English councils free to adopt four-day week after government drops concerns

Cambridgeshire trial found workers' performance improved and staff turnover fell, while London Underground also plans to introduce four-day week option

Councils will have the right to adopt a four-day working week after the government dropped concerns raised by the Conservatives when they were in power.

For more than a year, South Cambridgeshire district council has defied Conservative opposition to its policy to introduce a four-day working week, after a controversial 15-month trial indicated in March that the performance of its workers mostly improved or remained the same, while the council simultaneously saved more than 370,000 in a year.

Staff turnover fell by 39%, helping save 371,500 in a year, mostly on agency staff costs.

Regular household planning applications were decided about a week and a half earlier.

Approximately 15% more major planning application decisions were completed within the correct timescale.

The time taken to process changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit claims fell.