VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Council clears tonnes of ‘nurdles’ after North Sea crash
02/04/2025 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. |
Bristol considers moving to four-weekly bin collections
28/01/2025 Bristol City Council could become the first local authority in England to collect non-recyclable household rubbish only once every four weeks. |
Deposit Return Scheme legislation comes into force
27/01/2025 Legislation for a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland has come into force today. |
Cheshire East says it has ‘no choice’ but to reduce bin collections
28/11/2024 Cheshire East Council plans to move to three-weekly residual waste collections in a bid to cut costs by £1m, despite local opposition. |
Council to install 120 solar-powered bins
18/11/2024 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is installing more than 120 new solar-powered litter bins to reduce litter and the borough’s carbon footprint. |
Councils call for full waste service costs under EPR
23/10/2024 Council bosses have urged the Government to ensure local authorities receive the full costs for delivering waste and recycling services under new packaging reforms. |
More than £2m needed to sort Welsh recycling scheme
30/09/2024 Senior Denbighshire CC members will be asked to plough more than £2m into a recycling scheme that has led to ‘unacceptable' numbers of missed collections. |
Councils accused of being overzealous with ‘middle-class fly-tipping’
23/09/2024 Councils have been accused of being overzealous when it comes to fining people who leave items outside their home for neighbours to collect for free. |
Council seizes fly-tipping vans in new crackdown
19/09/2024 Two vehicles allegedly used to illegally dump waste have been seized by Bolton Council in the first week of its new waste crime strategy. |
Council overruled as new incinerator gets go-ahead
18/09/2024 Dorset Council has accused the Government of ignoring residents’ views by approving a new waste incinerator on the Jurassic coastline. |
New waste tax could cost councils billions
17/09/2024 A proposed tax on the carbon emitted from burning waste could cost councils billions over the next decade, according to new analysis. |
Council to close tip amid £7m improvement costs
23/08/2024 Kirklees Council is set to close a household waste recycling centre (HWRC) to cut costs after discovering that work needed on the site would cost £7m. |
‘Massive disparities’ in number of bins councils collect
20/08/2024 There are ‘massive disparities’ in the number of bins that UK councils ask residents to sort their rubbish into, a new survey has revealed. |
Cheshire East sets out plan to tackle £100m deficit
16/08/2024 Plans to address a £100m budget gap over four years will be considered by Cheshire East councillors next week. |
Ombudsman ‘astonished’ by failure to remove waste
08/08/2024 Kingston Council’s refusal to move a dumped mattress for four months has left the local government ombudsman ‘astonished’. |
Council to consider paying £47m extra for waste service
08/07/2024 Somerset Council will consider paying an extra £47m over six years for waste services after its contractor disclosed it was making significant losses in the area. |
Strikes halted as bullying row drags into ninth month
02/07/2024 Refuse collection workers in South Tyneside have called off the first of three weeks of industrial action due to start today. |
Dumped waste forces nine-hour road closure
21/06/2024 A road was closed for nine hours after two tonnes of waste were illegally dumped in West Yorkshire yesterday. |
Thousands of bins missed as council rolls out new service
19/06/2024 Denbighshire County Council has apologised after waste from thousands of households was not collected as a new recycling service was rolled out. |
EXCLUSIVE: Councils consider legal advice over waste guidance
12/06/2024 Councils are considering seeking legal advice over statutory guidance that will tell local authorities to collect residual waste at least every two weeks, The MJ understands. |
Somerset’s £24m-a-year waste contract at risk
13/05/2024 Somerset Council’s waste collection contract is at risk after Suez disclosed ‘significant losses’ and said it may have to end the deal early. |
Herefordshire Council uses drone to investigate fly-tipping
17/04/2024 A drone is being used by Herefordshire Council to gather evidence of illegal waste disposal. |
Council eyes cutting back rubbish collection
02/04/2024 A council could reduce how often it picks up household rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted to once a month despite Government proposals. |
Middlesbrough avoids ‘catastrophic’ s114 with approved budget
11/03/2024 Councillors in Middlesbrough have approved a budget with ‘savings and income generation plans’ worth £13.9m. |
Councils call for ‘autonomy’ under EPR
26/02/2024 Councils must still have the autonomy to run waste services according to local need under new packaging reforms, the Local Government Association has said. |
Council chiefs welcome drop in fly-tipping incidents
17/01/2024 Local authorities in England dealt with 1.08 million fly-tipping incidents in 2022/23, a decrease of 1% on the previous year, according to the latest figures. |
MPs at odds with public on packaging measures
17/01/2024 Appetite for government intervention to reduce the use of packaging, either through taxes or bans, is lower among MPs than with the public, new research has found. |
Refuse workers strike over alleged 'bullying culture'
11/01/2024 Bins across South Tyneside could go uncollected for eight weeks as refuse workers strike over what has been called a ‘toxic bullying culture’. |
Councils banned from charging for small-scale DIY waste disposal
02/01/2024 Local authorities in England are no longer able to charge households to leave small-scale DIY waste at recycling centres in a move aimed at tacking fly-tipping. |
Agreement ends long-running bin strike
11/12/2023 An agreement between Warrington Borough Council and the trade union Unite has put an end to refuse workers’ strikes. |
'Lack of clarity' puts recycling reforms at risk
01/12/2023 A ‘lack of clarity’ around the Government’s recycling reforms is preventing councils from preparing for the upcoming changes, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). |
Sheffield food waste collections delayed by 15 years
16/11/2023 A plan for weekly food waste collections from homes in Sheffield could be delayed by up to 15 years. |
‘Toxic’ environment at council waste service
15/11/2023 A report describing a ‘toxic’ working environment at Brighton and Hove City Council’s waste service includes accounts of staff bringing weapons to the depot. |
Fly-tipping enforcement up as incidents drop
24/10/2023 Councils carried out more enforcement action in response to illegal waste dumping last year as the number of reported incidents fell. |
Councils welcome waste reform flexibility but await details on costs
23/10/2023 Councils were relieved not to lose all local discretion in the Government’s waste collection reforms but have said questions remain, including over funding. |
Brighton’s waste service ‘mired in racism, sexism and homophobia’
13/10/2023 A report has described a ‘toxic’ environment and ‘normalised’ bullying behaviour within Brighton and Hove City Council’s waste department following complaints by whistleblowers. |
Coventry refuse workers to vote on industrial action
04/10/2023 The trade union Unite has notified Coventry City Council that it will ballot 55 refuse workers for strike action and action short of a strike. |
Place directors under ‘immense pressure’ publish strategic objectives
03/10/2023 Place directors have called for action on planning, infrastructure and the environment, including a financial regime enabling councils to build more affordable and ‘climate-ready’ homes. |
Concern companies not aware of single-use plastics ban
28/09/2023 The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns that businesses may not know about the ban on certain single-use plastic items. |
Unite and council reach deal to end waste strike
27/09/2023 Waste service workers and street cleaners return to work today after negotiations between Tower Hamlets Council and the trade union Unite put an end to industrial action. |
Screeching U-turn on waste proposals
21/09/2023 The Government has claimed it is scrapping its ‘top-down approach’ on recycling while still ensuring ‘all homes in England recycle the same materials’. |
Nottinghamshire waste staff to strike
15/09/2023 The GMB union has announced a week-long strike at waste recycling plants in Nottinghamshire. |
Number of vapes discarded each week soars to five million
08/09/2023 Five million single-use vapes are thrown away in the UK every week, an almost four-fold increase on last year, according to research from Material Focus. |
South Ayrshire increase recycling rates in parks
31/07/2023 South Ayrshire Council is collecting 36.8% more recyclable waste in residential parks since installing over 400 new recycling bins by Leafield Environmental. |
Councils call for ban of disposable vapes
17/07/2023 Council chiefs have called on the Government to ban disposable e-cigarettes over concerns about their impact on the environment and young people. |
EXCLUSIVE: Councils in dark over new funding stream
18/04/2023 More financial uncertainty is being piled onto councils over the distribution of a fresh funding stream, The MJ has been told. |
EXCLUSIVE: ‘It’s time for a new Audit Commission’
12/04/2023 An ex-senior mandarin has today called for a new Audit Commission as The MJ reveals the draft metrics the Government is considering for its new watchdog. |
Fly-tipping incidents skyrocket by a third
05/04/2023 The number of fly-tipping incidents has increased by a third since 2010, a new analysis by Labour has revealed. |
Islington council to invest £2m to improve recycling facilities
16/03/2023 Recycling facilities on estates across the borough of Islington are set to benefit from £2m of council investment. |
Three-weekly waste collections boosts Mid Devon’s recycling rates
24/02/2023 The recycling rates in Mid Devon have increased in the first three months since three-weekly waste collections were introduced, the council has reported. |
£165,000 fund available to make Liverpool a ‘greener place’
20/02/2023 Community groups across Liverpool City Region are able to bid for a share of a £165,000 fund as part of a push to make the area a ‘cleaner and greener place’. |
Over £1.6m available to tackle chewing gum pollution
17/02/2023 Over £1.6m of funding is now available to help local authorities across the UK tackle chewing gum pollution. |
‘Alarming’ figures reveal one third of fly-tipping in Glasgow
13/02/2023 Almost one third of recorded fly-tipping incidents in Scotland last year took place in Glasgow, a freedom of information request has revealed. |
Charge manufacturers for fly-tipping clean up, council chiefs say
01/02/2023 Manufacturers should contribute to the cost of cleaning up fly-tipped rubbish to help tackle the health risk posed by the illegal practice, council chiefs say. |
Deposit Return Scheme: further clarification needed
31/01/2023 Steve Palfrey, chair of ADEPT's Waste Group, discusses the Government's response to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and calls for further clarification. |
Council chiefs call for more focus on waste reduction
23/01/2023 Council leaders have called on the Government to prioritise plans to reduce the amount of waste produced rather than focusing on recycling schemes. |
Triple on-the-spot littering fines, think tank urges
23/01/2023 A think tank has called for a ‘revitalised’ litter strategy including tripling the level of fines and ranking councils on enforcement of anti-littering laws. |
Giving good counsel to councils over waste crime
09/11/2022 Niall Burns explores radical measures to target the collusion and corruption driving a new illegal waste dumping pandemic. |
Council chiefs call for tougher punishments for fly tippers
19/08/2022 Local authority leaders have called for the introduction of tougher sentences to help in the fight against fly tipping. |
Council to use artificial salt marshes to clean waste water
24/06/2022 A new scheme in Leicestershire will see artificially created salt marshes being used to clean oils, diesel and chemicals in water collected from road gullies. |
Council launches review into HMOs in Northampton
22/06/2022 West Northamptonshire Council yesterday launched a review into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Northampton after complaints by local campaigners. |
Fresh strike warning for local government sector
13/06/2022 Unions have warned of more local government strikes. |
Government misses 50% recycling target
12/05/2022 More than 100,000 extra tonnes of rubbish was sent to landfill during lockdown, the latest figures reveal as Government misses 50% recycling target. |
Government struggles to assess scale of waste crime
27/04/2022 Defra does not have the data it needs to assess scale of waste crime and the incentives for criminals to enter the waste market have increased, auditors say. |
Plymouth council agrees pay uplift for HGV drivers
05/01/2022 The union Unite have welcomed a decision by Plymouth council to give HGV drivers a pay increase by regrading their jobs. |
Scottish councils awarded £13m to boost recycling
06/12/2021 The Scottish government today announced a multi-million-pound investment into local authorities to help boost the quantity and quality of recycling. |
District boosts pay to tackle shortage of bin drivers
05/10/2021 South Holland District Council has agreed to increase pay for its waste and recycling teams in response to the national shortage of drivers. |
Waste crime could be costing the UK nearly a billion pounds a year
23/07/2021 Waste-related crime is costing the country an estimated £1bn a year, a new report has found. |
Councils forced to suspend waste services due to staff shortages
20/07/2021 Several local authorities have been forced to reduce or suspend waste and recycling services due to staff having to self-isolate and a national shortage of drivers. |
Council ‘outraged’ by Unite decision to continue bin strike
14/05/2021 Thurrock Council has said that it is ‘disappointed’ workers in the local authority’s waste and recycling department have decided to continue pay strike. |
How schools can combat waste
22/12/2020 Michael Taylor, general manager at Skip Hire UK, looks at how schools can combat waste. |
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Survey shows public trusts councils more than Government on COVID
30/11/2020 The findings of a new opinion poll show the public trusts councils more than Government on the response to COVID, says APSE. |
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Environment Bill to give councils ‘clear framework’ to tackle pollution
30/01/2020 Local authorities will have a clear framework for tackling air pollution with the introduction of the Environment Bill, according to the Government. |
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Council chiefs call for more cash to fight fly-tipping
08/11/2019 Local authority leaders have urged the next Government to ensure that councils have the necessary funds to tackle fly-tipping. |
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Illegal tipping sites uncovered in 'sting' operation
29/05/2019 Dozens of illegal tipping sites have been discovered in a 'sting' operation by environment and customs officers. |
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Holyrood announces ambition to cut food waste by one third
25/04/2019 The Scottish government has unveiled plans to help reduce food waste by one third by 2025. |
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Council threatens fly-tippers with £50,000 fine
25/04/2019 Cheltenham residents have been warned that if they continue to dump their rubbish in the wrong place at the wrong time, they will face a £50,000 fine. |
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New £400 fly-tipping penalty comes into force
08/01/2019 The new financial penalties for fly-tipping, which could see fines of up to £400 being handed to offenders, are now in force. |
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Gove announces £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste
02/10/2018 The Government will set up a £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste, the environment secretary has announced. |
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North Londoners urged to ‘wise up to waste’
01/08/2018 The 'Blue Planet' programme has had a massive effect on people's attitudes to plastic waste, new research has found. |
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Recycling rates could be boosted by fraud, says auditors
23/07/2018 The UK’s success at recycling may be being boosted by fraudulent exports of unrecyclable materials, auditors have claimed. |
