbon baseline. The launch webinar on Friday 11 September was attended by over 130 delegates, and seamlessly chaired by Councillor Andrew Cooper. We heard from Simeran Bachra, UK Cities Manager at CDP (previously the Carbon Disclosure Project) and […]

Scope 3 emissions are defined as indirect emissions (not included in scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions. Local Partnerships has been working with local authorities to help map the value chain and identify scope 3 emissions councils can and should be reporting on. […]

BEIS has announced a £1bn public sector decarbonisation scheme to provide grant funding heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures across non-domestic public sector buildings across England. Applications are now open to public sector organisations across England and can be for up to 100% of the cost. Projects must be submitted by 11 January 2021. Projects […]

On Friday 11 September Local Partnerships and the LGA are hosting a joint webinar to introduce the new greenhouse gas accounting tool available for local authorities to use, for free. The webinar will provide further explanation of why the tool has been developed and how it will assist local authorities calculate their baseline emissions. The […]

The Future Energy Scenarios (FES) are released by the National Grid Electricity System Operator on an annual basis. They are carefully conceived scenarios that set out four different energy usage descriptions of the future. Each scenario considers how much energy we might need and where it could come from. There is a huge amount of […]

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, recently talked about the impact of COVID-19 on climate change. His words resonated with, and related to, recent discussions with many local authorities seeking to adapt climate emergency plans and the pathway to net-zero target. Lord Deben referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as an experience of […]

The Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool has been developed by Local Partnerships, working with the LGA, to provide a straightforward and consistent approach for councils seeking to calculate their own carbon baseline. While currently local authority reporting on emissions is voluntary, consistent and easy calculation of an annual carbon baseline is an important part of managing […]

In the Chancellor’s Spring Statement £1bn of grant funding was announced for energy efficiency improvements in public sector buildings. Local Partnerships welcomes this announcement and look forward to supporting the development and delivery of suitable projects. Detail of the scheme is still in development, and we await further clarity. The timescales for commitment of the […]