Briefing Note

Neighbourhood planning seems to be one of the most challenging pieces of planning legislation in a long time; some seem to think it holds endless possibilities; sceptics think it is bound to fail, causing only extra costs and complications. Yet the surge in public interest in the last 6 months – and the 200 plus […]

In recent months, English local authorities have been conducting public consultations on the design of local Council Tax benefit support schemes, replacing the previous nationwide arrangements. It has been a challenge, as the Government laid down strict rules for these replacement schemes – and simultaneously reduced the available money by 10%. Pensioners could not be

In July 2011 the Coalition Government published its long-awaited Open Public Services White Paper which sets out their agenda to give better access to public services for more people. The Government set out their vision for public service reform with five guiding principles: Choice and control

At first glance, there does not appear to be any direct comparison between major public policy consultations and the fiasco that led to the Department of Transport having to abandon its decision to award the West Coast inter-city rail franchise to the First Group. Look further, however, and many of the failures found by Sam

At first glance this is another case about the traumas of local authorities seeking expenditure reductions in difficult functions such as adult social care. Similar to the important Birmingham City Council case earlier this year, this was an attempt to apply more restrictive eligibility criteria for social care services, with the decision challenged by two

Few public consultations are likely to arouse as much interest as that published by the Government Equalities Office on 15th March, and which seeks to enable gay and transsexual people to become married. Already however, opponents are calling this a ‘sham consultation’. A typical criticism comes from Colin Hart of the Coalition for Marriage who