Councils threatened with direction to stop them publishing fortnightly newspapers

Three more London boroughs have been warned that the Communities Secretary intends to stop them from publishing fortnightly newspapers.

In a written ministerial statement Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins said Eric Pickles was minded to exercise his powers under the Local Government Act 1986 (as amended by the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014) and order Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest councils to comply with the March 2011 Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

The code states that local authorities should not publish or commission newsletters, news sheets or similar communications more than quarterly.

Hopkins said: “In reaching these conclusions, the Secretary of State has carefully considered the representations each of these councils has made in response to a notice given to it on 25 September 2014 of a proposed direction relating to frequency of publication of council newsletters, newssheets or similar publications.

“He has also considered other information available to him about each of the three councils’ publicity, and had regard to an equality statement about enforcing the 2011 Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.”

Each of the three councils has 14 days to make written representations to the Communities Secretary about the proposed direction. The Secretary of State will then make a final decision on whether to issue such a direction.

Hopkins said a small number of local authorities continued to publish local authority newspapers, “which given their frequency of publication, can push out and undermine [the] independent press”.

Earlier this month the Royal Borough of Greenwich became the first local authority to be served with a direction under the 1986 Act. This required the council to publish no more than four issues of its Greenwich Time in the 12 months from 31 March 1995.

Greenwich was “also barred from outsourcing or contracting for the publication of any weekly newsletter, newssheet or similar communication by a third party to whom the council may make payment”.

The council will consider a report on the matter at its next Cabinet meeting.