The rise of the ‘super’ parish council
With figures showing parish precepts have risen by 4.9% this year, Neil Merrick explores how parish councils are using the extra revenue to deliver increased and better services.
Burnham jumps aboard franchising bus
24/06/2019 Andy Burnham has become the first mayor in the country to recommend bus franchising, as part of a plan to create a ‘modern public transport system’. |
Bus users outline plan to reverse rural decline
13/06/2019 A group representing bus users across the UK has published a 10-point plan to reverse the decline in rural services. |
Mayors want Northern franchise scrapped
30/05/2019 Two North West metro mayors have called on transport secretary Chris Grayling to terminate the Northern rail franchise ‘as soon as possible’. |
North ‘being short-changed by HS2’
16/05/2019 A House of Lords committee has called on ministers to rethink HS2 after finding evidence that the costs of the high speed rail link ‘appear to be out of control’. |
Heathrow runway clears High Court hurdle
01/05/2019 The High Court has dismissed arguments against Heathrow expansion and found that the Government is free to ignore the Paris Agreement on climate action until it forms part of UK law. |
Khan hails 'landmark day' as London ULEZ begins
08/04/2019 London’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) – described by mayor Sadiq Khan as the world’s toughest vehicle emissions standard – began on Monday. |
Westminster inaction prompts pavement parking inquiry
08/04/2019 The Transport Select Committee has launched an inquiry into pavement parking. |
Norman sets out plans for urban mobility
19/03/2019 Ministers have announced a ‘review’ that will pave the way for transforming the way people and goods move around our cities, alongside £90m to ‘test ideas’ to improve journeys. |
Edinburgh tram extension gets green light
15/03/2019 Councillors in Edinburgh have voted to back the £207m extension of the city’s controversial tram network to Leith and Newhaven. |
Legal challenges to Heathrow Expansion begin
11/03/2019 Five legal challenges to the Government’s plans for a new runway at Heathrow will reach the High Court this week. |
Solution to £8bn cost of congestion 'in city halls'
13/02/2019 Drivers in the UK lost an average of 178 hours a year due to congestion in 2018, costing £7.9bn, according to the latest data from INRIX. |
Infrastructure projects 'undermined' by lack of public engagement
28/01/2019 Future transport projects in London could be undermined if politicians fail to engage with the public, a major infrastructure firm has warned. |
£8.3m down the drain as Suffolk pulls plug on bridges project
24/01/2019 Suffolk County Council is set to shelve plans to build three bridges on the River Orwell in Ipswich, despite having already spent £8.3m in development costs. |
Grayling awards £13.8m deal to ferry firm with no boats
03/01/2019 Chris Grayling has defended a £13.8m ferry contract being given to a company with no boats on the grounds that the Government is supporting British business. |
VolkerHighways to bring Bath up to date with £70m deal
18/12/2018 VolkerHighways has signed a new highway maintenance and improvements contract with Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council worth up to £70m over 10 years. |
London cycle routes face rebrand
18/12/2018 London mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled a new Cycling Action Plan that aims to create a London-wide cycle network while doubling cycling journeys in six years. |
Amey set to go private, report says
13/12/2018 Roads and services contractor Amey is set to be sold to a private equity firm in the New Year, it has been reported. |
Govt report says 20mph zones may not reduce casualty rates
28/11/2018 An evaluation of 20mph limit schemes has failed to find evidence of a significant short-term impact on safety but said they could provide other benefits. |
London penalty charge notices up 10%
15/11/2018 The number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued by London’s highway authorities rose by 10% during the last financial year. |
Capital's councils demand 'fair share' of new roads cash
13/11/2018 London’s boroughs have said they are not getting a fair share of road maintenance cash after they were awarded only £17m of the extra £420m for local authority roads announced during the budget. |
The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.
This issue also has a special highways and street lighting section exploring how councils can use lighting to embark on their smart city journey and using IoT technology to weather the storm.
