Politics and Policy

PM announces £800m Pride in Place expansion

05/02/2026
The Government has today announced that 40 additional areas will join the Pride in Place programme to help drive regeneration.

Politics and Policy News

Councils targeted by pro-Russia hackers

03/02/2026

Councils have been warned that they have become prime targets for Russian hackers.

Local roads to see boost from £315m highways contract

03/02/2026

Three councils have awarded a £315m highways maintenance contract to an international infrastructure group.

Report calls for slashing of London boroughs

03/02/2026

London boroughs should merge so the number of local authorities in the capital is reduced by about two-thirds, a report claimed today.

Diplomats owe £165m in unpaid congestion charges

02/02/2026

Unpaid London congestion charges owed by diplomats have hit nearly £165m, according to figures from Transport for London.

Bus services reform in Wales becomes law

02/02/2026

Legislation to reform how local bus services are delivered in Wales has received Royal Assent and become law, marking a shift in public transport policy.

Reform council chair resigns following illegal HMO operations

02/02/2026

A council chairman has resigned after being found to have unlawfully operated unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMO).

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.

District councils propose council tax freeze

02/02/2026

Lincoln City Council is the latest to join a small band of councils proposing a freeze on council tax in the coming year.

Call to bolster powers of strategic authorities

30/01/2026

Strategic authorities require more freedoms and capacity to drive growth and reform, a think-tank has urged.

Government extends £150 energy bill support

30/01/2026

The Government has confirmed that millions of families will continue to receive the £150 Warm Home Discount each winter until the end of the decade.

Council defers gas wellsite decision upon Government request

29/01/2026

North Yorkshire Council has postponed a decision on a planning application for a gas wellsite scheme.

HMO consultation to be launched in Salford following ‘concerning’ inspection results

29/01/2026

Salford City Council has announced plans to begin a consultation on implementing a citywide licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO).

Nearly half of parents are nervous about SEND system changes, poll reveals

29/01/2026

Almost 50% of parents are worried about approaching changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, research has found.

Government boosts incentive for councils to build homes

28/01/2026

Councils are to be freed up to build and manage up to 1,000 homes without having to open a Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

Eleven cities lead in living standards growth, research finds

27/01/2026

Eleven UK cities have been identified as top performers in the improvement of living standards and disposable income growth.

London’s affordable housing failing to keep pace with need

27/01/2026

The capital’s affordable housing system is failing to keep pace with need despite public investment, according to the London Assembly Housing Committee.

Council leader considers random drug tests

26/01/2026

The leader of Hertsmere Borough Council is considering introducing random drug tests for councillors.

Minister addresses council leaders on SEND reforms

26/01/2026

Minister leading reform of services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been told councils need more powers and funding.

Wolverhampton council trials smart sensors in grit bins

26/01/2026

City of Wolverhampton Council is testing new sensor technology in grit bins as part of ongoing winter work to keep residents safe.

Social housing provider secures £55m following funding freeze

26/01/2026

A social housing provider whose funding was frozen after being issued with a regulatory notice over the death of toddler Awaab Ishak has been granted £55m to deliver new homes.

TfL unveils plan to modernise London’s street network

26/01/2026

Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new five-year pan-city roadworks strategy designed to improve how the capital’s streets function.

Council secures High Court sentence over planning breaches

26/01/2026

Tewkesbury Borough Council has secured a High Court sentence after a landowner repeatedly breached planning control and a court injunction.

Tower Hamlets’ efforts to scrap LTNs prove unsuccessful

26/01/2026

Tower Hamlets Council's attempt to remove three Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) has been blocked following a court ruling.

Council leader ousted after election delay backlash

23/01/2026

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has removed its leader following political fallout over a request to postpone upcoming local elections.

Insulation scheme ‘catastrophic fiasco’, MPs say

23/01/2026

A Government-backed home insulation programme has been labelled an ‘abject failure’ by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Reed confirms elections postponed for 29 councils

22/01/2026

The Government has confirmed that elections this year will be postponed for 29 local authorities as part of the push to reorganise local government.

Peers raise council capacity concerns

22/01/2026

Questions have been raised over local government's capacity to play a role in the creation of new towns.

Council advances legal proceedings due to ‘reckless’ tree felling

22/01/2026

Enfield Council has started forfeiture proceedings against Mitchells & Butlers following the company’s partial felling of an ancient oak tree.

Reform council facing challenge of beginning from 'standing start'

21/01/2026

Durham CC’s adaptation to future challenges could be delayed due to the Reform UK leadership beginning from a ‘standing start’, a peer challenge concludes.

LGA: Councils best place to decarbonise housing

21/01/2026

Local authorities are best placed to lead the effort to decarbonise the country’s housing stock, the LGA says in response to the Warm Homes Plan announcement.

Picture remains unclear over local elections delays

21/01/2026

Uncertainty hangs over attempts to delay local elections in almost 30 councils amid a legal challenge by Reform UK.

Epsom & Ewell mulls suing leisure operator

21/01/2026

Epsom & Ewell BC has ‘retained legal expert support' as it considers suing the former operator of a leisure centre handed over needing repairs.

National conversation on neighbourhoods needed

20/01/2026

A senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has called for a national conversation over the role of councils in improving neighbourhoods.

Councils hold key to growth in 2026, study says

20/01/2026

Local government will play a decisive role in the UK’s economic performance in 2026 as business growth is shaped by support in council areas, analysis finds.

Wokingham BC drives forward 20mph speed changes

20/01/2026

Wokingham Borough Council is to reduce speed limits despite a lack of support from residents.

Council investigated over possible housing fraud

20/01/2026

Hundreds of homes owned by Barking and Dagenham Council's property company could have been allocated to organised criminal gangs, investigation reveals.

Manchester boosts children’s access to sport pathways with new tennis pilot

20/01/2026

Manchester City Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) have rolled out a new pilot programme to improve sporting opportunities for local children.

Doncaster workers’ pay to be restored by millions of pounds

19/01/2026

The GMB trade union has revealed that over 4,000 Doncaster Council workers are due to receive a pay rise ‘worth millions’.

New Town of Culture contest set to boost local pride

19/01/2026

The Government is launching a new Town of Culture competition to celebrate the cultural legacies of UK towns.

Mayor hikes council tax to fight phone thefts

19/01/2026

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced he plans to increase council tax to help the police crackdown on phone thefts.

New Town properties at risk of ‘severe’ aviation disruption, analysis says

19/01/2026

Eleven of the Government’s proposed New Town locations will experience ‘significant aircraft noise exposure’, research suggests.

Reed hails housing starts increase

16/01/2026

The number of new build starts in the year ending September 2025 has increased by 18% compared to the previous year.

Government unveils £200m SEND teacher training programme

16/01/2026

The Government has announced a £200m programme to expand training for teachers and education staff to better support pupils with SEND.

Resident told to pay council £18,000 for ‘dishonest’ accident claims

16/01/2026

A resident has been fined over £18,000 for making false claims in attempt to seek compensation from the council.

Residents thanked for bomb disposal co-operation

16/01/2026

Residents have been told they can return to their homes after an operation to dispose of an unexploded World War Two bomb found in Exmouth Marina.

Cotton piles pressure on West Midlands Police chief to stand down

15/01/2026

Birmingham City Council’s Labour leader John Cotton has called for the chief constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, to stand down.

Councils defy party lines on election delays

15/01/2026

Council leaders have strayed from party lines over proposals to delay local elections.

Major £300m fraud investigation into social housing sector launched

15/01/2026

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an inquiry into the past management of Home REIT amid allegations of fraud and bribery.

MP questions hotel staff’s treatment of vulnerable guests

15/01/2026

The Housing Committee has written to a Holiday Inn in Manchester to seek an explanation for staff’s ‘appalling’ discrimination against people experiencing homelessness.

Yorkshire residents urged to license monkeys

14/01/2026

East Riding residents who keep primates are being urged to obtain a licence under new legislation.

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Trafford Council
£100,731 to £104,625
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Housing Ombudsman Service
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North Yorkshire Council
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North Yorkshire Council
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North Yorkshire Council
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