"It is still early days, but we hope that a partnership between the council and private company would allow us to secure the significant new investment needed to raise the standards of our property portfolio, " he said.

BBC: Anglesey council examines private firm plan for repairs

The plan would have seen the council and trust working with a private company to centralise certain services, including IT support and payments.

BBC: Tower Block at the Royal Cornwall Hospital

Any private company tempted to bid for a contract from a local council, meanwhile, will have subtly different priorities.

BBC: Sexual healthcare 'at risk from NHS changes'

The move means hundreds of Cornwall Council and NHS staff will be transferred to the private company.

BBC: County Hall in Truro

The primary concern, per the Fast Company article, is that the U.S. Green Building Council is a private organization and has no governmental oversight but these mandates are actually laws that must be followed.

FORBES: Energy-hogging LEED-certified buildings cause concern

There will also be important Opposition amendments to restrict the rights of corporate organisations to sue for defamation and seeking to extend the current restrictions on local councils suing for defamation (recent events at Rutland County Council were raised at committee stage) and also to extend them to any private company providing public services.

BBC: Week ahead