About Local Government Law
Local authorities are facing a period of unprecedented change and uncertainty. Lawyers are required to guide elected officials, council workers and the public through this process often with little support or guidance.
Social housing
This gold standard content set covers all aspects of social housing from homelessness, tenancy management, shared ownership and right to buy together with regulating housing provision.
Education
Education is central to the governments skills agenda to drive innovation and growth. Every aspect of education law is covered from early years foundation stage to further and higher education with a dedicated special educational needs topic.
Public procurement
Public bodies are subject to the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. We give full coverage of public contracts, from issues to consider before procurement, to dealing with contract award challenges.
Local authorities
Local authorities are facing unprecedented financial challenges, inevitable rationalisation and prioritisation of service provision. Lawyers are key in ensuring that difficult decisions are taken and implemented lawfully
Topics We Cover
Latest Local Government News
Public Law: The High Court quashed the Parole Board’s direction to release Glyn Razzell, holding that it was not satisfied that continued confinement...
The Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide 2026 has been published and applies immediately. Its principal additions for practitioners are broader...
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a collection of guidance to support the digital transformation of adult social care. The...
Mr Justice Chamberlain, Judge in Charge of the Administrative Court, has issued a Practice Statement to the effect that, from 19 October 2026, the...
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on local air quality management (LAQM), setting out how local...
Latest Local Government Practice Notes
Note that the information in this Practice Note relates to the current law in England. The law in Wales in this area is covered by the Social Services...
The use of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court to authorise the deprivation of liberty of children and young people has been growing in recent...
This Practice Note summarises the key offences relating to the sale of alcohol to under aged children under Licensing Act 2003 (LA 2003). For general...
This Practice Note outlines a local authority’s responsibilities to safeguard children through child protection conferences, as set out in the Working...
This Practice Note explains criminal offences under the Child Abduction Act 1984 (CAA 1984) and also covers electronic tagging and the Law...
Latest Local Government Precedents
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
ARCHIVED: These archived training materials provide information on Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February...
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.STOP PRESS: As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023...
Latest Local Government Q&As
Featured Local Government content
What is the purposive approach to statutory interpretation?
Housing disrepair for local authority landlords—a practical guide
Housing disrepair for local authority landlords—a practical guideThis Practice Note discusses disrepair claims in relation to social housing, setting...
What are the grounds for judicial review?
Obstruction of highways
Obstruction of highwaysThe fundamental public right upon a highway is to pass and re-pass, and the obstruction of a highway is usually a criminal...
School land and premises
School land and premisesOwnership of school land and premisesThe ownership of school sites and playgrounds, school buildings and school playing fields...
If a person owns land which abuts a public highway are there any statutory or other provisions which deal with that landowners right to gain access onto the highway?
Structure of local government
Structure of local governmentCoronavirus (COVID-19): This Practice Note contains guidance on matters that have temporarily been altered to assist in...
Teachers and staff in maintained schools
Teachers and staff in maintained schoolsWho is the employer?The employer will depend upon the status of the school. The employer is:•the local...
Collaborative procurement in the public sector—a short introduction
Collaborative procurement in the public sector—a short introductionThis Practice Note is a short introduction to the legal considerations that arise...
The standstill period
The standstill periodWhat is the standstill period?When a contracting authority reaches its decision on the award of a public contract subject to the...
Maladministration—complaints
Maladministration—complaintsSection 23 of the Local Government Act 1974 (LGA 1974), creates the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman...
Arms length management organisations (ALMOs)
Arms length management organisations (ALMOs)An arms length management organisation (ALMO) is a not-for-profit company that provides housing services...
Abandoned vehicles
Abandoned vehiclesAbandoned vehicles offencesSection 2 of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RD(A)A 1978) makes it a criminal offence to abandon,...
If a restrictive covenant is expressed to be made pursuant to section 33 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, can a council as covenantee release a covenantor from the said restrictive covenant at any time using the usual standard deed of release of covenant?
Public procurement—private sector considerations
Public procurement—private sector considerationsPublic procurement is a buying process essentially similar to its private sector counterpart. However,...
Tattoos, sunbeds and minors
Tattoos, sunbeds and minorsTattooing of minorsIt is an offence to tattoo a person under the age of 18 except where the tattoo is performed for medical...
Use of consultants in public procurement
Use of consultants in public procurementThere are basically two types of consultants that are used in public procurement:•consultants with technical...
Highways, street works and statutory undertakers
Highways, street works and statutory undertakersStreet works at common lawAt common law it is a nuisance to interfere with the surface of a highway....
Associated legal terms
Certified contract
A contract that meets the 'certification requirements' in the Local Government (Contracts) Act 1997, s 3 and therefore (subject to judicial and audit review) has effect as if the local authority had power to enter into the contract and had exercised that power properly in entering into it.
Local Government Association
A national voluntary membership body created in 1997 to replace the associations which had previously represented different types of local authority and to provide a unified voice for local government in England and Wales.
Maladministration
Something that happened in connection with action taken by or on behalf of one of the authorities subject to investigation, being action taken in the exercise of administrative functions of that authority which caused injustice to a member of the public.
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