Category: Press Releases
New Local has appointed local government and public service reform expert Jessica Studdert as its new Chief Executive
19th November, 2024
A new report from think tank New Local warns that the government’s plans for housebuilding targets will be at risk unless the planning system gives communities more power and influence to shape local development. The report, Constructing Consensus: The...
23rd October, 2024
Dr Adam Lent has announced his departure from New Local, after seven years leading the think tank and network.
26th February, 2024
A former secretary of state is calling for Total Place style pooled budgets as the best use of public spending when there is no financial quick fix for public services. Place-based budgets would allow services and communities to allocate...
31st January, 2024
Community engagement • Devolution and reorganisation • Health and social care • Local government • Local government finance • Place-based budgets • Public Services
In-depth study highlights significant role played by Big Local programme in preventing ill-health and alleviating demand pressures on healthcare services
11th December, 2023
Big Local • Community Power • Healthcare • Local Trust • Public Health
New Local appoints Katie Kelly as its new Chair. Katie is the former Depute Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council and is one of the leading voices on community power and public service transformation.
2nd November, 2023
Council leaders have set out a roadmap for reforming public services and rebuilding trust under a future Labour government, starting with giving meaningful power and influence to communities.
26th September, 2023
Devolution and reorganisation • Labour • Local government • Policy • Politics • Public Services • Strategy and leadership
Donna Hall will retire from her role chairing New Local at the end of 2023, after five years.
9th May, 2023
Independent thinktank New Local has strongly welcomed today’s Labour report, calling it a major advance on the debate about devolution and power. New Local chief executive Adam Lent comments: “Gordon Brown’s report on the future of the UK constitution...
5th December, 2022
The NHS could cease to be fair and free at point of use, unless it shifts focus to building health in the community, new research has found.
12th July, 2022
Two thirds of people do not trust national politicians to address the mounting cost of living crisis.
8th May, 2022
Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Devolution • Leadership • Local government • Politics
Giving councils and communities more power to drive new development will finally start to solve a housing crisis made worse by decades of government reform, finds new research. Housing Beyond Markets and State, by think tank New Local argues...
17th November, 2021
Councils lack the powers and resources they need to meet net-zero targets or adapt to the effects of climate change, says a new report urging the Government to devolve climate powers to local areas.
20th October, 2021
In a paper published by New Local, ten Conservative MPs elected in 2019 have said its time for their party to ‘trust the people’ and caution that money alone will solve the problems facing the country.
2nd October, 2021
Giving people power over their places and services produces huge benefits, new research shows, and should be reflected in new legislation.
23rd February, 2021
With millions at risk of losing their jobs, people with disabilities and health conditions in long-term unemployment should be supported locally, removing this responsibility from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
29th October, 2020
The independent think tank and network New Local Government Network (NLGN) has changed its name to ‘New Local’, alongside releasing a new visual identity and website.
7th October, 2020
Mutual Aid groups have been an indispensable part of the country’s response to COVID-19, powered by people on furlough. Research published today (14 July 2020) by the New Local Government Network (NLGN) suggests a huge proportion of the millions...
13th July, 2020
Embargoed until 28 May, 00.01. Report will be available here after this time. Over three-quarters (78%) of council chiefs call for more funding to help deal with COVID-19, with almost half (43%) requesting more PPE Confidence in the economy...
27th May, 2020
On 28 April, the government announced allocations of a £1.6bn settlement for local government to deal with the immediate impacts of coronavirus. It is a figure that rows back on promises and dangerously underestimates the vital work done by...
30th April, 2020
Download the full report Poor air quality is a ‘top concern’ for councils, but most feel unable to address it, the latest NLGN Leadership Index has found. In the survey of 140 council chief executives, mayors and leaders, only...
22nd January, 2020
Key Findings: Councils are increasingly pessimistic about the impact of Brexit. 71% of council chiefs expect it to have a negative or very negative impact on their local economy – an increase of 16% since March 2018. Those who...
29th October, 2019
New research: In the wake of the Spending Round, NLGN think tank argues the Government must adopt a radical new approach to children’s services to avert the growing crisis. A new report by a respected think tank argues that...
9th September, 2019
New Survey: As violent youth crime spirals, cash-strapped councils reveal deep concern over lack of Government funding to address the crisis. A respected quarterly survey found that 75 per cent of council chiefs believe they do not have enough...
20th August, 2019
A respected quarterly survey found 41 per cent of councils think they are unlikely to eradicate rough sleeping by 2027 26 per cent of council chiefs say they are unable to halve rough sleeping by 2022 Amongst predominantly urban...
3rd April, 2019
On the one-year anniversary of the Homelessness Reduction Act, a respected quarterly survey found that 65 per cent of council chiefs think Universal Credit is increasing homelessness in their areas, with only 2 per cent saying it has led...
3rd April, 2019
A respected quarterly survey found 67 per cent of councils think they do not have sufficient funding to fulfil their statutory duty to prevent homelessness Only 19 per cent of council chiefs state that they do have adequate funding...
3rd April, 2019
A respected quarterly survey found a very significant gap between what council chief executives and leaders feel they should be spending on prevention and what they actually spend. This gap equates to an £8.7bn shortfall in spending on prevention....
29th January, 2019
Over half of local authority chiefs believe Brexit is having a negative impact on community cohesion, with many areas witnessing a rise in hate crime and division. Less than 2 per cent feel it is having a positive effect....
29th January, 2019
The confidence of council leaderships in their capacity to deliver adult social care has declined by over 20 per cent in just eight months. Survey also found that 97 per cent are planning to raise council tax from March...
24th October, 2018
New research reveals a declining appetite for outsourcing in local government, amidst call for a rethink in partnerships between the public and private sectors. A survey of council leaderships finds only 15 per cent say they intend to outsource...
9th October, 2018
Nationwide survey finds overwhelming majority of Council Leaders and Chief Executives think Brexit will damage local economies. Large majority also say they are receiving inadequate support from Government to plan for Brexit. Weaker local economies would lead to a...
5th March, 2018
Central government must give councils maximum support in their efforts to create innovative, collaborative and confident workforces through culture change. Government’s obsession with structures in local government risks undermining the importance of changing organisational culture to save money, achieve...
12th February, 2018
Government should raise Housing Revenue Account for local authorities to tackle housing crisis By reconsidering the borrowing cap for local authorities and re-introducing the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme, councils and housing authorities could do more to tackle the housing...
11th December, 2017
The Industrial Strategy must recognise the importance of public health in economic growth Government must acknowledge health as an economic asset that boosts workforce productivity Over 85% of senior public health officers surveyed1 found that economic development departments are...
28th November, 2017
Strong political leadership urgently needed, not just regulatory change Adam Lent, NLGN director said: “The housing crisis in the UK is as much about politics as it is about regulation, so while there is a lot in the housing...
7th February, 2017