Local authorities are being warned they could owe residents million of pounds in overpaid water bills, after a London council was found guilty of overcharging its tenants for waters and sewage services.

According to BBC Scotland, the country’s first government-backed public bike hire scheme, conducted by Dumfries council, has been put on hold after it failed to win popular support.

Plans to to charge council home households earning £30,000 a year unaffordable market rents have come under scrutiny by several housing organisations.

Town hall leaders have called for government clarification on pupil place expectations on the day that pupils await primary schools offers.

Councils will be given new powers to remove ‘pointless’ and ‘out-of-date’ road signs that may distract drivers.
The new powers, which will come into place on 22 April, will also include implementing new signs with ‘remove by dates’ to ensure they are not left in place unnecessarily for years.
Councils hold responsibility for signs on their local roads and are expected to save £30 million in running costs by 2020 as a result of the simpler new sign rules. Other savings will see a cut on the number of signs that require lighting, with the exemption of safety signs.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has released figures which reveal hospitals are spending millions of pounds on managing children’s rotting teeth, and has called on the government to improve measures to reduce the consumption of sugar.

A report by The Parks Alliance has found that 70 per cent of parents with young children are concerned that council budget cuts could impact the future of parks and green spaces.

Peers have voted in favour of an amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill which proposed councils should be forced to give the money raised from the sale of high value council homes to the Treasury.

The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) has launched a new programme aimed at improving the success of public sector outsourcing.

Council spending on arts and culture has taken a large hit in recent years, falling by 16 per cent since 2010, according to Arts Council England.