VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Mayor of London unveils ‘ambitious’ green belt plans
09/05/2025 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced plans to build tens of thousands of new homes on green belt land despite his previous opposition to green belt developments |
Councils at liberty to sell school land, Rayner says
01/05/2025 Local authorities across England are allowed to sell off playing fields to help close budget gaps, Angela Rayner says. |
Councils could be forbidden from using destructive pesticides in parks
25/04/2025 MPs will today debate a proposal that could see the use of 'toxic' weedkillers by councils banned. |
Council green lights Spurs park plans
13/02/2025 Enfield councillors have approved an application from Tottenham Hotspur for a new women’s training facility in a public park. |
Gardeners face eviction from 100-year-old allotment
14/10/2024 More than 60 gardeners are facing eviction from land in Somerset that has been an allotment site for over 100 years. |
APSE: Parks under threat from cuts
14/10/2024 Parks and green spaces across the country are under threat from council funding cuts, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) has warned. |
Councils invited to bid for nature funding
02/10/2024 Local authorities across the UK have been invited to apply for grants to improve access to nature and green spaces in urban areas. |
Council loses £600k buying back land it sold ‘wrongly’
02/05/2024 Shrewsbury Town Council has spent £1.34m buying back land it had ‘wrongly’ deemed ‘surplus to requirements’. |
Green Liverpool projects win European funding
08/04/2024 Greening projects designed to complement new active travel routes in Liverpool will be funded by a European climate grant worth almost £80,000. |
Two-thirds of councils to cut neighbourhood services
27/02/2024 Community services will have to be ‘drastically scaled back’ or cut altogether without further funding for councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Brighton U-turns on pesticide use
25/01/2024 The use of a controversial pesticide will be reintroduced by Brighton and Hove City Council less than five years after it pledged to become ‘pesticide free’. |
City Hall to decide on Wimbledon expansion plans
23/01/2024 The Mayor of London’s office has called in a controversial planning application to expand Wimbledon’s tennis grounds. |
London council launches green investment scheme
17/11/2023 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council is inviting residents and businesses to invest in green projects across the borough. |
‘Strong correlation’ between poverty and shortage of green space
16/10/2023 There is a ‘strong correlation’ between deprivation and a lack of green space, a new report into Local Green Spaces (LGS) has found. |
Recycled soil used to create Liverpool’s largest park
08/08/2023 Liverpool City Council has used recycled soil from a former landfill site to create one of the largest transformed urban green spaces in England. |
Council ‘disappointed’ by planning decision
06/06/2023 Wiltshire Council has said it is ‘disappointed’ at the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to override the council's rejection of a planning application. |
Leicestershire hits 250,000 tree planting milestone
02/06/2023 An environment plan in Leicestershire has reached a milestone with 250,000 trees now planted throughout the county. |
Council unveils plans to make Carlisle ‘more vibrant’
01/06/2023 Cumberland Council has unveiled plans to make Carlisle city centre ‘more vibrant and welcoming’. |
Why green belt expansion requires a strategic review
25/05/2023 Ian Barnett, national land director, Leaders Romans Group (LRG) argues that a strategic approach can expand the green belt and deliver more houses. |
Green belt building could deliver 150,000 new homes
25/05/2023 Plans by the Labour Party to allow building on green belt land could result in more than 150,000 new homes, analysis has suggested. |
Toxic ‘chemical cocktails’ discovered in rivers
24/05/2023 A toxic concoction of ‘chemical cocktails’ have been detected at over 1,600 river and other freshwater sites across England, wildlife charities have found. |
Boosting urban biodiversity with new innovations in green infrastructure
24/04/2023 Cities play a critical role in addressing biodiversity loss. Alexander Ilsink, Mobilane, looks at how to maximise the potential of green infrastructure. |
Council and HS2 at loggerheads over tree felling
31/03/2023 Buckinghamshire council has served a tree preservation order on HS2 Ltd after discovering that the company was cutting down trees in a SSSI. |
Council seeks legal advice after minister green lights solar farm
29/03/2023 Telford & Wrekin Council is taking ‘urgent legal advice’ over the Government’s decision to allow a new solar farm to go-ahead despite local opposition. |
Green gatekeepers: How local authorities are creating sustainable cities
14/11/2022 Steve McIntyre outlines how local authorities are leading the green charge to welcome nature back into cities. |
Cities require urgent rethink, study says
18/10/2022 Britain’s cities require urgent transformation, including more green spaces and public transport, if the country is to meet its net zero targets, study says. |
Government urged to reform Green Belt policy
16/09/2022 The Government has been urged to reform the Green Belt policy as new figures reveal there has been an increase in protected green areas. |
Council wins High Court case to protect ‘green spaces’
02/08/2022 Worthing Borough Council has welcomed a decision by the High Court to rule against plans to build 475 homes, which it argues would spoil its ‘green spaces’. |
One in five children at risk of obesity
19/05/2022 Government should help provide more affordable leisure opportunities, council chiefs say as study reveals children are not getting enough exercise. |
Green space provision should be central to levelling up, charity says
18/05/2022 The amount of green space per person is lower in areas that the Government is targeting as part of the levelling up agenda than it is elsewhere, study reveals. |
Mental health impacted by decline in green space
05/05/2022 Green space provision around housing developments has dramatically declined over the last century with negative consequences for mental health, research finds. |
Green spaces provide £25.6bn of ‘welfare value’ every year, study finds
04/05/2022 A new study has shown that parks and green spaces in England and Wales provide adults with £25.6bn of ‘welfare value’ each year. |
Why local authorities need to re-think the role of urban farming in their planning
07/04/2022 New evidence from urban areas has shown that any space used for growing food provides all kinds of benefits to the eco-system and people's health. Dr Dan Evans reports. |
Council wins planning case against unauthorised caravan site
06/04/2022 Cheshire East Council has won a planning appeal in the case of an unauthorised caravan site set up on green belt land. |
Government proposes new targets to protect environment
17/03/2022 New legal targets on air quality, nutrient pollution and water quality have been proposed by the Government as part of its Environment Act. |
The greenfield / brownfield debate
20/12/2021 David Churchill, partner, Carter Jonas London examines the ongoing greenfield / brownfield debate. |
Over 20,000 green spaces on ‘endangered list’
17/11/2021 Over 20,000 parks and green spaces are at risk of being lost to building development, a charity has warned. |
Record number of parks achieve Green Flag Award
14/10/2021 Over 2,000 parks and green spaces across the UK have received a Green Flag Award for 2021. |
Young people urged to 'reclaim' their parks
09/09/2021 Young people often feel unwelcome in parks and other green spaces, a charity has warned. |
Study warns of 'dramatic' increase in Japanese Knotweed cases
06/09/2021 The number of confirmed Japanese Knotweed cases in the UK have increased by 28% over the last five years , a new study has revealed. |
Public call on councils to do more to protect the natural environment
19/07/2021 Only a third of the UK public think local government is doing enough to protect and enhance the natural environment, a report has revealed today. |
Calls to invest £1bn a year in wild spaces to boost public’s health
04/06/2021 A new report has called for an urgent £1bn per year funding package to restore nature at scale. |
Green space 'not equally accessible to all' index reveals
27/05/2021 The most deprived communities tend to have the less access to green spaces, an annual report has found. |
Landowner sentenced to jail for siting caravans on greenbelt
06/05/2021 A landowner has been given a suspended jail sentence by the High Court after siting caravans on greenbelt land in Cheshire East. |
Private outdoor space for public housing: how much is enough?
23/03/2021 Recommendations for private outdoor space standards for public housing could help local authorities optimise those benefits for residents. Paul Miller reports. |
Liverpool parks to be protected 'forever'
19/03/2021 Liverpool City Council has become the first local authority to legally protect the future of its parks and green spaces. |
Coalition publishes new vision for planning reforms
15/01/2021 The Government has been urged to rethink its ‘damaging’ reforms to the planning system and put people, climate and nature at its heart by a coalition of 18 organisations. |
Record number of spaces achieve Green Flag Awards
14/10/2020 A record number of parks and green spaces have been recognised in this year's Green Flag Awards. |
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Call for £5.5bn to level up access to urban green spaces
07/07/2020 The prime minister has been urged to invest £5.5bn to 'level up' access to urban green spaces by a coalition of councils, city leaders and charities. |
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Parks are a 'smart investment' argues new report
24/06/2020 Parks save the health service over £2bn a year making them a ‘smart investment’, according to the Parks Alliance (TPA). |
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Think tank calls for £100bn investment in the North's nature
01/06/2020 The Government has been urged by a think tank to invest up to £100bn over the next 25 years to create a plan for nature in the North of England. |
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Public parks at 'significant' risk of loss, charity warns
28/05/2020 Hundreds of thousands of people could lose their local green space in the coming years due to development, research has warned today. |
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Council mows grass in two metre 'channels' to promote social distancing
14/05/2020 Birmingham City Council has come up with an unusual way to remind people to obey social distancing rules, by mowing two metre strips into its parks and green spaces. |
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Walkers urged to find 'missing' paths before 2026 deadline
11/02/2020 There are around 10,000 miles of historic paths missing from the map in England and Wales, according to a walking charity. |
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From grey to green: The role of SuDS in Britain's green spaces
31/01/2020 Ian Geeson describes why green spaces are a key element of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and the role they play in helping Britain to avoid flooding. |
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Joint venture unlocks ‘biggest brownfield’ site in the Black Country
21/10/2019 Industrial land in Sandwell is set to be the site of a 750-home community after a deal was struck by the council and the West Midlands Combined Authority. |
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Only 10% of recent homes built on the Green Belt are 'affordable'
14/10/2019 Only one in ten homes built on land released from the Green Belt over the past decade are considered ‘affordable’, a new report has found. |
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Councils urged to only cut road verges twice a year
27/09/2019 Road verges should only be cut two times a year in order to protect wild flowers and wildlife, new guidelines have recommended. |
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New financial model needed for national parks, review says
23/09/2019 A review of the way in which green spaces are managed could see more affordable housing built in rural areas and the introduction of a new financial model for national parks. |
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Building on 'brownfield' sites at five-year low
03/06/2019 Construction on derelict land has fallen to a five-year low while development in countryside areas has increased, according to the latest figures. |
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Parks in danger of being sold, campaigners warn
23/05/2019 Campaigners are calling on local government and landowners to legally protect the parks and green spaces they own. |
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To what extent is the environment shaping national politics?
15/05/2019 Erica Popplewell explores what the local election results can tell us about concerns for the countryside and environment. |
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Play as a powerful motivator
26/04/2019 Beth Cooper explores the value of play and green places in preserving the nation’s health. |
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Brokenshire announces £13m of ‘much-needed’ park funding
18/02/2019 Councils across the country are to benefit from a multi-million pound funding boost to ‘breathe new life’ into green spaces. |
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Only a week left to enter Street Design Awards
14/02/2019 The Street Design Awards, celebrating innovation and best practice in street design schemes, have been relaunched by Local Government News magazine. |
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Majority supports new housing but only on brownfield sites, survey finds
01/02/2019 New research shows that the majority of people support the building of new homes but oppose developments being located on green field sites. |
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Councils release record 10,000 hectares of green belt for housing
05/10/2018 Record amounts of green belt land have been released for housing, according to environmenal campaigners. |
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Nearly half a million new homes to be built on Green Belt land, campaigners say
06/08/2018 Nearly half a million new homes are set to be built on land that will soon be released from the Green Belt, study shows. |
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Nearly 2,000 green spaces celebrated in Green Flag Awards
17/07/2018 From traditional parks to burial sites, a record number of green spaces have been awarded a Green Flag this year. |
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Green spaces are being lost to housing at ‘alarming rate’, campaigners say
04/06/2018 The Government’s ‘market-driven rhetoric’ is leading to the countryside being lost to housing at an ‘alarming rate’, campaigners warn. |
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Parks provide over £34bn of health benefits, report says
08/05/2018 Parks and green spaces across the UK provide people with over £34bn of health and wellbeing benefits, report says. |
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Campaigners reveal enough brownfield sites for one million homes
12/02/2018 Local authorities have identified enough brownfield land for over one million new homes, research reveals. |
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Japanese knotweed: New advice to tackle a growing problem
05/02/2018 Conor Leyden explains why new guidance can help councils to understand the issues surrounding the management of Japanese knotweed. |
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Council agrees to place parks in charitable trust
11/01/2018 Knowsley has agreed to establish a charitable trust to manage the borough’s green spaces after the scrutiny committee requested the decision be put on hold. |
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Why planning policy should be a part of the welfare state
21/12/2017 Localis' Jack Airey looks at how green belts can be made to serve the public interest through the creation of 'yellowfield registers' by councils. |
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Mayor Khan pledges to restrict building on Green Belt land
27/11/2017 Sadiq Khan has pledged to protect ‘the lungs of the capital’ as he sets out new plans to strengthen safeguards for the Green Belt. |
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Liverpool approves plans to hand parks contract to council company
27/10/2017 Liverpool City Council has approved plans to award its parks and green spaces maintenance contract to Liverpool Street Scene Services Limited. |
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Council-owned company set to take over maintenance of Liverpool’s green spaces
20/10/2017 The contract to maintain Liverpool’s green spaces is to be handed to a council-owned company which operates the refuse, recycling and street cleansing service. |
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Councils clash over green belt development proposals
06/10/2017 South Bucks council has criticised their southern neighbours in Slough for publishing proposals to build on green belt land within the former’s boundary. |
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Green belt should be developed to meet housing needs, say real estate experts
04/10/2017 Releasing green belt land for development is necessary to meet housing needs, real estate adviser argues. |
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Councils support parks research despite funding pressures
19/09/2017 Council chiefs have thrown their support behind a new Government-created group looking into the future of parks despite funding pressures. |
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£30m green belt garden given go ahead
13/06/2017 Salford’s £30m ‘historic’ garden has been given the go ahead by the Government after concerns were raised about locating it on the green belt. |
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Housing minister gives green light to controversial local plan
30/03/2017 The housing minister has given Bradford’s local plan the go ahead after a delay caused by concerns regarding Green Belt boundaries. |
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Green spaces can save NHS money, report claims
02/02/2017 Green spaces can help reduce costs for public services such as the NHS, report claims. |
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Challenging the false dichotomy between conservation and development
13/01/2017 Should councils take a more strategic approach to developing sections of Green Belt land in order to fund nature conservation? William Eichler investigates. |
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Controversial Birmingham development plan to go ahead
25/11/2016 Whitehall has given the go-ahead to Birmingham’s plans to build thousands of homes on green belt land in order to address the city’s ‘acute’ housing shortage. |
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London’s Green Belt under ‘greater threat than ever’
12/09/2016 London’s Green Belt is under ‘greater threat than ever’ despite Tory manifesto promises it would be ‘safe under us’. |
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Councils must treat planning applications for Green Belt ‘consistently’
14/07/2016 Councils must apply planning rules properly when considering applications for building on the Green Belt, the Local Government Ombudsman has warned. |
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Minister outlines how satellite data is transforming environmental protection
03/02/2016 Satellite data is now being used to protect and improve the UK’s natural environment. |
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Manhattan-style ‘pocket parks’ to be created in UK towns and cities
09/11/2015 England’s ‘unloved spaces’ will be transformed into Manhattan-style ‘pocket parks’, according to new proposals. |
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Report: Link stamp duty to energy efficiency
23/09/2015 Stamp duty should be used to ‘re-energise the energy efficiency market’ by linking it with performance and handing the proceeds to city-regions to fund incentives, according to a new report. |
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Record numbers waving the Green Flag
23/07/2015 A record number of parks and green spaces have been given the Green Flag Award this year, partly due to the scheme’s expansion into new territory. |
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Battle lines drawn over All Weather Pitch reclamation
23/07/2015 A war of words has broken out between companies specialising in the recycling and reclamation of All Weather Pitches. Ken Oxley reports. |
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Urban beauty is being restricted to the rich says think tank
23/07/2015 Green spaces and beautiful urban surroundings are the realms of the wealthy, a report by the independent think tank ResPublica reveals. |
