A great turnout for our first county leaders' meeting of 2024-25, as our members discussed two of their biggest issues this year: local government finance and pressures in adult social care.

The Local Government Association (LGA) support programme for its members the next twelve months and beyond has launched today.

View their tools and support below ⬇️

'The planning system has been in a state of flux for too long. It is time that the government of the day must put forward a plan for the long term.'

🗞️ Richard Clewer writes in Inside Housing on the key findings from our new county housing report ⤵️

insidehousing.co.uk/comment/what-c…

📺 Watch BBC News (UK) research which finds the costs of providing SEND school transport have doubled in the last five years.

Counties have seen the biggest pressures, and Tim Oliver calls for reform to the system on BBC Breakfast.

Read CCN’s new analysis: countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/councils-call-…

Across BBC News (UK) analysis, supported by CCN, showing the costs of SEND transport for #localgov have doubled.

Tim Oliver says that costs have become unsustainable & the next gov needs to consider reform to prioritise those most in need.

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…

'There is market in which there is scope for surge pricing, mixed with very severe needs. Those two combine to create very high placement costs.'

Roger Gough explains the rising costs of children in care to Education Committee today ⬇️

We're calling for reform: countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/councils-call-…

'For CCN members, spend on children's services is now nearly a quarter of their total spend.'

Watch Roger Gough 🌈Updates from ADCS & Hampshire County Council outline to Education Committee the growing pressures faced by counties.

We're calling for reform to children's services: countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/councils-call-…

📻 Listen to our housing spokesperson Richard Clewer talk James Churchfield through our new report on BBC Cornwall, which analyses the housing challenge in counties.

We’re calling for a long term plan for housing from the next government.

Download it ⬇️ countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/number-of-rent…

We're grateful to Malcolm Prior for speaking to our member GRCC - Supporting Communities in Gloucestershire in connection with this County Councils Network story about the lack of genuinely #AffordableHousing in #rural communities

People are being priced out of their communities and it's not sustainable⚠️

bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…

🏘️ Despite counties overseeing the delivery of more homes than the rest of England combined, today's new report reveals real challenges remain in affordability.

Richard Clewer calls on the next government to set out 'a long term plan' for housing ⤵️

countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/number-of-rent…

The crisis facing renters isn’t only in our cities. Important recommendations here from ⁦County Councils Network⁩ to avert an even worse rural housing crisis - all political parties need to make a long term plan for housing their priority at the election amp.theguardian.com/society/2024/m…

Today’s The Guardian covers the key findings from our new report on housing, which found the number of people renting in rural areas outpaced even London over the last decade.

We call on the next government to set out a long term plan for housing ⬇️

theguardian.com/society/2024/m…

“We do, and we must, build more affordable housing”

CCN unitary spokesperson Cllr Linda Taylor @cornwallcouncil discusses the challenges highlighted in our new #housing report with BBC Radio 4 Today 📻👇

Download to read the analysis and recommendations 👉 countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/number-of-rent…

“We need government to stop tinkering with the planning system.”

Watch BBC Breakfast cover our new report on county housing challenges with Richard Clewer Wiltshire Council #WiltshireTogether calling for a long-term plan for housing from the next government.

Read the analysis: countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/number-of-rent…

Across BBC News (UK) TV, Radio & Online exclusive coverage of CCN’s new #housing report showing the number of rural renters has increased by over half a million.

We are calling for a long term plan for housing in counties.

🗞️ 👉online bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…

📻 🎧👇BBC Radio 4 Today