Declaring a climate change emergency
Local authorities can play a key role in tackling climate change – and there is plenty for them to do. Never before has thinking globally and acting locally been more important, says Mark Whitehead.
Think tank calls for fuel duty rise to tackle pollution
12/08/2019 A think tank has called for tough action to tackle air pollution, particularly from road transport, including higher fuel prices and a default 20mph urban speed limit. |
London boroughs eye £750 workplace parking charge
25/07/2019 Several London boroughs are considering introducing workplace parking levies (WPLs) of at least £750 a year to cut pollution and encourage active travel. |
MPs call for dedicated funding for active travel
23/07/2019 MPs have criticised the Government for inadequate and ‘piecemeal’ active travel investment and called for a dedicated funding stream for local walking and cycling. |
Calls for 'two clear actions' to cut road casualties
05/07/2019 A leading safety charity has called on ministers to set safety goals for the proposed major road network (MRN) of local authority roads and for over £500m to be spent across Great Britain to improve high risk routes. |
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. |
The June issue of Local Government News contains the full details of all the winning schemes in the 2019 Street Design Awards. From Children's Play to Pedestrian Environment, find out who has been recognised for their innovation and use of best practice.
This issue also explores how local government pension funds can hedge currency risk, how councils can best address the shortfall in school places, and an update on the number of authorities banning the use of Roundup over safety fears.
