Council leaders are asking for clarification on how extra money being made available to help people deal with rising fuel bills will be paid for. The Local Government Association is also repeating its calls for every home to be properly insulated as it believes this is the best long-term solution to fuel poverty. 

Birmingham City Council cabinet members are today expected to approve a Statement of Community Involvement for the planning process. The document is thought to be the first of its kind to detail how and when local people can get involved in every stage of the planning process and influence decisions.
The document has already been through several consultation stages with comments being invited from the draft stage onwards. 

This Prospectus from Communities and Local Government draws together the improvement support that is available from central government to help councils and their partners to meet the efficiency challenge. It supports the aim to move beyond competence to achieve transformation of public services.
Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships and Local Area Agreement are seen as crucial to the process.