Weakening financial sustainability arrangements
Paul Dossett, head of local government, Grant Thornton UK, discusses financial sustainability and raises concerns about the viability of a number of councils.
ULEZ working even better than expected, Khan says
26/07/2024 City Hall has said the controversial expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of London is ‘working better than expected’. |
Plans to boost Teesside Freeport vehicle and access approved
22/07/2024 Plans for new transport facilities to support the growing number of vehicles entering the Teesworks site on Teesside have been given the green light. |
King's Speech: Labour to boost public control of buses and trains
17/07/2024 The King has confirmed that the new Government will bring forward legislation to bring bus and rail services more closely under public control, including public ownership of train operators. |
King's Speech: Devolution takes centre stage
17/07/2024 The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech. |
Wales publishes 20mph guidance
17/07/2024 The Welsh Government has published guidance on reverting speed limits in built-up areas to 30mph, less than a year after introducing a default 20mph limit. |
£1m boost to road patching in East Sussex
16/07/2024 East Sussex County Council has committed an extra £1m to road patching, but acknowledged it would cost more than £300m to bring all its roads up to scratch. |
Brabin seeks public's views on tram plans
16/07/2024 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has launched a public consultation on options for two tram lines in the Leeds-Bradford area. |
Highway leaders warn of ‘roadwork gridlock’
15/07/2024 Nearly two thirds of local highway authority (LHA) leaders believe that we are headed for a road and street work crisis by 2030, new research has revealed. |
Councillors back £88,000 parking revamp
12/07/2024 Unreliable parking ticket machines in Rugby will be replaced as part of the council’s mission to regenerate the town centre. |
DfT begins ‘bus revolution’
10/07/2024 The new transport secretary has confirmed that every local area will be able to take control of its buses through franchising or public ownership. |
Council pays family £1,500 after school transport failure
04/07/2024 A family in Surrey has been paid £1,500 in compensation after the county council failed to provide school transport for a child with medical needs. |
Leeds council proposes SEND transport overhaul
02/07/2024 Leeds City Council has proposed reducing transport support for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). |
Nine tonnes of bird poo removed from Tyne Bridge
27/06/2024 A multi-million pound revamp of the Tyne Bridge has seen nine tonnes of pigeon poo removed from the Grade II-listed structure. |
TfL lets the wildflowers bloom
25/06/2024 Transport for London (TfL) says it has delivered its pledge of doubling wildflower verges in roadside areas to encourage biodiversity. |
Oxford air pollution falls faster than across UK
25/06/2024 Air pollution in Oxford dropped quicker than the national average during the first full year of the city’s zero emission zone (ZEZ), but levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at two sites breached the legally binding limit. |
Hampshire set to quit transport partnership
24/06/2024 Officers have recommended that Hampshire County Council withdraws from a transport partnership involving three other local authorities. |
Wandsworth to ban riders ‘abandoning’ e-bikes in busy areas
24/06/2024 A London borough council has announced plans to ban riders leaving e-bikes on pavements in busy town centres. |
Lib Dem £300m pothole pledge ‘won’t scratch the surface’
20/06/2024 The Liberal Democrats have committed to spending £300m over the next Parliament to fill 1.2 million potholes a year. |
Lack of funding hindering road safety, councils say
19/06/2024 Limited funding and inadequate data are major barriers to road safety planning and measurement, local authorities have reported. |
Levelling up progress ‘glacial’, think tank says
19/06/2024 Progress on levelling up in England has been ‘glacial’ and – according to some metrics – inequality has got worse, a new analysis by the IFS has revealed. |
Requests for driver details rise
18/06/2024 Councils and parking companies are increasingly requesting details about a car’s registered keeper, which allows them to fine drivers, according to a car sales firm. |
Council has ‘no plans’ to cancel fines despite error
17/06/2024 Fines issued to drivers for using bus lanes will not be revoked despite containing a mistake, Southwark Council has said. |
£23m extension sees ‘iconic’ trams return to Blackpool station
13/06/2024 Passenger trams have been connected to Blackpool’s main rail station for the first time in more than 60 years. |
Councils looking after record 576k children with SEND
13/06/2024 Local authorities are looking after record numbers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), council chiefs warn. |
Labour pledges to fix one million potholes
12/06/2024 One million potholes a year will be fixed if Labour are elected on 4 July, the shadow transport secretary says. |
Conservatives pledge business rates retention expansion
11/06/2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to create business rates retention zones as he launched the Conservatives’ General Election manifesto today. |
Council to consider Uber return after six-year ban
10/06/2024 Councillors in York will discuss whether to license Uber to operate in the city after refusing to renew the firm’s licence six years ago. |
Tories announce plan to scrap outer London Ulez
10/06/2024 The Conservatives plan to scrap outer London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) if re-elected, Transport Sectary Mark Harper revealed over the weekend. |
Half of cyclists say road conditions are dangerous
10/06/2024 A major local government insurer has warned that months of rain may have caused ‘some of the worst ever road conditions’. |
Councils bring in over £127m in bus lane fines
07/06/2024 Local authorities in England brought in a total of £127.3m in revenue from bus lane fines in 2022/23, according to the AA. |
RAC issues safety warning over obscured signs
07/06/2024 More than half of motorists say obscured signs are a frequent occurrence on their journeys, according to a survey by the RAC. |
Diplomats owe £143.5m in congestion charges
21/05/2024 Embassies in London have amassed debt worth more than £143.5m in unpaid congestion charges since the scheme was introduced in 2003. |
Auditors add to council biometric warnings
20/05/2024 A spending watchdog has echoed councils’ concerns that biometric entry requirements at UK ports could lead to freight delays and gridlock on major roads. |
Council suspends meeting amid disorder over 20mph ‘frustration’
17/05/2024 A Ramsey Town Council meeting was suspended and a man was asked to leave after the agenda descended into a heated discussion about a 20mph traffic zone. |
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. |
96% of taxi drivers licensed in Wolverhampton live elsewhere
14/05/2024 Only 813 of more than 21,000 taxi and private hire vehicle drivers licensed in Wolverhampton in the last year live within the council area. |
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. |
Council proposes nearly 30 new 20mph zones
02/05/2024 Westmorland and Furness Council has proposed rolling out nearly 30 new 20mph zones to ‘make streets safer’. |
What is a metro mayor?
25/04/2024 A metro mayor is directly elected by local people to oversee a region’s combined authority. |
RAC: Drivers ‘dodged the pothole bullet’
23/04/2024 Vehicle owners ‘dodged the pothole bullet’ in what is normally the worst three months of the year for breakdowns, according to the RAC. |
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. |
Auditors warned over relief road 'iceberg'
19/04/2024 A councillor has asked Shropshire Council’s external auditor to investigate concerns the North West Relief Road will 'completely bankrupt the council'. |
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. |
E-bike firm Lime announces £25m London expansion
12/04/2024 Bike rental firm Lime is planning a £25m expansion to cover three more boroughs in London. |
Council parking income set to top £2bn
10/04/2024 English Councils received nearly £2bn in income from on and off-street parking in 2022-23, but paid out nearly £1bn in running and enforcement costs. |
DfT stalls moving traffic enforcement roll-out
08/04/2024 The Department for Transport (DfT) has shelved the further roll-out of powers for English councils to enforce moving traffic violations. |
Stoke councillors approve £5.4m transport plan
04/04/2024 A plan to invest more than £5.4m on improving roads and transport in Stoke-on-Trent has received a green light. |
Newcastle moves cycle barriers that blocked disabled access
04/04/2024 Newcastle City Council has agreed to move a set of barriers after a disabled cyclist raised concerns that the design constituted indirect discrimination. |
Stop treating transport as a culture war, Government told
03/04/2024 The Prime Minister’s rhetoric ‘fabricating’ a war on motorists has been ‘incredibly unhelpful’ and does not reflect public opinion, according to a think-tank. |
Council payouts for pothole punctures down 13%
03/04/2024 Council payouts for punctured tyres are down 13% since 2020 despite reports of pothole-riddled roads increasing by almost a quarter over the same period. |
Council-run bus services cut by 90%
02/04/2024 Over 90% of council-run bus services have been cut since 2010, a new analysis has revealed. |
Hull and East Riding finalise devolution proposal
28/03/2024 A devolution proposal for a Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is set to be submitted to the levelling up department. |
Spending on SEND school transport doubles to £1.4bn
27/03/2024 The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school transport system is threatening 'the financial viability of councils’, council leaders warn. |
Winners announced on £40m signals cash
21/03/2024 The Department for Transport has published the list of 80 councils sharing £40m to upgrade traffic signals. |
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. |
Brabin to take control of West Yorkshire buses
15/03/2024 West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin has confirmed that she will take forward proposals for bus franchising from 2027 onwards. |
City Hall hails ‘dramatic’ air quality improvements
12/03/2024 Air quality in the capital has improved ‘much faster’ than in the rest of the UK because of policies introduced by the London mayor, according to a report. |
Combined authority set to approve £45m transport scheme
12/03/2024 A multi-million-pound transport scheme is set to transform the centres of Harrogate, Selby and Skipton. |
LTNs popular and effective, leaked report says
11/03/2024 Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) are popular and effective, a leaked report from the Department for Transport (DfT) has found. |
Lambeth scraps LTN
08/03/2024 A low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) trial in Streatham has been suspended with immediate effect following disruption to bus services and ahead of construction work. |
Sunderland autonomous shuttle prepares for launch
05/03/2024 Self-driving shuttles have arrived in Sunderland and are set to transport passengers around the city this spring. |
Councils near Gatwick raise alarm over runway plan
27/02/2024 Local authorities near Gatwick have raised concerns over the potential increase in noise and air pollution if the airport brings another runway into use. |
Councils should be given more flexibility over fund, says LGA
27/02/2024 Councils should be given more flexibility over funding, a senior councillor has said in the aftermath of reallocated funding from HS2. |
Chancellor urged to provide funding certainty for urban transport
27/02/2024 Transport authorities have called on the Government to prioritise long-term funding certainty for public transport and active travel in city regions in next week’s Spring Budget. |
£4.7bn local transport cash to support 'smaller cities and towns'
26/02/2024 Local authorities in the North and Midlands have been given a capital boost under a £4.7bn Local Transport Fund, and have a year to prepare plans. |
Work begins on Oxford traffic filters
26/02/2024 Work has started on a number of streets in Oxford to prepare the way for six traffic filters as part of a trial aimed at reducing traffic in the city. |
£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. |
February most dangerous month for ‘pothole prangs’
13/02/2024 Motorists have been warned that February is the most dangerous month for ‘pothole prangs’ as research reveals a dramatic rise in pothole damage claims. |
Council chiefs call for powers to fight pavement parking ‘scourge’
12/02/2024 ‘Long-overdue’ powers to ban pavement parking should be extended to all areas across England now, the Local Government Association (LGA) has argued. |
Councils 'have tightened pothole payout criteria'
05/02/2024 Compensation paid by councils for damage caused by potholes has fallen by more than a half, with some giving out ‘next to nothing’. |
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. |
London’s Regent Street set to become more cyclist friendly
01/02/2024 Regent Street is set to undergo a radical transformation as Westminster City Council seeks to make it more cyclist and pedestrian friendly. |
Newcastle CAZ generates £2.4m
31/01/2024 The Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone (CAZ) brought in more than £2.4m in its first 11 months of operation. |
Edinburgh first to enforce pavement parking ban
29/01/2024 Edinburgh City Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to enforce a ban on pavement parking. |
Devon and Torbay devolution deal announced
25/01/2024 Devon County Council and Torbay Council are set to enter a level 2 devolution deal with the Government. |
Councils get new steer on motorbikes in bus lanes
23/01/2024 The Department for Transport (DfT) has updated its guidance for councils on allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes. |
Nine in 10 women cycling in London face abuse
19/01/2024 A new report has highlighted the extent and toxicity of abuse experienced by women cycling in London. |
Stoke-on-Trent council plans to stop ‘sledgehammer’ CAZ
18/01/2024 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. |
First-of-kind tool links road casualties and deprivation
12/01/2024 Transport for London has launched a dashboard which shows how deprivation is linked to higher levels of death and injury on the capital’s roads. |
Potholes: the drivers’ biggest pain
10/01/2024 Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, discusses the scourge of potholes and what councils should do to fix the local road network. |
Pothole claims up record 40%, insurer reveals
09/01/2024 The number of pothole-related claims increased by a record 40% last year when compared to 2022, the latest data from Admiral Car Insurance has revealed. |
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’. |
BCP Council extends successful bike scheme
02/01/2024 A bike scheme in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council area has been extended for five more years. |
Transport planners take on 'hotly contested' parking debate
15/12/2023 A report from the Transport Planning Society argues that current parking practice promotes car use and outlines policy recommendations to lower carbon travel. |
Mayor Burnham criticises fee-paying clean air zone
14/12/2023 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. |
Mayor of London criticised for Saudi ads
13/12/2023 Mayor Khan has been criticised after Saudi adverts appeared on the TfL Network despite advertising restrictions on countries with poor human rights records. |
Government axes Brum's £2.7bn PFI deal in shock 'betrayal'
01/12/2023 Birmingham City Council's leader has accused the Government of 'betrayal' by axing the authority's £2.7bn highways Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, in a move that could lose the authority more than £500m of roads investment. |
Portsmouth CAZ ‘not enough’ as legal limits still breached
01/12/2023 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. |
Million more public transport commuters needed, think-tank says
29/11/2023 The largest cities in Britain should aim to boost the number of public transport commuters by nearly one million to reduce congestion and pollution, a think-tank has said. |
Edinburgh to spend £55m to make fleet LEZ compliant
28/11/2023 Edinburgh City Council is set to spend £55m replacing obsolete vehicles and ensuring its fleet complies with new environmental rules. |
Campaigners warn of ‘silent war’ on bus services
28/11/2023 Bus services have seen a dramatic decline over the past 15 years, with provision decreasing by more than 60% in 80 local authority areas, research reveals. |
Autumn Statement: Level 4 devolution unveiled
22/11/2023 More powers will be offered to areas with a level 3 devolution deal, the Government has announced as part of the Autumn Statement. |
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. |
Councils call for emergency school transport funding
20/11/2023 ‘Spiralling’ transport costs for children with special educational needs are threatening the financial stability of England’s largest councils, according to a report. |
Council ‘saddened’ by proposed job cuts at rail factory
16/11/2023 A council leader has urged ministers to commit to the industrial sector after the UK’s largest rail assembly factory announced 1,330 jobs are at risk in Derby. |
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. |
Councils sign cross border partnership
13/11/2023 Two English councils, Herefordshire and Shropshire, and two Welsh county councils, Monmouthshire and Powys, have signed a partnership agreement. |
Bus firm 'must roll up sleeves' to resolve strike
09/11/2023 A North East transport boss has slammed a bus company for its response to a long-running industrial dispute, which he said is causing real harm to people across the region and damaging its bus network. |
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
Written by contributors who work with local government, LocalGov's white paper Transforming Local Government: A Strategic Guide for Labour will provide insights into the 5 major issues Labour must tackle.
