First the good news, and that’s the poll from ICM which shows the Liberal Democrats up 4% to 16%. OK, so it’s only one poll but it’s a start.

On to other news:

In today’s Times, 115 Liberal Democrat councillors have called for the scrapping of plans for Police and Crime Commissioners. You can read more about the story at LocalGov, thereby saving you having to pay News International for the privilege of reading the story.

The government has announced plans for a coastal communities fund using money raised through the Crown Estates. This will allow people to bid for funds to support economic development along our coasts.

Andrew Stunell has written for Liberal Democrat Voice about the government’s plans to relocalise business rates and and at Huffington Post UK about the government’s first boost to social housing in over 30 years.

Around the country,

Hertfordshire County Council’s Conservative Deputy Leader says what he really thinks about consulting and involving local residents on issues “in local government, there’s a feeling you’ve got to involve the public. I think perhaps we try to involve the public for too long.”

In news from Liverpool, the Liberal Democrats there are leading the charge in trying to curb Labour’s gravy train of allowances at Merseytravel, the local Integrated Transport Authority.

Within the Liberal Democrats,

Linda Jack joins the debate on the reform of public services and Peter Downes writes about the overspend on academies.

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days: 

You've probably noticed there has been some news recently about News International ..... The story is changing by the hour, but here are some specific Lib Dem angles: 

In The Guardan's Comment is Free, Julian Astle writes: Phone-hacking scandal shows why Britain needs the Liberal Democrats

Here's Nick Clegg's speech on the future of the media in full (from Lib Dem Voice) and here's the full text of a letter sent by Simon Hughes, Tim Farron and Don Foster to Rupert Murdoch.

Elsewhere in the news:

Chris Huhne: We must invest in energy to keep lights on (BBC Video)

Cheques Saved as banks fail to come up with suitable alternative (Daily Mail)

In local Government (all from the MJ):

Welsh councils told to review school plans

Council asks residents to carry out waste collections (Rossendale)

Birmingham on course to slash carbon emissions

And elsewhere:

James Morris MP: We mustn't sub-contract "niceness" to the Lib Dems (Conservative Home)

And Friend's of the Earth's report on how we can halve the amount amount of waste we produce: Talking half as much rubbish 

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

This week saw two big bits of news from the government (if you ignore the drama of The News of the World).

The first was the publication of the Dilnot Report on adult social care which you can read about on the BBC, which Paul Burstow MP wrote about on Liberal Democrat Voice.

The other was hidden news but one that many Liberal Democrats will be very pleased with, which is the government surpassing the target to cut carbon emissions by 10%.  A good sign that this government may well meet its aim to be the greenest ever.

In the local government world:

The voluntary sector is urging the government to press ahead with plans to allow local communities and the third sector to take over the running of local services.

In Edinburgh, the Liberal Democrat led administration is pressing ahead with plans to complete the first phase of their new tram system.

The government is planning to make more information available on schools, hospitals, GPs and the courts as part of a drive for more transparency.

With police commissioner elections looking likely for next May, it's worth considering Theresa May's claim that reforming the police could save £2.2 billion.

Funds of over £1 million are to be spent to help support the development of the new council Health and Wellbeing Boards.

A government commissioned report is also calling on more early intervention to help improve the lives of children from deprived areas.

News from the rest of the world of politics includes a plan by Scottish Labour to make sure that all their council candidates undertake a minimum amount of canvassing or face deselection.  The original story was in The Times (£), but you can read more on ConservativeHome.  This is also linked to a plan to rebrand Scottish Labour as the 'Irn-Bru of modern politics'.

Finally, welcome news to the many Liberal Democrat councillors faced with the same issue is news from ConservativeHome that Eric Pickles is to look in to the demand by the Information Commissioner that councillors should have to register as a data controller.

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

There’s been a range of good bits of news for Liberal Democrats in both national and local government.

Firstly, the government has proposed that local councils should be able to keep the business rates generated from their area whilst also promising that no councils will lose out financially. A good bit of localising taxation that we support:

The Independent has also covered ‘community budgets’ as another part of our pledge to help local areas operate services more successfully: 

The Government has also announced that all new burdens on local government (PDF) must be properly assessed to ensure they are fully funded by the relevant government department. More details from the Department of Communities and Local Government:

Finally, there is the announcement that the coalition government has created more apprenticeships in its first year than expected:

In other news, the Boundary Commission for England has produced its booklet explaining how it will conduct the review of parliamentary constituency boundaries (PDF).

Plus, Alex Feakes explains on Lib Dem Voice why LEA governors are under threat.

In other local government news:

The BBC reports how many Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors oppose the cuts in housing benefits.

Could council libraries do better at providing internet access?

Controversially, Wyre Council in Lancashire has scrapped Local Area Forums due to poor attendance and focused instead on existing community organisations.

In Scotland, a bursary scheme has been created for the children of armed forces personnel killed in action.

And in Wales, £6million has been shared between various organisations to help them run more efficiently whilst providing good public services:

In other news, the Evening Standard has news on a report that shows how few younger people understand how university tuition funding works but on a more positive note it’s worth reading this from MoneySavingExpert that explains the merits of the new system and how it works.

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

This week there have been a few stories in the local government world that Lib Dems should know about. Firstly, there's the good news that the proposal for ‘shadow mayors’ for the 12 biggest cities in England has been scrapped, although plans for referendums next year will still go ahead.  The Local Government Chronicle has produced a report that looks at how social enterprises will change the way public services are provided in the future.  Michael Gove has set out new targets for GCSE results and pledged that under-performing primary schools should become academies.  On Lib Dem Voice an anonymous local government officer writes about the changes the government is making to the planning system.  In Wales, discussion continues on whether the country should go down from 22 councils to just seven.

In Liberal Democrat news, Cllr Iain Roberts writes about the party’s new data management system in ‘Thank you EARS, but the VAN is coming’.  There is also more in the latest edition of ALDC’s Campaigner magazine.  In Cornwall there was good news as a senior Conservative councillor joined the Liberal Democrats, whilst in Christchurch in Dorset, one of our councillors went in the other direction.

In a quick run down of news from Liberal Democrats around the country.  The BBC looks at how Lib Dem run Burnley has improved since the riots of ten years ago, including a visit from Vince Cable!  Lib Dems in Hampshire have hit out at plans by the Conservative county council to cut Sure Start centres whilst employing a 'broadband tsar' on an £85,000 salary.  In Malvern Hills, the Lib Dems have condemned the Conservative council's decision to not involve councillors in their new development framework before it is published.

Finally, we will have more news and photos from last weekend's Local Government Conference on our website soon.  But to whet your appetite, over at Freedom Central you can read the speech given by the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams AM, at the Local Government Dinner on the Friday night.