The Budget will leave many council leaders scratching their heads over how to deliver better services with less money, according to the Local Government Association. Its chairman, Sir Simon Milton, welcomed the announcements of more money to deal with child poverty and the focus on green issues, but he said Alistair Darling had given little to local authorities.
Sir Simon said, “At first look, the Budget gives little relief to town halls struggling to balance the books. 

Britain’s largest and oldest surviving allotment is to be preserved and restored after the Heritage Lottery Fund confirmed more funding. St Ann’s Allotments date back to 1830 and now lie within one of the most deprived areas of Nottingham, although they were originally created as detached town gardens for more wealthy families.
Nottingham City Council says the gardens are now a rare green space in an area of high density inner city housing. 

By Duncan Scott
This report, commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation, has revealed the extent to which Social Enterprises are hard-pressed to achieve financial sustainability. Whilst some Social Enterprises will depend on generating a measure of economic return from their activities, the report finds that there must be consensus within the organisation about the desired balance between economic and social return.
This comprehensive study tracked five organisations over a five year period.