Sutton Council's IoT pilot project
David Grasty, head of digital strategy & portfolio for Kingston and Sutton Councils, outlines how in-home sensors have improved the safety of vulnerable residents living in social housing.
Wales introduces COVID passes for events
17/09/2021 People will have to show a NHS COVID Pass to enter nightclubs and attend events in Wales from next month, the First Minister announced today. |
Sunderland’s e-scooter trial will continue into 2022
17/09/2021 Sunderland’s e-scooter trial will continue into 2022 so that more data on their use can be gathered. |
Council set to discuss £500,000 loan to support EV battery production
17/09/2021 Coventry City Council is to discuss a £500,000 loan to help the new UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) take on new business. |
County audit post-16 transport allocations following investigation
16/09/2021 Staffordshire County Council has agreed to audit a fifth of its post-16 transport applications after the ombudsman criticised the way it had made decisions. |
The future of e-mobility is built on rapid charging
13/09/2021 Menno Kardolus explains how e-mobility, smart energy management and rapid charging, will be key to enabling smart cities to grow and develop. |
Shell aims to install 50,000 EV chargepoints
01/09/2021 Shell has announced that it aims to install 50,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers through their company ubitricity across the UK by the end of 2025. |
Utilising the power of hydrogen
23/08/2021 Manish Patel discusses the Government’s new Decarbonising Transport Strategy and the opportunities it brings to local authorities. |
Reading council leads on £3.3m project to transform station
18/08/2021 Works for major improvements to Reading West Station began this week with roadworks on the Oxford Road to make space for a brand new station building. |
Liverpool e-scooter trial sees over 1,000 bans handed out
17/08/2021 Liverpool's e-scooter hire trial has seen more than 1,000 people handed seven-day bans for antisocial behaviour. |
Council awarded £4m for next phase of station’s transformation
16/08/2021 The next phase of Newcastle Central Station’s transformation is expected to begin in September following the appointment of construction company, Tolent. |
Northumberland council scheme sees return of ‘lost rail services’
13/08/2021 Six new railway stations are to be built and 18 miles of track are to be upgraded as part of Northumberland council's effort to ‘restore lost rail services’. |
Multi-million pound boost to cycling and walking budget
30/07/2021 The Government has announced a £338m funding package to build more cycle lanes and deliver walking schemes to help boost active travel. |
Government launches £1.6bn disability strategy
28/07/2021 The Government has launched a new strategy aimed at delivering accessible housing, easier commuting and better job prospects for people living with disabilities. |
First shortlist unveiled for £120m zero emission buses funding
07/07/2021 The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced its first shortlist from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, providing £120m to support the roll-out of zero emission buses across England. |
Three more boroughs join London's e-scooter rental trial
05/07/2021 The number of e-scooters available to rent in London is set to double after three more boroughs joined the trial. |
Labour warns UK needs more than 127,000 chargepoints by 2025
29/06/2021 The UK has only 15% of the electric vehicle charging points it needs to meet net zero, according to new analysis. |
Council prosecutes firm over traffic jams
23/06/2021 Thames Water has been prosecuted by a London borough after creating what the council said were unnecessary traffic jams three times in less than a fortnight. |
Councils can issue traffic fines from December
15/06/2021 Powers to enforce moving traffic offences will not be extended to local authorities in England outside London until the end of the year, a Department for Transport (DfT) minister has said. |
Over £600m awarded to 26 new Town Deals
08/06/2021 The Government has announced the latest round of towns deals, which will see 26 towns across England share over £600m. |
Planning reform will lead to ‘tide of car traffic’, campaigners say
06/05/2021 Ten organisations have written to housing secretary Robert Jenrick urging changes to proposed planning reforms which they argue will lead to a ‘tide of car traffic’ to already overcrowded roads. |
Londoners top list of people most satisfied with where they live
29/04/2021 Residents of built up commuter and ‘affluent’ towns, particularly those living in London, are the most satisfied with where they live, according to new research. |
Crowdfunding platform launches offer to roll out EV chargers in Greater Manchester
19/04/2021 Crowdfunding platform Abundance Investment Ltd has launched an offer to fund the roll out of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure throughout the Greater Manchester area. |
Navigating the new National Bus Strategy
09/04/2021 Bus Users explains what responsibilities local authorities will have for community engagement under the new National Bus Strategy. |
‘Left behind’ neighbourhoods isolated by poor public transport
01/04/2021 People living in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods are cut off from urban centres and services due to poor public transport and low car ownership, new report finds. |
Get aboard zero-emission bus scheme, DfT says
30/03/2021 The Government has launched its £120m fund scheme to help local transport authorities in England roll out zero-emission buses. |
Minister announces £30m to boost battery and hydrogen technology
30/03/2021 The Government has announced over £30m of investment in battery technology, the electric vehicle supply chain and hydrogen vehicles. |
Burnham takes back control with bus franchising
26/03/2021 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed that he plans to implement bus franchising in the city region ‘as part of plans for a joined-up and truly passenger-focused transport network’. |
Coventry gets go-ahead for all-electric buses
24/03/2021 Coventry is set to become the UK’s first All Electric Bus City after the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) backed the project. |
Johnson unveils £3bn plan to 'shake-up' bus services
15/03/2021 Councils are being urged to enter into a statutory ‘enhanced partnership’ or franchising agreements with bus companies in order to receive new funding from the Government. |
Pandemic could lead to rise in road traffic levels, data warns
04/03/2021 Traffic levels in some of the UK’s largest cities have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, new data has revealed. |
How local authorities can deliver bang for buck with on-street EV charging
12/02/2021 Neil Isaacson warns the cost of rolling out enough on-street electric vehicle charge points will cost up to £10bn by 2030. |
What next for the capital post-pandemic?
03/02/2021 The levelling up agenda has focused on the Midlands and the North, but London’s economy has also been hard hit by the pandemic. The MJ and BT spoke to eight London chief executives on how they are adapting to the changes. Michael Burton reports. |
Scottish council launches world’s first hydrogen double-decker buses
29/01/2021 Aberdeen has claimed a world first after a fleet of double-decker hydrogen buses officially launched into service. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority sets out plans for mass transit system
28/01/2021 Residents of West Yorkshire have been asked to give their views on plans for a new transport network that aims to connect the region’s communities to jobs, education and opportunities. |
High Court rules London's Streetspace scheme was unlawful
21/01/2021 The High Court has overturned London mayor Sadiq Khan’s Streetspace for London Plan, which was introduced in May last year in response to the pandemic. |
Councils plan to install 35 on-street EV chargers each by 2025
20/01/2021 Councils are planning on installing just 35 on-street electric vehicle chargers each by 2025 on average, an investigation has revealed. |
Campaigners call on councils to help reduce car use
19/01/2021 Environmental campaigners have called on local authorities to cancel spending on road building and to redirect funds to boost public transport and active travel. |
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. |
Sadiq Khan proposes 9.5% council tax increase
08/01/2021 The mayor of London has announced council tax will increase by 9.5% to help fund free travel for young people and the over 60s. |
Coventry and Oxford prepare to run UK’s first all-electric bus services
07/01/2021 Coventry and Oxford are set to receive up to £50m to help them become the first parts of the UK to run all-electric bus services, the transport secretary has announced. |
The winners of the 2020 Street Design Awards
18/12/2020 To end the year on a positive note, we are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Street Design Awards. |
Data sharing framework launched to encourage use of London car clubs
17/12/2020 A new data sharing framework between London boroughs and car club operators has been launched to help accelerate the use of car clubs in the capital. |
Funding gap has 'devastating' impact on rural and remote bus services
10/12/2020 Rural and remote bus services saw journeys fall by 97 million last year due to a £348m funding gap, a new report has warned. |
Council criticised after teenager misses start of school
03/12/2020 Surrey County Council has agreed to review its services after a teenager missed the start of the school year because the local authority did not tell his mother she needed to reapply for transport. |
Big Issue eBikes: Biking for good!
01/12/2020 Lord John Bird explains why The Big Issue has launched 'Biking for Good' with ShareBike to boost employment in the UK. |
Spending Review: Sunak recycles money for green transport
25/11/2020 The chancellor has used the Spending Review to confirm billions of pounds for public transport, low emission vehicles and active travel, including adding more detail to Boris Johnson’s recent ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’. |
Spending Review: Infrastructure gets pride of place
25/11/2020 The chancellor Rishi Sunak used to the 2020 Spending Review to launch a new strategy for UK infrastructure, supported by an infrastructure bank and a place-based 'levelling up' fund. |
PM publishes ten point plan for 'green industrial revolution'
18/11/2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has published his ten point plan for creating a 'green industrial revolution' for 250,000 new jobs. |
DfT warns of conditions on £175m active travel cash
13/11/2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced councils' allocations for the £175m second tranche of the Active Travel Fund. |
£500m bus partnership fund open to bids
11/11/2020 The Scottish Government's £500m Bus Partnership Fund to deliver bus priority infrastructure has opened for applications. |
Regions losing faith in levelling-up agenda, survey reveals
10/11/2020 Only a fifth of people from the Midlands and the North think the Government is doing enough to level up the economy, according to a new study. |
Councils urged to keep active travel schemes to avoid 'traffic gridlock'
02/11/2020 Councils have been forced to scrap emergency active travel schemes due to a small but vocal number of objections, Cycling UK has warned. |
The regeneration of transport-linked land
27/10/2020 Transport-linked land must form an integral part of new local plans, argues Nick Markham. |
Councils forced to ‘prop up’ bus operators during pandemic
26/10/2020 Local authority leaders have accused the Department for Transport of forcing councils to keep private bus companies afloat at the expense of local taxpayers. |
London council to improve Blue Badge assessments
15/10/2020 Harrow Council has been told to improve the way it assesses Blue Badge and Freedom Pass applications after an investigation found a number of faults with its processes. |
New review into UK’s transport connections
05/10/2020 An independent review into transport connections across the UK has been launched by the prime minister. |
Watchdog warns passenger numbers and funding has dropped for local bus services
02/10/2020 The number of bus journeys taken in England outside of London has fallen by 10% over the past decade, a new report has revealed. |
Transport Committee backs e-scooter roll-out
02/10/2020 MPs have given qualified backing to the legalisation of electric scooters, including privately owned ones, but warned that this should not be to the detriment of pedestrians. |
New £85m bailout for Welsh buses
24/09/2020 The Welsh Government has announced a further £84.6m for the country’s bus industry, which it said will help companies ‘meet the challenges of coronavirus and run more services’. |
Transport group warns of ‘rapid and deep cut’ in bus services
24/09/2020 A consultancy group has warned there could be a reduction of bus services of between 30% and 40% if financial support is withdrawn from transport services. |
Wandsworth suspends LTN trials one month in
16/09/2020 Wandsworth Council have suspended their Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) trials over ‘concerns with emergency access and traffic flows’. |
Coventry e-scooter trial ‘paused’ due to misuse
16/09/2020 An e-scooter trial in Coventry has been paused after reports that some users have been riding the scooters on pavements. |
Citizen's Climate Assembly calls for reductions in car and air travel
15/09/2020 The first citizens’ assembly on climate change has called for tough action including limiting the growth of car and plane travel. |
ADEPT backs e-scooters to tackle pollution threat
14/09/2020 Council place directors have backed the legalisation of e-scooters but said there are a number of questions that need to be answered. |
Highways England to invest £9m in EV ‘try before you buy’ scheme
09/09/2020 Highways England has announced that it is investing over £9m in a local government electric vehicle (EV) ‘try before you buy’ scheme as part of World EV day. |
Over 500 new chargers per day needed to achieve zero emission car market
07/09/2020 Survey reveals that despite billions invested in the development of EVs, UK buyers are still reluctant to buy them and hundreds more charge points are needed. |
Scottish Government shells out £10m for greener buses
04/09/2020 The Scottish Government has awarded over £9.75m to 19 bus and coach operators to retrofit 594 vehicle exhausts over the next financial year. |
Safely into school
27/08/2020 How many plans can be made when it comes to transport to education settings? Liz Davidson reports. |
Scottish councils get active travel funding boost
26/08/2020 The Scottish Government has cut its match funding requirement for permanent active travel infrastructure after giving councils nearly £39m for pop-up physical distancing schemes. |
Council to amend school transport appeals policy
20/08/2020 Coventry City Council has agreed to change the way it handles appeals about free school transport following an investigation by the ombudsman. |
Council hits out at ‘flawed’ bus lane review
18/08/2020 Newcastle City Council has warned that a review into its bus lane signage contains a ‘number of legal errors’. |
The ‘Great Reset’: Reshaping transport for a greener future
17/08/2020 Sandra Witzel explores how Mobility as a Service (MaaS) can help local transport authorities encourage active travel. |
Roads to recovery
14/08/2020 Alex Glassbrook explores if councils were legally allowed to make amendments to traffic regulation orders in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. |
Ombudsman criticises council for lack of transport for SEN pupils
13/08/2020 Buckinghamshire County Council has been criticised for its lack of suitable school transport for children with special educational needs. |
How local authorities could help their private hire and taxi drivers
13/08/2020 Dr. Tom Vickers outlines how local authorities can help improve the working conditions and economic insecurity among private hire and taxi drivers. |
Northern leaders announce £5bn infrastructure plans
12/08/2020 Business and civic leaders across the North have called on the Government to back plans for a £5bn pipeline of infrastructure projects which they say could create up to 20,000 jobs. |
Government extends emergency bus and tram funding
10/08/2020 Ministers are giving bus and tram services in England outside London up to £256m to help them ramp up services ahead of expected increases in public transport use next month. |
Councils awarded £40m to set up more home-to-school transport
10/08/2020 Local authorities have been given a £40m funding boost to increase home-to-school transport provision from September. |
Micromobility: Lessons from Australia
31/07/2020 Joshua Sattler explores how micromobility can help UK towns and cities recover from COVID-19. |
Councils welcome £2bn active transport 'revolution'
28/07/2020 Thousands of miles of new cycle routes will be built in towns and cities as part of the Prime Minister’s £2bn ‘cycling and walking revolution’. |
The impact of a green recovery on local authorities
21/07/2020 Jon Beasley explains why local authorities are sitting on the precipice of a transport transformation. |
Putting councils in charge of the micromobility revolution
09/07/2020 Zachary Wang explains what councils should consider when planning an e-scooter trial. |
Seize the transport moment, says new report
07/07/2020 Campaigners have called on ministers to accelerate the shift to sustainable transport by introducing new charges for drivers and improving public transport, walking and cycling. |
Mayor announces UK's first trial of e-scooters
03/07/2020 The first UK trial of e-scooters is due to take place in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool, Tees Valley Mayor has announced. |
Trials of e-scooter rentals to be fast-tracked from this weekend
01/07/2020 Local authorities will start hosting the trial of rental e-scooters from this weekend to help ease the burden on public transport as lockdown restrictions are lifted. |
Councils get new powers to tackle misuse of cycle lanes
10/06/2020 Local authorities will be given the power to use CCTV to fine drivers who misuse mandatory cycle lanes, the Government has announced. |
Councils on deadline to secure first tranche of active travel cash
04/06/2020 Local authorities are on their last chance to secure a slice of the first tranche from the £225m emergency active travel fund, with the deadline for completing the form tomorrow. |
What will the car-free cities of the future look like?
19/05/2020 Ben Mercer explores what car-free cities could look like and how will these policies will change our city-centre commutes. |
Government announces £250m emergency active travel fund
11/05/2020 The Government has announced the largest ever funding boost to create a ‘new era’ for cycling and walking. |
A greener future?
01/05/2020 Steven Meersman warns that transitioning to net-zero must continue to be a priority despite Covid-19. |
MPs launch inquiry into use of electric scooters
22/04/2020 An inquiry looking at the safety and legal implications of e-scooters has been launched by the Transport Committee. |
Councils welcome £400m funding boost for bus services
03/04/2020 The Government has pledged nearly £400m funding to help keep bus services running during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Councils warn bus services could collapse as a result of coronavirus
31/03/2020 Council chiefs have called on the Government to provide emergency funding to ensure bus services do not go bust during the coronavirus epidemic. |
NIC launches future of rail consultation
26/03/2020 The National Infrastructure Commission has launched a consultation on the future rail landscape of the North and the Midlands as part of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. |
Welsh councils get new powers to reshape bus services
17/03/2020 Councils in Wales will be given new powers to run their own bus companies and franchise bus services on routes. |
London council launches ‘Electric Avenue, W9’
17/03/2020 Westminster CC has joined Siemens in order to deliver the UK’s first avenue that has been fully converted to provide lamppost electric vehicle charging points. |
Shapps announces £90m tech fund to make journeys ‘greener’
16/03/2020 The Government has launched a multi-million pound fund to trial new technology aimed at making journeys ‘easier, smarter and greener’. |
Budget 2020: Mayoral authorities win big in transport
11/03/2020 The Government has unveiled £4.2bn for urban transport as part of its spring budget giveaways. |
Over £30bn annual investment needed to reach net zero by 2050
09/03/2020 An estimated £33bn of investment is needed every year for the next three decades if the Government is to meet its carbon emissions target of net zero by 2050. |
Council chiefs call for ‘stable, devolved’ infrastructure budgets
06/03/2020 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to provide all councils with ‘stable, devolved infrastructure and public transport budgets.’ |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
