Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Council considers feeding pigeons contraceptives
02/02/2026 Norwich City Council is considering feeding contraceptives to the local pigeons in an effort to reduce the number of birds in the city’s central market. |
Councillors fear pest issues amid discovery of colossal rat
05/08/2025 A vermin case involving a 22-inch rat found in a Normanby home has raised concerns about a council’s pest control management. |
Brum pauses charges for rat infestations
22/04/2025 Birmingham City Council has temporarily waived charges for residents who require help with rat infestations during the bin strikes. |
Councils spend £40m fighting ‘ratflation’
09/04/2025 Local authority pest control services made nearly 300,000 visits to people’s homes to deal with pest infestations last year at a cost of £40m. |
Scotland’s bin strikes will create ‘playground for pests’
04/07/2024 Residents in council areas that will be affected by the summer bin strikes in Scotland have been asked to take ‘reasonable steps’ to avoid attracting pests. |
Councils see dramatic rise in bedbug call-outs
05/04/2024 Local authorities saw a surge in pest control call-outs for bedbugs last year with freedom of information requests revealing they increased by a quarter. |
Public support more focus on poor health causes
02/10/2023 The Government should invest more in public health to address the roots of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). |
Lockdown causing rat populations to surge in inner city residential areas
27/01/2021 The number of rat infestations in the most deprived inner-city areas increased by 25% last year, according to new figures. |
Pest Managed: Firmly on the radar in Winchester
05/07/2019 Environmental Health at Winchester City Council responds to our recent article Marking World Pest Day with a targeted campaign to local authorities. |
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Councils face calls to ban 'dangerous' weedkiller
14/08/2018 Councils are facing calls to ban the use of a controversial weedkiller after a landmark legal decision in the US. |
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Pest awareness in local government
20/07/2018 Dee Ward-Thompson outlines some of the main issues facing councils in pest control, and gives insight into a pioneering scheme from one local authority. |
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Getting into a lather over weed control
22/01/2018 Lewes District Council has been trialling the use of an eco-friendly hot foam weed killer as an alternative to traditional pesticides. Laura Sharman reports on the results. |
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Thousands of rare bees exterminated after council error
28/06/2017 A Welsh council has launched an investigation after a mistake led to thousands of rare bees being wiped out. |
