Infrastructure | LocalGov


Climate change due to wreak havoc on properties 30/04/2025 More than six million properties in England are in areas that are at risk of flooding, the Climate Change Committee has warned.
Council to roll out 6,000 chargers across Suffolk 11/04/2025 Suffolk CC is set to deliver around 6,000 new public electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the county to support residents make the transition to EVs.
Government backs £30m Doncaster airport investment 10/04/2025 The Government has backed the decision by the South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard to invest £30m to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Godstone sinkhole residents able to return home 27/03/2025 Most of the residents of a Surrey village affected by a huge sinkhole are now able to return to their homes, the council has confirmed.
Believ to install 22 charge points across Redcar and Cleveland 12/03/2025 Charge point operator, Believ, is rolling out electric vehicle (EV) charge points across Redcar and Cleveland.
PAC: Inequalities risk being ‘baked into’ charge point roll-out 12/03/2025 Regional divides and inequalities risk being ‘baked into’ the roll-out of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, MPs have warned.
CCN: Planning legislation would ‘dilute’ local oversight 11/03/2025 Legislation aimed at speeding up planning decisions would ‘dilute’ the role of councillors on planning committees, warns the County Council Network (CCN).
Lancashire councillors agree £28m for pothole repairs 10/03/2025 Lancashire councillors have earmarked nearly £28m to repair potholes as part of a larger investment in the county’s highways infrastructure over the next year.
Is enough being done to meet the 1.5m housing target? 28/02/2025 Jonathan Pearson, director of Residentially, asks if the Government is doing enough to meet its 1.5 million new homes target.
AI and the Pothole Crisis: Learning from 'Down Under’ 04/02/2025 Leo Hanna, executive vice president UK at TechnologyOne, looks at what the UK can learn from Australia when it comes to using AI to identify potholes.
UK reaches 70,000 public EV charge points 08/01/2025 There are more than 70,000 public charging devices for electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK, according to mapping service Zapmap.
'Carbon bomb' warning adds to relief road woes 24/12/2024 Shropshire has shrugged off an estimate of the carbon impact of a road scheme by increasing the budget and timescale for its pledge to offset emissions.
Summer riots linked to ‘torn social fabric’ 03/12/2024 The majority of towns that saw rioting over the summer after the stabbing attack in Southport have a ‘torn social fabric’, a charitable trust has said.
Reeves to call for consolidation of £354bn council pension funds 11/11/2024 Rachel Reeves is set to announce plans to encourage consolidation among local government pension funds to reduce costs and boost infrastructure investment.
Solace: Underfunding councils ‘ultimate false economy’ 14/10/2024 Failing to properly fund councils is ‘the ultimate false economy’ because it forces them to make ‘repugnant’ cuts which lead to greater problems in the future.
Housing targets ‘weaken local decision making’, LGA warns 03/10/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns that mandatory housebuilding targets for councils centralise policy and weaken local decision making.
Building costs may exceed house prices in 60 council areas 01/10/2024 The cost of building a home may be higher than house prices in up to 60 UK local authority areas, according to new research.
Councils warn over ‘excessive’ housing targets 27/09/2024 Councils in county and rural areas have raised fears that ‘excessive’ new housing targets could leave them at the mercy of speculative development.
PSM Level Transmitters - helping to safeguard vehicle safety in regional gateway tunnel 13/09/2024 The River Medway and its estuary is a major asset for Kent and over the past 28 years, a key driver in the successful regeneration of the Rochester and Chatham riverfronts.
John Lewis submits plans for £80m Reading housing scheme 04/09/2024 The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has submitted plans to Reading Borough Council to build new rental housing on the site of a disused town centre depot.
Half of councils still without EV charging plan 29/08/2024 More than half of UK councils do not have an on-street residential charging strategy for electric vehicles (EVs), new research has found.
Devon County Council helps electrify one million miles of road 29/08/2024 Devon County Council’s network of public electric vehicle chargers have electrified over one million miles of road travel two years since installation.
Huge variation in on-street EV charger provision 27/08/2024 A new report has revealed significant disparities between council areas in electric vehicle (EV) charging provision for EV owners without off-street parking.
Row over collapse of legal action 22/08/2024 Proposed legal action over the Government granting planning permission for a large-scale solar farm has collapsed, provoking an angry reaction from two councils.
Lucy Electric and Lucy Zodion Collaborate on InstaVolt's Latest Rapid EV Charging Site 21/08/2024 Lucy Electric and Lucy Zodion announce their collaboration with InstaVolt on a rapid EV charging site at Camphill Village Trust's Taurus Crafts location.
UK Infrastructure Bank agrees £17m loan for council’s net zero projects 14/08/2024 The UK Infrastructure Bank has announced a £17m loan facility to West Suffolk Council to deliver a programme of net zero projects.
DCN calls for more powers to hit housing targets 08/08/2024 Councils need more powers and funding to address empty and stalled sites if ministers are to achieve their housing aims, the District Councils' Network (DCN) has said.
South East leaders vent fury over mandatory housing targets 06/08/2024 Leaders of five shire councils in the South East have criticised the Government's move to reintroduce mandatory housing targets.
Cost of refurbishment scheme doubles to £40m 25/07/2024 Plans to refurbish and retrofit five council-owned housing blocks in Kent have more than doubled in price since they were agreed last year.
LGPS reform could unlock £40bn of infrastructure investment 24/07/2024 Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) could unlock £40bn of investment for infrastructure, an insurance company has estimated.
What councils need to boost EV charge point roll-out 02/07/2024 Shaun Quirk, the chief operating officer at charge point operator Believ, explains why the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charge point roll-out has stalled and how he hopes the next government can support local authorities to scale up delivery.
NextGov: Resolving the housing crisis 28/06/2024 The Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) policy and external affairs manager, Laura Markus, discusses what the next government should do to tackle the housing crisis.
Planning officer boost needed to meet parties' housing goals 21/06/2024 A major boost to planning department resources would be needed to meet the housebuilding aims of any of the main parties, experts have said this week.
NextGov: What the next government should do for public EV charging 20/06/2024 Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, looks at what the next government should do to boost the roll-out of EV charge points.
LGTAG guidance on home EV charging 19/06/2024 The Local Government Technical Advisers Group (LGTAG) has published new guidance on charging private electric vehicles (EV) on the public highway.
Questions raised over funding for housebuilding pledges 19/06/2024 A think-tank has warned that a lack of cash for affordable housing will make political parties’ ambitious housebuilding targets difficult to achieve.
Norfolk opposes 184km pylon scheme 14/06/2024 Councillors in Norfolk have objected to a National Grid proposal to construct an electricity transmission line across three counties.
260,000 social homes lost in a decade 10/06/2024 More than a quarter of a million social housing homes have been lost in England in the last ten years, analysis of government statistics has found.
Government advisers urge overhaul of infrastructure funding 16/05/2024 Councils should be given more funding to play a greater role in developing infrastructure projects, according to Government advisers.
Council faces court over busway deaths 10/05/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council has been served a court summons over three fatalities in separate incidents on its troubled guided busway.
‘Bleak’ future for social housing without investment 07/05/2024 Without extra funding, the future of England's social housing looks ‘bleak’, council bosses have warned.
Think-tank calls for regeneration funding overhaul 07/05/2024 Councils should be able to hold a regeneration account to more efficiently allocate capital for regeneration projects, a think-tank has argued.
Councils cut back housebuilding plans 03/05/2024 New research has found that 15 local authorities have recently cut the number of homes they intend to build over the next decade by at least 10%.
A40 park and ride site built – with no road to access it 23/04/2024 Oxfordshire County Council has almost finished work on an 850-space park and ride site, but delays mean it will not be in use for years.
Officers recommend refusal of Birmingham skyscraper plans 18/04/2024 Plans for a 42-storey skyscraper in Birmingham city centre have been recommended for refusal over heritage concerns.
Nottingham members back new Trent bridge 18/04/2024 Nottingham councillors have given the green light to what will be the first new crossing built over the River Trent in the city in more than 60 years.
Council charges for ‘fast-track’ planning service 03/04/2024 Residents in Epsom and Ewell can pay to have planning applications decided faster as part of a new council service.
Oxfordshire signs first scheme under new 'brownfield fund' 28/03/2024 Oxfordshire County Council is the first local authority to secure project funding through Homes England's Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) Fund.
Norfolk caught in bitter battle over bats 27/03/2024 A council leader has launched an attack on Natural England after the environment watchdog effectively blocked a £274m road scheme due to its impact on bats.
VolkerFitzpatrick wins £38m Kent viaduct project 26/03/2024 Kent County Council has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to design and build a highway crossing over a rail line and river near Canterbury.
'Grave concerns' over phone switchover 22/03/2024 UK mayors have expressed ‘grave concerns’ about the impact on vulnerable people of the planned phase out of the analogue phone system.
EV charge point rollout gets £185m boost 21/03/2024 Forty-four local authorities are set to receive a share of £185m to help accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
ALARM: Pothole-riddled roads need £16bn investment 19/03/2024 The condition of roads in England and Wales has continued to decline despite councils spending £143.5m filling in two million potholes this financial year.
Progress stalls on EV charge points 05/03/2024 Many local authorities have fallen significantly behind on their electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure plans, new research has found.
Councils support HS2 ‘green route’ 26/02/2024 A new active travel route from Birmingham to Coventry along the HS2 line is a ‘no brainer’, West Midlands mayor Andy Street has said.
£34m council land sale set for High Court 20/02/2024 The High Court will consider whether to review Hertfordshire County Council’s sale of a former airfield to a rail freight company.
‘Brownfield first’ reforms unveiled 14/02/2024 Councils in England will be told to prioritise brownfield development and be ‘less bureaucratic’ in their approach to building on previously developed land.
UK risks being stuck in EV ‘slow lane’ 06/02/2024 Government must do more to speed up the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) if it is to reach net zero, including extending charging infrastructure support.
Nearly 70% of EV owners unhappy with public chargers 01/02/2024 Nearly 70% of electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicle owners who have used the UK’s public charging network have said they are unhappy with it.
Local plan review process ‘ineffective’ 18/01/2024 Reform is urgently required to improve the local plan review process and increase the number of up-to-date plans, according to new research.
EVs only ‘part of the solution’, public health directors warn 03/01/2024 Directors of public health have welcomed the Government’s zero emission vehicle mandate but warned electric vehicles are ‘just part of the solution’.
Review of 2023: a year in planning 20/12/2023 Karen Charles, executive director, Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group), takes a look back at developments in planning policy over the last year.
Skills shortage ‘putting brakes’ on net zero 12/12/2023 The skills shortage is undermining efforts to reduce carbon emissions and effectively tackle the climate crisis, local authority leaders in London have warned.
£150k charging investment to support Hull’s EV transition 08/12/2023 Hull City Council has announced that it will invest £150,000 in new electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Gov announces £70m charge point pilot 06/12/2023 The Government has launched a £70m pilot scheme to boost the rollout of ultra-rapid electric vehicle charge points in motorway service areas.
Tidal barrage could be new Wirral-Liverpool link 30/11/2023 A tidal barrage across the Mersey could provide a new link between Wirral and Liverpool, according to a report.
Autumn Statement: Councils to be able to recover planning costs 22/11/2023 Councils will be able to recover the costs of business planning applications in return for being required to meet faster timelines, Chancellor says.
Levelling Up Fund allocated 20/11/2023 The third round of the Levelling Up Fund has been awarded to unsuccessful bids from round two.
Autumn Statement 2023: Where does all the HS2 money go now? 20/11/2023 Jessica Bowles, director of strategic partnerships and impact at Bruntwood, discusses the future of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
New Bradford station 'one step closer' with £400k award 14/11/2023 The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded Bradford Council £400,000 ‘to kickstart master planning’ on a new railway station.
Places must adapt for ageing population, says Whitty 13/11/2023 Places and infrastructure must be adapted to support an ageing population, particularly in rural areas, according to England's chief medical officer.
Commission calls for £30bn public infrastructure investment 18/10/2023 Government should invest £30bn a year into public infrastructure to level up struggling areas and tackle climate change, says infrastructure commission.
Local authority pension schemes invest £330m in renewables 13/10/2023 Six local authority pension schemes have agreed a multi-million-pound deal to invest in renewables projects in the southwest.
Labour to tackle 'antiquated planning system' 09/10/2023 Labour has pledged to overhaul the planning system in a bid to ease the progress of infrastructure projects.
Sinkhole swallows up bin lorry 06/10/2023 An investigation has been launched after a refuse collection vehicle in North Wales was partially swallowed up by a sinkhole.
Place directors under ‘immense pressure’ publish strategic objectives 03/10/2023 Place directors have called for action on planning, infrastructure and the environment, including a financial regime enabling councils to build more affordable and ‘climate-ready’ homes.
County areas behind on EV charging 28/09/2023 The number of publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charge points in England’s county and rural areas lags ‘far behind’ major towns and cities, according to a report.
Cornwall exceeds EV charger installation target 26/09/2023 Cornwall has installed 184 electric vehicle charge points as part of a plan aimed to improve coverage in rural parts of the county.
Unions call for £4bn investment in school estate 26/09/2023 In response to the RAAC crisis, trade unions have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to invest £4.4bn per year to improve the school estate.
Increasing number of high-rises causing ‘longstanding harm’ 12/09/2023 A heritage charity has called for a rethink on the proliferation of high-rise buildings across Manchester.
Ministers fear public building disruption after school closures 07/09/2023 Some ministers fear disruption and huge costs if public buildings with RAAC are held to the standards the Department for Education set by closing schools.
Manchester charges forward with 200 EV connectors 05/09/2023 Plans to install 200 electric vehicle charging connectors in Manchester are gathering pace as the city council looks to help residents switch to cleaner cars.
Gloucestershire to roll out 1,000 EV chargers 24/08/2023 Gloucestershire County Council is set to begin the rollout of 1,000 electric vehicle charging points at the end of this month.
Majority of councils do not have on-street EV charging strategy 15/08/2023 More than 70% of local authorities do not have a published strategy in place for residential on-street charging for electric vehicles (EV).
MPs launch electric vehicle (EV) inquiry 09/08/2023 An inquiry into electric vehicles (EVs) has today been launched to help the Government better understand how the UK will reach net zero.
Pace of EV charger installation by councils a ‘real concern’ 31/07/2023 Poor investment at a local level means private investment will be required to meet a target to install 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030, law firm says.
Harlow Council seeks injunction over missing community facilities 27/07/2023 Harlow Council said it has applied for an injunction against the three housebuilders of a new development who have failed to provide community facilities.
The River Thames Scheme: infrastructure to deliver a greener future 26/07/2023 Carolyn McKenzie, director of Environment at Surrey County Council, discusses how the River Thames Scheme will respond to the challenges of climate change.
Government concessions over infrastructure levy 19/07/2023 The Government has offered concessions on its planned infrastructure levy in the face of opposition from the House of Lords.
Thames Water fined millions over roadwork problems 03/07/2023 London councils fined Thames Water more than £12m for late or badly managed roadworks over a five-year period, according to data obtained by the Green Party.
Car park design in the 21st century 16/06/2023 Chris Whapples, Institution of Structural Engineers, looks at what local authorities need to consider when thinking about parking standards.
Scrap proposed infrastructure levy, council chiefs say 16/06/2023 Council leaders, developers, and others have written to levelling up secretary Michael Gove criticising the Government’s proposed infrastructure levy.
London boroughs agree first infrastructure framework 17/05/2023 All 33 local authorities across London have agreed an infrastructure framework on a cross-party, pan-London basis for the first time.
Number of public EV charge points up 3,000 05/05/2023 The number of public electric vehicle (EV) charge points increased by over 3,000 in the first quarter of this year, up 8% compared to the start of January.
Energy Efficient High Mast Lighting for UK City of Culture 25/04/2023 CU Phosco work with Balfour Beatty to replace Coventry’s high mast lighting, saving 30% energy with a payback period of less than four years.
Planning system 'holding back' major infrastructure projects 19/04/2023 The planning system is holding back the building of major infrastructure projects, according to a new Government-commissioned report.
Hackney Council to roll-out 2,500 chargers 30/03/2023 Hackney Council has signed a contract with charging specialists Zest to provide and operate its charge point roll-out of 2,500 fast and slow chargers.
DfT shaves local funding from £400m charge point announcement 30/03/2023 Ministers appear to have cut Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding to local authorities by tens of millions over the next two years.
Austerity made country poorer, think tank says 30/03/2023 The UK’s long-term failure to invest in transport, housing, healthcare and local services has made Britain poorer, according to the Resolution Foundation.
Surrey CC begins roll-out of record 10,000 EV chargers 23/03/2023 EV owners in Surrey will soon have access to 10,000 public chargers as the council announces the largest deployment of charge points by a UK local authority.