Norse Group CEO Justin Galliford talks with Corin Williams from Materials Recycling Week, about the impact of the new Labour government on Local Authority waste collection and disposal operations.

This episode is sponsored by Norse Group.

You’re listening to the Public Finance Live series of podcasts, brought to you by the PF editorial team – directly from CIPFA’s annual conference in Manchester, England.

In the latest Norse groupchat podcast, CEO Justin Galliford talks with Vivien Holland, Director at Local Partnerships.

They reflect on the emerging trend of Local Authorities transferring their waste services back into their own direct control, the role of the LatCo in facilitating this transition, and ensuring control, visibility and quality are maintained, along with retaining a strong focus on governance and oversight.

Addressing the shifting political landscape, they discuss benefits the LatCo model can bring in an environment that is unlikely to yield a reduction in pressure on the public purse.

In the latest Norse groupchat podcast, CEO Justin Galliford talks with Jonathan Werran, head of Think Tank Localis, reflecting on the last 12 months challenges for public finances in the context of the number of local council Section 114 notices, and the extreme demographic of services pressures.

They discuss their thoughts on the round of party conferences they attended, and address the question ‘is it too late to fix public finances?’, the possible benefits of some sort of triage of public finances in order to provide a level of sustainability in the medium term, and the impact of not necessarily ‘bad decision making’ but of the cost against revenue pressures.

They ask, ‘have a succession of parties really focussed on the key issues and relationship with local government?’, and the discuss the inefficiencies of distributing money from central to local authorities. Jonathan suggests a ‘whole-place, public service integration reform agenda’ is needed, with the ability of local government to raise local taxes, and compares the systems of other northern European countries.

Finally, the benefits to local government finance of ‘multi-year settlements’ that provide funding certainty and longer-term investment in local skills and infrastructure are discussed, along with what, ahead pf the next general election, they would like to see in the upcoming party manifestoes in relation to public service funding at all levels.

With every local authority finalising budgets for the coming year amidst, despite extra funding from central government, income/revenue gaps that must be filled by either budget cuts or spending reserves, Norse Group CEO Justin Galliford recently joined colleagues in a podcast hosted by Public Finance magazine to review the reality of future service delivery.

They look at the options councils have in navigating a way through the coming months in an environment laced with uncertainty due to upcoming general and local elections.

Justin joined host and Public Finance editor Chris Smith, Joanne Pitt CIPFA's lead for local government policy and Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis to share insights on potential local authority responses.

There’s some insightful thoughts on how to come to a definition ‘what counts as a statutory service’, audits and how to deliver vital services. Plus views on navigating elections and opinions of what the government needs to think about.

In the latest podcast, Norse Consulting Senior Director Daniella Barrow is joined by Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive of Brentwood and Rochford District Councils, to discuss the Six Streets project.

In his latest podcast, Norse Group CEO Justin Galliford is joined by Corin Williams, Editor of Materials Recycling World, to contemplate the challenges and options facing councils involved in waste collection and environmental services.

Cost pressures and recent political changes are leading many local authorities to review existing contracts, consider taking services back in-house, or move to partnership working.

They discuss the uncertainties of the new waste regulations, the difficulties of implementation, and the shortage of resources in local government.

Justin Galliford meets with MJ Editorial Director Mike Burton to discuss whether councils can keep their communities happy in an ever-changing landscape and in the face of ongoing challenges.

Justin explains the role Norse plays in helping to deliver services and maintain end user satisfaction, before he and Mike look at how the private and public sectors working together to deliver frontline services has evolved; and what each needs to recognise as strengths and skills within the other.