2025 Look ahead

2025 brings local government both significant challenges and new opportunities, and councils will have to?continue delivering more with less.?Service?transformation, optimising income?through commercial approaches and?driving innovation?to meet?evolving community needs?will be critical, while staying resilient in a changing landscape. The tools, guidance and case studies we developed in 2024?provide a strong foundation for councils?to build on in the year ahead.

Whether accessing our free resources or working with us directly,?we’re here to help local authorities navigate these challenges?and implement lasting change for greater impact in your communities in 2025.

Kind regards,

The Local Partnerships team

Homelessness and housing

We support councils working to address the housing crisis, to deliver affordable and energy efficient homes:

• our?Small Sites Initiative?helped Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council secure energy efficient homes by leveraging SME partnerships to meet housing needs while supporting local businesses
• a new suite of published?case studies?showcases how the local authorities we worked with this year?overcame their housing and homelessness challenges

Linda Raynor Martin Walker

Public service reform

We support the transformation of local government operations to meet evolving needs by:

• delivering?free contract management webinars and tools?to improve operational efficiency for councils
• supporting evidence-based decision-making with resources like the our guidance for business case related member decisions, ensuring better governance and reform outcomes
• sharing?transformation case studies?that captured innovative approaches to reform in the local government landscape

Suffolk County Council Cumberland Council Southampton City Council Luton Borough Council Middlesbrough Council Sarah-Joy Lewis

Energy and climate action

Advancing renewable energy and tackling climate change are central to our work:

• we launched the?updated Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool, empowering councils to track and reduce their carbon footprint
• we delivered significant energy savings through the?Re:fit energy performance framework, which also reduced CO2 emissions across public sector estates
• we achieved collective success with collaborative projects like the?Welsh Government’s EV initiative, which saved ￡1 million and has?increased?EV?ownership?across Welsh councils

Kristy Spindler Rachel Toresen-Owuor, MEI Huw Russell

Zero waste and recycling reforms

In recycling and waste services we focus on moving towards the goal of a zero waste society:

• we celebrated Wales’ ranking as the second highest recycling nation globally and were proud to have played a part in supporting this achievement
• we hosted a?webinar?on data-driven waste services, demonstrating how councils can leverage data for better decision-making?
• take a look at our collection of new case studies?in our zero waste work

Hattie Parke FCIWM Andrew Gore

Commercialisation and innovation

To drive financial sustainability and innovation, we focus on enhancing councils’ commercial capabilities.

• we delivered workshops and launched the CEO Blueprint, which can help local authority leaders adopt structured approaches to commercial activity

Looking ahead

In 2025, our focus will be on?expanding our place initiatives?including housing and homelessness, supporting councils in?devolution reforms?and continuing to deliver?capacity and capability.? ?

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.

If you’d like to learn more about our work or explore how we can support your goals in 2025, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Email [email protected] or contact us through our website.?

Adele Gritten Keith Fraser Bridget Goddard-Birkett Julie Greene McEver Caroline Hampden-White Tom Marshall Victoria Camp Vicky Kingston Jenny Coombs Ruby Ellis Paige Cherrington Max Brooker Huw Russell David Crowe Natalia Silver Davina Nandhra Anthony Lawson MBA MSc BEng (Hons) Julian German Emma Lam Emma Bull Sarah Wilkinson MSc BA MIEMA CEnv #Sustainability, #AffordableHousing, #CouncilInnovation #ClimateResponse, #EnergyEfficiency, #CircularEconomy, #LocalGovernment, #DevolutionReforms, #CommunityImpact, #GreenInitiatives, #WasteReduction, #CarbonAccounting, #PublicSectorTransformation, #HousingSolutions, #NetZero