Delivering Regeneration: How collaborative contracts are transforming place-making
Discover how collaborative contracting is helping councils deliver regeneration more effectively with this free special report from LocalGov and NEC Contracts.
Council fines itself £472k for own non-compliant vehicles
5/28/2026 Birmingham City Council has paid more than £472,000 to itself in charges and fines after its own vehicles repeatedly breached the city’s Clean Air Zone rules. |
Councils target air pollution hotspots to protect rare heathlands
5/21/2026 Dorset Council and BCP Council have completed a major air quality monitoring project to help protect the county's heathland habitats from traffic pollution. |
Poorer residents in Northern cities exposed to more pollution
1/20/2026 Poorer and diverse communities in northern cities are exposed to ‘significantly higher levels’ of air pollution than their wealthier neighbours, study finds. |
Ombudsman calls out TfL over ULEZ changes
11/6/2025 The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised TfL over changes made to its vehicle scrappage schemes linked to the expansion of the ULEZ. |
Metro mayors urged to discourage city car trips
11/4/2025 A think tank has recommended that metro mayors encourage a shift from cars to public transport by making car use less attractive for journeys to city centres. |
London’s ULEZ cuts pollution, but challenges remain
10/23/2025 A new study shows that London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has delivered a significant drop in roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2). |
Weak enforcement fuels growth in wood burning grievances
10/22/2025 Councils face rising pressure as poor enforcement of wood burning laws leaves communities exposed to harmful air pollution. |
Town pollution levels fall due to speed limit
10/13/2025 A 20mph speed limit has contributed to improved air quality in a local town, the Forest of Dean District Council has confirmed. |
Glasgow CC announces LEZ success
8/13/2025 The introduction of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has resulted in air pollution levels being cut by a third in the city centre. |
Mayor of London triggers air pollution alert
8/12/2025 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has issued an air pollution alert as temperatures threaten to rise above 30C, creating dangerously high ozone levels. |
Not zero: Core cities admit they will fail to hit ambitious climate targets
8/8/2025 Core cities have called for billions of pounds of investment to transition to net zero after admitting they will fail to hit their ambitious targets. |
Bristol council misses net zero target
7/31/2025 Bristol City Council is set to fall short of its goal to be a net zero council by the end of this financial year. |
Reform vows ‘large-scale reversal’ of LTNs
5/19/2025 Reform UK has said it will axe low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the councils it controls. |
High Court rules Lambeth LTN ‘unlawful’
5/12/2025 Lambeth Council's controversial low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme has been ruled ‘unlawful’ by the High Court. |
Luton Airport expansion gets the green light
4/4/2025 The Government has signed off on the expansion of Luton Airport despite concerns about the environmental impact and a predicted increase in noise pollution. |
Council clears tonnes of ‘nurdles’ after North Sea crash
4/2/2025 Teams from East Lindsey DC have cleaned up over 12 tonnes of plastic pellets from Lincolnshire’s beaches following a crash between two ships in the North Sea. |
‘High’ air pollution alert in London
3/19/2025 City Hall has issued a ‘high’ air pollution alert in London on Thursday due to an increase in air pollution from mainland Europe. |
New animation raises air quality awareness
3/17/2025 BCP Council is raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution among children across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole using the power of animation. |
Green light for Greater Manchester’s £86m clean air scheme
1/24/2025 The Government has backed Greater Manchester’s decision not to implement a clean air zone (CAZ) and instead to take an ‘investment-led approach’ to pollution. |
Mayor of London urged to tackle ‘mounting sewage crisis’
1/22/2025 Campaigners have urged the Mayor of London to take action to tackle the ‘mounting sewage crisis’ in the capital. |
Electric buggy pilot launched in London borough
1/21/2025 A pilot scheme allowing residents to hire electric buggies has been launched in the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in an effort to combat traffic congestion. |
Councils get £47m for new homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules
11/7/2024 Seven areas in England will benefit from a share of £45m to ‘unblock’ new housing developments that have been stalled by rules on nutrient neutrality. |
New technology to revolutionise air quality monitoring
10/29/2024 Airly this month launched ‘Airly Orbital’ – a compact, low-power device with built-in GPS and cellular communications to allow mobile air quality monitoring. |
Unlocking supply chain potential to deliver net zero
10/29/2024 Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Westminster City Council, discusses how councils can reach sustainability goals through collaboration with supply chains. |
Oil firm continues production despite Supreme Court ruling
10/28/2024 Surrey County Council is considering enforcement action against an oil company that is operating two wells in the county, despite a Supreme Court ruling. |
Council faces court challenge over low-traffic neighbourhood
9/30/2024 Campaigners are taking Lambeth Council to court over a new low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme in West Dulwich. |
No plans for Manchester CAZ despite illegal pollution
9/19/2024 Greater Manchester has created a new clean air strategy with no plans to charge drivers of polluting vehicles, despite a legal direction to reduce air pollution as quickly as possible. |
Newham mayor ‘deeply concerned’ by airport expansion
8/20/2024 The Government has approved London City Airport's plans to increase passenger numbers by more than a third despite objections by Newham Council. |
ULEZ working even better than expected, Khan says
7/26/2024 City Hall has said the controversial expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of London is ‘working better than expected’. |
Council faces legal challenge over poultry unit
7/15/2024 A legal challenge has been launched over Shropshire Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a major intensive poultry unit. |
Improving air quality in and around schools
7/8/2024 Megan Bennett, product marketing manager at Nuaire, looks at how poor air quality impacts children at school and what steps can be taken to improve it. |
NextGov: Saving the local-national climate covenant
6/20/2024 Christopher Hammond, chief executive of UK100, discusses how the next government should help local authorities along the road to net zero. |
Bid to tackle UK’s second most polluted river
6/19/2024 Councillors in Calderdale will devise a plan to clean up the UK’s second most polluted waterway. |
Tories announce plan to scrap outer London Ulez
6/10/2024 The Conservatives plan to scrap outer London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) if re-elected, Transport Sectary Mark Harper revealed over the weekend. |
Defra withholds £6m of air quality funding
4/16/2024 Around £6m in funding promised to local authorities to help tackle air pollution will be withheld, a Defra spokesperson has confirmed. |
LTNs popular and effective, leaked report says
3/11/2024 Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) are popular and effective, a leaked report from the Department for Transport (DfT) has found. |
‘Outdated’ pollution warning systems putting swimmers at risk
2/29/2024 Swimmers could be at risk of bathing in sewage due to an ‘outdated’ pollution warning system, researchers at the University of Reading have warned. |
Councils near Gatwick raise alarm over runway plan
2/27/2024 Local authorities near Gatwick have raised concerns over the potential increase in noise and air pollution if the airport brings another runway into use. |
Sewage pipe failures prompts vote of no confidence
2/26/2024 East Devon District Council has passed a vote of no confidence in a water company after major pipe failures and sewage overflows into the sea. |
Coastal councils raise water quality alarm
2/22/2024 Councils in coastal areas have raised the alarm about the impact on health and tourism caused by the continuing deterioration in coastal water quality. |
Government faces legal action over air pollution death
1/26/2024 The mother of a girl whose death was linked to poor air quality is bringing a High Court claim against the Government. |
Stoke-on-Trent council plans to stop ‘sledgehammer’ CAZ
1/18/2024 A team from Stoke-on-Trent City Council is working on a plan to stop a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) being implemented in the city. |
Think-tank calls for ‘sensible adjustments’ to clean air zones
12/22/2023 Schemes to reduce air pollution should be designed to avoid penalising those living in more deprived areas, a think-tank has said. |
Rowley rules out pre-election nutrient neutrality law change
12/21/2023 The Government has confirmed it will not be introducing primary legislation on nutrient neutrality in the current Parliament. |
Mayor Burnham criticises fee-paying clean air zone
12/14/2023 Public investment in buses and taxis will improve air quality in Greater Manchester faster than a fee-paying clean air zone (CAZ), Mayor Andy Burnham says. |
Luton Airport Expansion – how much growth is too much?
12/6/2023 As COP28 continues, Cllr Richard Roberts, Herts County Council, criticises Luton Airport's plans to increase passenger numbers to 32 million a year. |
Portsmouth CAZ ‘not enough’ as legal limits still breached
12/1/2023 A government-mandated clean air zone (CAZ) in Portsmouth is not enough to reduce emissions, with pollution on three sites continuing to breach the legal limit, the city’s council has said. |
Councillors ‘powerless and penniless’ on clean air
11/9/2023 Elected members do not believe that councils have the powers or budgets to make meaningful change on air quality, research has found. |
State of rivers ‘hangs in the balance’ amid pollution climbdown
10/24/2023 The Government has reportedly abandoned its plans to scrap nutrient neutrality rules. |
Newcastle clean air zone brings in £500k
9/27/2023 Newcastle City Council’s clean air zone (CAZ) has brought in over £500,000 in the first six months of its operation, new figures from the council reveal. |
PM delays new petrol and diesel ban to 2035
9/21/2023 PM Rishi Sunak has delayed the Government's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030 to 2035. |
Environmental regulations holding back housebuilding
9/21/2023 Laws such as those requiring nutrient neutrality in housing developments have resulted in ‘effective moratoria on housebuilding,’ Lords committee says. |
Councils press for more stringent air quality targets
9/6/2023 Local authorities have dismissed claims air pollution targets cannot be met by 2030. |
Time to fight Government water plans
9/5/2023 Ali Morse, water policy manager for The Wildlife Trusts, makes the case for defending the EU-era nutrient neutrality rules. |
Against nutrient neutrality rules
8/31/2023 Neil Jefferson, the managing director of Home Builders Federation, makes the case for scrapping the EU-era nutrient neutrality rules. |
Vehicle emission schemes raise £418m
8/24/2023 More than £400m in fees and penalties has been generated from vehicle emission schemes in England, a freedom of information (FOI) request has revealed. |
Labour U-turns on support for clean air zones
8/14/2023 Labour has scrapped its public support for ULEZ-style clean air zones across the country. |
Transport planners write to PM in defence of LTNs
8/9/2023 The Transport Planning Society (TPS) has written to the PM in defence of low traffic neighbourhoods in the wake of the Government's push-back. |
Khan urges critics to join him in call for southeast scrappage scheme
8/7/2023 Sadiq Khan has urged Home Counties councils to join him in calling on the Government to fund a southeast scrappage scheme for non-ULEZ compliant cars. |
Councils invited to bid for share of £6m air quality fund
8/7/2023 Councils across England are being invited to bid for a share of £6m of Government funding to help tackle local air pollution. |
ULEZ scrappage scheme extended
8/4/2023 Sadiq Khan has announced that the ULEZ scrappage scheme will be expanded, with grants of £2000 being made available to all Londoners with a non-compliant car. |
National review of low-traffic neighbourhoods ‘unnecessary’
7/31/2023 Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about whether to implement low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTN) or not, council chiefs have told the PM. |
Mayor Khan wins ULEZ expansion legal battle
7/28/2023 There is no legal impediment to the Mayor of London’s expansion of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) to outer London, the High Court has ruled. |
Air pollution impact on health ‘underestimated’
7/27/2023 A study in Bradford has linked healthcare attendances for breathing difficulties to breaches in daily air pollution limits. |
Hertfordshire CC refuses to allow ULEZ signs
7/26/2023 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) signs and enforcement cameras will not be permitted in Hertfordshire, the council leader has told London Mayor Sadiq Khan. |
Driving out pollution
7/25/2023 Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, deputy leader of Lambeth Council, discusses how her London borough is phasing out diesel to protect residents’ health. |
London City Airport expansion blocked by Newham Council
7/11/2023 Newham Council’s strategic development committee has voted unanimously to block London City Airport’s plans for expansion. |
Get on your bike!
6/27/2023 Richard Dilks, chief executive of Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), looks at what local authorities can do to promote shared bike schemes. |
London’s consumption-based emissions not decreasing fast enough
6/26/2023 The emissions created by the lifestyles of Londoners have decreased each year but more needs to be done if net zero targets are to be met, council chiefs say. |
Leeds pollution still at illegal levels after CAZ ditched
6/16/2023 Toxic air pollution in Leeds was above legal limits in 2021 after the city council chose not to proceed with a government-mandated Clean Air Zone (CAZ). |
Haringey to treble number of School Streets
6/16/2023 Haringey councillors have signed off on a plan that will almost treble the number of School Streets in the borough to 61. |
Birmingham council launches air quality fund
6/2/2023 A funding scheme for cycle racks, school traffic exclusion plans and other measures has been launched to help improve air quality in Birmingham. |
Court widens grounds in ULEZ challenge
5/31/2023 The High Court has allowed further grounds to be added to the Judicial Review into the proposed expansion of the ULEZ to outer London. |
Shaking up the system on toxic chemical cocktails
5/24/2023 Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife & Countryside Link, discusses the harmful combinations of chemicals in the UK’s waterways and what councils can do about it. |
Toxic ‘chemical cocktails’ discovered in rivers
5/24/2023 A toxic concoction of ‘chemical cocktails’ have been detected at over 1,600 river and other freshwater sites across England, wildlife charities have found. |
Council calls for shellfish death inquiry
5/19/2023 North Yorkshire Council has backed calls for a public inquiry into the unexplained mass deaths of shellfish off its coastline. |
Councils face ‘Kafkaesque’ barriers to net zero
5/3/2023 Local authorities face ‘Kafkaesque’ barriers to achieving net zero goals, a new report backed by the Government’s net zero tsar has concluded. |
Toxic air pollution in London exceeds WHO guidelines
4/26/2023 Every borough in London exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) limits for toxic air pollution, new data reveals. |
Sutton Council launches anti-ULEZ expansion petition
4/25/2023 Sutton Council in south-west London has launched a petition among residents to protest against new restrictions on vehicle emissions. |
High Court grants permission for ULEZ judicial review
4/13/2023 The High Court has granted permission for a judicial review into the proposed expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to outer London this summer. |
Air quality consultation launched
4/12/2023 The Government has launched a consultation on how councils in England can improve air quality. |
Councils should involve young people in environmental policy, report says
4/6/2023 Local authorities should harness young people’s energy and enthusiasm to engage them in improving the environment, according to a team of academics. |
Fly-tipping incidents skyrocket by a third
4/5/2023 The number of fly-tipping incidents has increased by a third since 2010, a new analysis by Labour has revealed. |
Understanding the disposal rules for POPs
4/4/2023 Hamish Farmer, direct sales manager at Inciner8, explains how local authorities can ensure waste management centres meet new regulations. |
Council leader ‘angry’ about Poole oil leak
3/27/2023 ‘Serious questions’ need to be asked about a leak from a pipeline at an onshore oil field into Poole Harbour in Dorset, the local council leader has said. |
Nearly 700,000 drivers in Greater London face ULEZ charges
3/24/2023 Nearly 700,000 car drivers in Greater London could be liable to pay a £12.50 charge to drive into the city from the summer, according to the RAC. |
20,000 homes ‘in limbo’ due to river pollution
3/13/2023 Thousands of new homes cannot be built because of pollution in rivers and high water levels, council leaders have warned. |
Granting rivers rights
3/9/2023 Lewes DC recently passed the first ever Rights of River motion in England. Cllr Matthew Bird, who proposed the motion, explains the reason for the bold step. |
Private cars exempt as Sheffield finally gets CAZ
2/27/2023 Sheffield’s CAZ came into force on Monday, more than five years after the Government legally directed the council to implement the air quality measure. |
Khan calls for Home Counties targeted scrappage scheme
2/24/2023 Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a new scrappage scheme to help people in the Home Counties to retrofit or replace vehicles that are not ULEZ compliant. |
Over £1.6m available to tackle chewing gum pollution
2/17/2023 Over £1.6m of funding is now available to help local authorities across the UK tackle chewing gum pollution. |
Five councils launch judicial review against ULEZ
2/17/2023 Five councils have launched a judicial review against Transport for London and London mayor Sadiq Khan over the expansion of the ULEZ to outer London. |
Three quarters of Hackney streets to become LTNs
1/26/2023 Hackney is set to ban most vehicles from most of its roads in what it says is ‘the country’s most ambitious plan’ for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) so far. |
Khan faces new pushback over ULEZ expansion
1/20/2023 A London council has vowed to continue its fight to delay the expansion of the capital’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ). |
Air quality campaigners warn of ‘dark stores’
12/8/2022 Air quality campaigners have called on levelling up secretary Michael Gove to tighten up regulations around last-mile delivery depots. |
London’s ULEZ to expand city-wide
11/28/2022 London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to be expanded city-wide as part of the drive to tackle air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion. |
Residents struggling to find information on levels of dangerous air pollution, MPs warn
10/26/2022 Local authorities are making it too difficult for residents to find information about dangerous levels of air pollution in their local area, a new report has argued today. |
Million children exposed to dangerous levels of pollution
10/5/2022 More than a million children under the age of 18 live in areas where air pollution exceeds safe levels, new research has revealed. |
New framework for improving air quality announced
8/18/2022 The Government today announced a new series of measures, including strengthened guidance, to help local authorities improve air quality. |
Metropolitan transport authorities 'key' to tackling climate change
6/27/2022 New report argues that metropolitan transport authorities have integral role to play in tackling the climate crisis by reducing transport systems' emissions. |
