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StateofLocalGovernmentFinanceSurvey2018Published8thFebruary2018

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AbouttheStateofLocalGovernmentFinanceSurveyLGiU and The MJ have run the State of Local Government Finance Surveyevery January since 2012 to coincide with councils setting their annualbudgets.Theresultsgiveasnapshotofthekeypressuresfacingcouncilsandtheirideasforthefuture.The survey was sent to senior decision-makers at each of England’s 353councils (Council Leaders, Chief Executives, Cabinet Members forFinance/ResourcesandDirectorsofFinance/Resources)between10thand31stJanuary2018.This yearwe received 132 responses from 113 individual councils,meaningthat a third of English councils are represented in the results.We receivedresponses from a broad cross-section of councils, encompassing county,districtandunitaryauthorities,amixtureofpoliticalcontrol,andallregions.The survey questions covered topics including income sources, confidence,servicelevelspending,fundingsystemdesignandthoughtsonfuturepolicy.

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ExecutiveSummary

• Nearly all councils in England plan to raise council tax (95%) andincrease charging (93%) tomakeendsmeetthisyear;andtwo thirdsofcouncilswillbeforcedtodipintotheirreserves

• 80% of councils fear for their financial sustainability amid growing

concern that Northamptonshire CC is the tip of the iceberg for localgovernment

• Councils face continued uncertainty about the source and level of

funding post-2020 as political turmoil in Westminster has delayedcrucialdecisionsonbusiness rate retention, thenew funding formulaanddevolution

• Despitethreequartersofcouncilsmanagingtosustainthequalityof

the frontline servicesoverthepastyear,evidencesuggeststhattheir2018/19 budgets will see activity further reduced in several keycommunityservicesincludingparksandleisure(53%ofcouncils),adultsocialcare(40%)andyouthcentres(34%)

• Children’s Services is now the top immediate pressure for councils,

above Adult Social Care for the first time in at least three years,suggesting that councils are no longer able to shield these servicesfromtheworstoftheongoingbudgetcuts

• Adult Social Care remains the top longterm pressure for councils,

followedbyHousingandHomelessness

• Local government is united in agreement about how to resolve thiscrisis,withovertwothirdscallingforacommitmenttomaintain2017levels of funding for 3 years in order to aid medium term financialplanning

• Councils are also calling for assurances that government will cover

costsassociatedwithchangestocentrally-setbusinessratepolicy

• Though long-awaited, the government’s Fair Funding Reviewwill notaddress the fundamental issues facing the funding system and risksirrelevance in the face ofmounting structural pressures: councils arecalling for a formal consultationonhow local government financingwillworkgoingforward

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ForewordsJonathanCarr-West,ChiefExecutiveofLGiUOver the last 7 years, the State of Local GovernmentFinance Survey has become an essential bellwether forissues affecting local communities and an invaluableopportunity for councils to share their experiences. Thisyearisnoexception.Resultsfromthe2018surveyshowthatcouncilsareontheedge.Theyareforthe most part holding services together (though a significant minority arenot).Buttheycanonlydothisthisbyraisingcounciltax, increasingcharginganddrainingtheirreserves.Thesystemisunsustainableandneedsfarmorefundamentalreformthan ispresently onoffer. It’s simply not acceptable thatwedon’t knowhow localgovernmentwillworkpost2020.Councilsarecallingforassurancesaroundfundingforthenextthreeyearsandfora fundamental redesignof the financesystem.Atpresentgovernment isofferingneither.Thathastochange.

HeatherJameson,EditorofTheMJAusterityhaspushedcouncilbudgetstobreakingpointandthey just can’t take any more. They have faced reducedbudgetsandincreaseddemandforservices–thesumsjustdon’taddup.Lastweeksawthefirst localauthority issueafreezeon itsspendingdueto itscashcrisisand it isnot likelytobethelast. The rising cost of adult social care and its impact on the NHS is welldocumented,butnowchildren’sservicesareatrisk.The Government needs to rapidly rethink its funding of local authoritiesbefore services – including those for the elderly and vulnerable children –starttocrumblecompletely.

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IntroductionTheannualStateofLocalGovernmentFinanceSurveygivesasnapshotofthepressures facing councils.Weask themost senior figures in each council totell us their plans for the coming year in the run-up to setting their annualbudget.Thisyear132council leaders,chiefexecutives,cabinetmembers forfinance and finance directors took part, representing a third of all Englishcouncils.Theresultshelpustoassesstheimpactofpoliciesandhighlightareasthatareof current or future concern. As an independent, cross-party membershipbody we hope to bring together the voice of the sector and contribute tostrengthofourlocaldemocracy.

What’shappeninginlocalgovernment?Local government is responsible for a dizzying array of essential communityservices, visible and invisible, universal and targeted – from care homes tobusinesssupport,potholestosocialservices,educationtoleisurecentres.Butif you ask the average person on the streetwhat their council does, they’lllikelyreply,‘Collectingmybin.’If youwere feelingparticularly cruel, you couldask thepoor soulhow theircouncilisfunded,towhichtheywouldprobablyhesitantlyreply,‘Counciltax?’Andwhocouldblamethemforthisassumption?Mostofthoseworkinginthesectorstruggletowraptheirownheadsaroundthecomplexitiesandvagariesofthevariousgrants,tariffs,top-ups,fundingformulasandlocalbusinessrateshares.But this (somewhat glib) example strikes right to the core of the challengethat councils face in articulating their current financial situation with theurgencyitrequires.When people see their council tax go up and the quality of their servicesdeteriorate,theyrightlyaskquestions.Butinrealitycounciltaxonlyaccountsfor15%oflocalauthorityincome:overhalfcomesintheformofgrantsfromcentralgovernment*.However,localauthoritygrantincomehasplummetedby£16bnsince2011*,firstbecauseofwiderpublicsectorbudgetcutsafterthefinancialcrisis,andthenaspartofgovernment’splanforcouncilstotransitionfromgrantfunding

*BasedonthelatestavailablefiguresfromDCLG,2015-16https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627895/LGFS27_Web_version.pdf

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to relying on local business rate income by 2020 – the implementation ofwhichhasbeenseverelydelayed.Asitstands,councilsarefacingthe2020cliff-edgewithoutaclearideaofhowtheywillbefundedafterwardsorhowmuchmoneytheywillhave.WhythisworkmattersTherealworldimpactofdelayingtheseseeminglytechnicaldecisionsisthat,across the country, libraries and parks are closing down, the elderly anddisabledcan’taccessbasiccare,vulnerablechildrenaren’tbesupportedandthestreetsaredirtierandmoredangerous.With limited borrowing powers and restrictions on types of investment,council tax and charging are two of the only mechanisms left over whichcouncilshavesomecontrol,whichiswhyweareseeingover90%ofcouncilsincreaseboththisyear.Thisisnotasustainablesolution.Eachcouncilhasapproachedthesechallenges indifferentwaysaccordingtotheneedsandwishesoftheirresidents,soitcanbedifficulttoseetheoverallimpactofcentralcutstocouncilincome.Thissurveyhelpsustoshinealightonthecross-sectoralchallengesinordertomovetheconversationbacktothenationalscale.Itwouldbeeasyforthistoremainatechnocraticdebateamongthoseinthesector, but the consequences of slow or ineffective decisions is potentiallydisastrousanddeservesgreaterurgencyandawideraudience.

This survey is the first output from LGiU’s Local Finance Taskforce2018, a local authority-led project to raise the profile of councilfundingissuesandtomovetheagendaforward.Formoreinformationvisit:lgiu.org.uk/policy-theme/local-finance-taskforce

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Currentsituation

ConfidenceConfidence in the sustainabilityof the local government financesystem is still very low – as in2017, 80% say they are notconfident. This opinion is heldacross the sector, spanningpoliticalboundaries, council typeandregion.

Counciltax95% of respondents saidthey would be raisingcouncil tax in theirarea thisyear, thehighestproportionsince the survey began in2012. Three quarters saidthey would be raisingcouncil tax by more than2.5%. Only one respondentsaid their council would bereducingcounciltax.

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ReservesAlmost three quarters ofrespondents (68%) intend to usetheir reserves this year; of these,80%used their reserves lastyearaswell.

Feesandcharges93% of respondents plan toincrease fees and charges thisyear to balance their budget.Areasthatwillseenew/increasedcharginginclude:waste,planning,parking, social care and homecare, bereavement,burial/cremation, and meals onwheels.

Othersourcesofincome9in10councils(89%)nowconsiderexploringothersourcesofincomeahighpriorityoressential.Sourcesthatcouncilsareconsideringinclude:

• Commercialisingcouncilservices(76%ofrespondents)• Localcommercialpropertydevelopments(76%)• Localhousingdevelopments(76%)• Purchasinginvestmentproperties(66%)

Inordertofinancetheseprojects,over90%intendtoborrowfromthePublicWorks Loans Board. Other finance sources include capital markets (13%),other local authorities (18%), private investment (20%) and crowdfunding(7%).

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Pressureonlocalservices

Quality of frontlineservicesThreequarters of councils(73%) tell us they havemanaged to sustain thequality of frontlineservices over the pastyear, despite the financialchallengestheyface.

However,40%ofrespondentsbelievethecutsto frontlineservicesthisyearwill be noticed by the public. Councilswill be forced to reduce activity in abroadrangeofserviceareasinordertomakeendsmeet:

• ParksandLeisurefacilitiesandBusinessSupportservicestoppedthelist,withhalfofrespondentssayingtheywouldbereducingactivity.

• Overathirdofrespondentssaytheywillalsohavetoreduceactivityinthese service areas: Arts and Culture, Adult Social Care, Children’sServices,YouthCentres,LibrariesandHighways/Transport.

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Children’sServicesandEducationChildren’sServicesisnowthemostimmediatepressureforcouncils,aheadofAdultSocialCareforthefirsttimeinatleast3years(sinceourrecordsbegan).Thisis likelyaresultofacombinationoffactors.After8yearsofdiminishinglocal authority budgets, councils are no longer able to shield Children’sServices fromtheworstof thecuts.At thesametime,demand is increasingdue to rising numbers of child protection enquiries, cuts in the EarlyInterventionGrant,UniversalCreditamongotherthings.Itcouldalsoindicatethat the extra £2bn social care funding announced in March could betemporarily easing pressure in this area such that councils can focus onChildren’sServices.Over a third of respondents indicated that their council would be reducingactivity inChildren’sServicesand intheirYouthCentresbecauseof financialconstraints.

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AdultSocialCareAdult Social Care remains the greatest longterm pressure for councils, with38% of respondents putting it top of their list.When looking only at thosecouncilswithdirectresponsibilityforsocialcare,thisrisestotwothirds.Moreover,40%ofrespondentsexpecttoseeareductionintheiradultsocialcareactivitythisyearduetofinancialconstraints.Although the announcement of the £150m Adult Social Care Grant for2018/19 was welcomed by the sector, the fundamental resourcing issuesremain.Weaskedcouncilswhattheywouldliketoseetohelpfixthesystem:overhalfwould like to seea concertedeffort to integratehealthand socialcareacrossthecountryandaquartersupporttheideaofaringfencedcentralgrantforsocialcare.

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HousingandHomelessnessHousing and Homelessness is the secondmost common longterm pressureafterAdultSocialCare,with19%placingittopoftheirlist.Amonglowertierauthorities (which do not have direct responsibility for adult or children’ssocialservices)itisthenumberoneimmediateandlongtermpressure.Oneinten councils expect to reducehomelessness support activities this year as aresultofbudgetaryconstraints.Inordertoeasethepressureonhousing,councilsarecallingforextrapowersandflexibility.Weaskedcouncilswhatchangeswereneededtosupportthisgoalandtheseideashadthesupportofoverthreequartersofrespondents:

• Allowcouncilstochargecounciltaxonundevelopedlandwithplanningpermission(90%)

• Introduce “use it or lose it” powers to revoke planning permission forstalleddevelopments(82%)

• Raise(80%)orremove(63%)theHousingRevenueAccountcap• Additional funding for the accompanying infrastructure like roads andschools(79%)

• Ensurecouncilscankeep100%ofright-to-buysaleproceeds(77%)

CommunityservicesAsaresultoffinancialdifficulties,councilsareplanningtomakecutstomanyoftheircorecommunityservices.Half say they will be reducing Parks/Leisure and Arts/Culture activities thisyear.AthirdintendtomakecutstotheirlibraryserviceandaquarterwillbereducingspendingonlocalCitizen’sAdviceBureaus.Thissignalsthatcouncilsarehavingtoprioritiseacuteandstatutoryservicesinordertobalancetheirbudget,meaningthatthesetypesof“non-essential”orpreventativecommunityresourceswillbeadverselyaffected.

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EconomyandbusinessWeaskedcouncilswhattheyseeasthemainbarriertoeconomicgrowth intheirregion:poortransportinfrastructurewasbyfarthebiggestbarrier,citedby32%ofrespondentsfromacrossthecountry.Otherscitedalackofinwardinvestment (15%), a lack of commercial space (14%), a lack of needed skills(13%), a lack of suitable jobs (10%) and a lack of suitable housing (10%) astheirmainbarrierstogrowth.However,duetobudgetaryconstraints,halfofrespondentssaidtheircouncilwouldbereducingtheirBusinessSupportactivity,athirdwouldbereducingHighwaysandTransportworkandafifthsaidRegenerationprojectswouldbescaledback.Alackofclarityaboutthehowmuchoftheproceedsoflocalgrowthcouncilscan expect post-2020 (due to delayed decisions on business rate retention)means that councilsareprioritising immediateneedover investing in futurelocaleconomicgrowthbecausetheycan’tguaranteetheywillseethereturnsfromtheirinvestments.

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ThewayforwardTheuncertainty facing councils in termsof future funding is damaging theirability to forward plan. There is an urgent need for action to remedy thissituation.Thesurveyshowsthatlocalgovernmentisunitedinagreementabouthowtoresolvethiscrisis,withovertwothirdscallingforacommitmenttomaintain2017 levels of funding for 3 years in order to aid medium term financialplanning. They are also calling for assurances that government will covercostsassociatedwithchangestocentrally-setbusinessratepolicy.With the impending roll-out of 75%BusinessRateRetention (aswell as the100% Business Rate Retention pilots), there are still many unansweredquestionsabouthowthenewsystemwillwork.We asked councils to rank their concerns about how it will impact theirauthority. ‘Volatility of business rates as a source of income’ was mostcommonconcern,withhalfofrespondentsplacingthis firstorsecond. ‘Lackofclarityaboutthefutureshapeofthepolicy(resetperiods,redistribution,etc)’ and ‘Pressure on demand-led services like social care’ were alsocommon concerns, with just under half of respondents placing them eitherfirstorsecond.

Localgovernment’sasksfor20181. A commitment tomaintain at least the2017 level of funding for at

least3years,inanyform(71%)2. Assurances that government will cover the costs to councils

associatedwithchangestocentrally-setbusinessratepolicy(68%)3. Removerequirementtoholdareferendumoncounciltaxrisesabove

acertainthreshold(62%)4. Full roll out of 75% business rate retention, not just in pilot areas

(57%)5. A formal consultation on the options for the future funding system

(52%)6. An indicationof the intendeddirectionofadult social carepolicy, in

order to unlock public and private investment in a creaking caremarket(52%)

7. Clarityaboutnextstepsfordevolutionandbusinessrateretentionsothattheycanplanpost-2020(51%)

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LookingfurtheraheadThe steps outlined in the previous section would go a long way towardsgetting councils on a steady financial footing in the short term, but thereremain several fundamental systemic issues that need addressing to securetheirfuture.Weaskedcouncilstoprioritisethesechallenges.Theseweretheirtopchoices:1. Redesigningbusinessratesystemtomakeitfairer(65%)

It is widely accepted, by the public and private sector alike, that thebusiness rate system is flawed and unfair in several respects. If localauthoritiesaretobecomereliantonthisformoftaxationforasignificantportionof their income, thismust be fixedorwe risk creating skewedincentivesandstuntingeconomicgrowth.

2. Healthandsocialcareintegration(52%)Thispolicywassupposedtobepursuedaspartofthedevolutionagendabut as the devolution deal negotiations have stalled, health and socialcare integration has been sidelined in most parts of the country.However, the survey shows there is still strong support for this to goahead.

3. Revaluingcounciltaxbands(49%)Thecurrentcounciltaxbandingsystemisbasedonpropertyvaluesfrom1991.Underthissystem,theratiobetweenthebottomandtopratesofbandsremainsabout1to3,farlowerthanthecurrentspreadofhouseprices. This means that many people are under or over-paying theircouncil tax, and research from the IFS suggests this disproportionatelyaffects low income households. Successive governments have shiedawayfromthetaskofrevaluation,butunderthecurrentsystemcounciltaxintakeisboundmoretochancethananaccurateassessmentoftheirresidents’means.

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AboutLGiUThe Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) is a think tank andmembershipbodywithover200councilsandotherorganisationssubscribingtoournetworks.Weworktostrengthen localdemocracyandputcitizens incontrol of their own lives, communities and local services. For moreinformation,visitwww.lgiu.org.uk

AboutTheMJTheMunicipal Journal (MJ) is the UK’s leadingweeklymagazine for councilchiefexecutivesandseniormanagersinlocalauthoritiesandalliedsectors.Itoffers an insiders’ viewofwhat’s going on andwhat people are thinking intoday’severchangingandchallengingworldoflocalpolitics–thelatestnews,incisivecomment,in-depthfeaturesandinterviews,businessanalysisandthetoprecruitmentvacancies.Visitwww.themj.co.uk

Published8thFebruary2018CopyrightLGiU2018

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APPENDIXSurveyrespondentsRESPONSESBYREGION EastMidlands 13Eastern 12London 9NorthEast 6NorthWest 14SouthEast 37SouthWest 13WestMidlands 18YorkshireandHumber 10RESPONSESBYCOUNCILTYPE Uppertier County 16Unitary 24LondonBorough 9Metropolitan 18Total 67Lowertier Non-MetropolitanDistrict 65RESPONSESBYPOLITICALCONTROLOFCOUNCIL ConservativeCouncil 79LabourCouncil 39LiberalDemocratCouncil 4NoOverallControlCouncil 9UKIP 1RESPONSESBYROLE CabinetMember(Finances/Resources) 12ChiefExecutive 42DirectorofFinance/Resources 30Leader 47Electedmayor 1

Datatables Expectedcounciltaxchange2018/19

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Reduce 0.76%Freeze 3.82%Increase-upto0.5% 0.00%Increase-0.5%to1% 3.05%Increase-1%to1.5% 0.00%Increase-1.5%to2% 16.79%Increase-2%to2.5% 2.29%Increase-2.5%to3% 53.44%Increase-morethan3% 19.85%Isthereadangerthatfinancialconstraintswillputyourauthorityinapositionwhereyounolongerhaveenoughfundingtofulfilyourstatutorydutiesin2018/19?Yes 9.92%No 90.08%Greatestimmediatepressures2016-18 2018 2017 2016

Children’sservicesandeducation 31.8% 6.8% 12.3%Adultsocialcare 27.8% 52.4% 42.9%

Housingandhomelessness 19.1% 21.8% 22.7%

Environmentandwaste 9.5% 8.8% 8.4%

Greatestlongtermpressures2016-18

2018

2017

2016

Adultsocialcare 37.8% 39.8% 53.6%

Housingandhomelessness 18.9% 15.4% 20.9%Children'sservicesandeducation 15.8% 12.2% 5.2%

Environmentandwaste 11.0% 12.2% 8.5%

Inwhichoftheseareaswillactivitybereducedin2018/19duetobudgetaryconstraints?TickallthatapplyParksandleisurefacilities 53.19%Businesssupport 50.00%Artsandculture 45.74%AdultSocialCare 40.43%Children’sServices 36.17%Youthcentres 34.04%Libraries 32.98%Highwaysandtransport 32.98%CitizensAdviceBureaus 24.47%Regenerationprojects 20.21%Planning 13.83%Homelessnesssupport 11.70%Furthereducation 2.13%

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How,ifatall,hasthequalityofyourfrontlineserviceschangedoverthelastyear?Improved 14.62%Sustained 73.08%Deteriorated 12.31%Willyour2018/19budgetleadtocutsinfrontlineserviceswhichwillbeevidenttothepublic?

Yes 40.46%No 59.54%Didyourauthorityuse,increaseornottouchyourreserveslastyear?Anddoyouintendtouse,increaseornottouchyourreservesthisyear? Usereserves Nottouchreserves Increasereserves2017/18 66.15% 21.54% 12.31%2018/19 67.97% 21.88% 10.16%

Howmuchofapriorityisitforyoutoactivelyexploreothersourcesofincome?Notapriority

Lowpriority

Mediumpriority

Highpriority

Essential

0.00% 0.87% 10.43% 37.39% 51.30%Whichsourcesofincomeareyouconsidering?TickallthatapplyFeesandcharges,eg.Gardenwaste,Planningfees 88.98%Commercialisingcouncilservices 76.38%Commercialdevelopments(locally) 76.38%Housingdevelopments(locally) 75.59%Purchasinginvestmentproperties 66.14%Assetsales 59.06%Advertisingspace 39.37%Energyprojects 39.37%Sponsorship 28.35%Commercialdevelopments(furtherafield) 18.90%Other(pleasespecify) 8.66%Housingdevelopments(furtherafield) 7.09%Congestioncharge 1.57%Ifyouareplanningtoseekexternalfundingforanyoftheaboveprojects,wherefrom?TickallthatapplyPublicWorksLoansBoard 93.86%Grantfunding 34.21%Privateinvestment 20.18%Otherlocalauthorities 18.42%Capitalmarkets 13.16%

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MunicipalBondsAgency 12.28%Bankloan 8.77%Crowdfunding 7.02%Other(pleasespecify) 4.39%Howmuchofyour2018/19budgetwillbefundedfromincreasedcharging?None 7.50%0%to5% 77.50%5%to10% 6.67%10%to15% 5.00%15%to20% 1.67%Above20% 1.67%Howconfidentdoyoufeelaboutthesustainabilityoflocalgovernmentfinance?Notatallconfident Notveryconfident Quiteconfident Veryconfident21.67% 58.33% 19.17% 0.83%Whatdoyou think shouldhappen in thenext year toalleviate financialpressuresandhelpcouncilsplanahead?TickallstatementsthatyouagreewithCommitmenttomaintainat least2017 leveloffundingforat least3years(inanyform)

71.31%

Assurancesthatgovernmentwillcoverthecostsassociatedwithchangestocentrally-setbusinessratepolicy

68.03%

Removecounciltaxrisereferendumrequirement 62.30%Fullrolloutof75%businessrateretention,notjustinpilotareas 57.38%Formalconsultationonlocalfundingsystemoptions 51.64%Indication of social care policy direction to enable public and privateinvestment

51.64%

Indicationofdevolutionandbusinessrateretentionpolicydirection 50.82%RaiseHRAborrowingcapforALLcouncils 45.90%Morecontrolovercounciltaxexemptions/discounts 45.08%Indicationofhowlocalgovernmentstructuresandrolesmayevolve 38.52%Other(pleasespecify) 23.77%ReverttoRevenueSupportGrantforthetimebeing 21.31%Inan idealworld,whichof thesewouldyou like thegovernment toconsider, ifany?TickallthatapplyRedesigningbusinessratesystemtomakeitfairer 65.29%Healthandsocialcareintegration 52.07%Revaluingcounciltaxbands 48.76%Rebandingproperties 32.23%RemovetheringfencingonHealth/Educationgrants 29.75%Hotel/tourismtax 28.10%Place-basedbudgets 28.10%Ringfencedgrantforsocialcare 25.62%

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Implementalandvaluetax 24.79%Localincometax 19.83%LocalVAT/salestax 18.18%Other(pleasespecify) 11.57%What are your top concerns about how 100% Business Rate Retention might impact yourauthority?Rankinorderofprioritybydraggingboxes(1=highest)RANK 1 2 3 4 5Costs and risk associated withbusinessratesappeals

13.91% 23.48% 22.61% 25.22% 14.78%

Not being reimbursed fornational changes to businessratepolicy

11.82% 20.91% 29.09% 20.91% 17.27%

Lack of clarity about the futureshape of the policy –redistribution,resetperiod,etc.

25.00% 18.10% 25.00% 20.69% 11.21%

Pressureondemand-ledserviceslikesocialcare

29.63% 13.89% 7.41% 12.04% 37.04%

Volatility of business rates as afundingsource

25.42% 25.42% 17.80% 16.95% 14.41%

DoyouwanttheHousingRevenueAccountcaptoberaisedinyourarea?Yes 80.00%No 20.00%What,inyouropinion,shouldbedonetoeasethepressureonhousing?TickallthatapplyAllow councils to charge council tax on undeveloped land with planningpermission

89.57%

Introduce“useitorloseit”powerstorevokeplanningpermissionforstalleddevelopments

81.74%

Additionalfundingfortheaccompanyinginfrastructure(roads,schools,etc.) 79.13%Ensurecouncilscankeep100%ofright-to-buysaleproceeds 76.52%Allowcouncilstosetchargesforstalleddevelopments 73.91%RemovetheHRAborrowingcap 62.61%Haltplanstorolloutright-to-buyforhousingassociations 60.87%StrengthenCompulsoryPurchaseOrderpowerstopreventland-banking 58.26%Endright-to-buyforcouncilhousing 57.39%BetterresourcingofPlanningdepartments 33.04%Other(pleasespecify) 13.91%WhatistheMAINbarriertoeconomicgrowthinyourregion?Poortransportinfrastructure 32.20%Lackofinwardinvestment 15.25%Lackofcommercialspace 14.41%Lackofneededskills 12.71%

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Lackofsuitablejobs 10.17%Lackofsuitablehousing 10.17%Poordigitalinfrastructure 5.08%Doyoumeasureyourcouncil’simpactonlocalgrowth?

No 65.22%

Yes 34.78%