The power of local systems to save lives
Councils and their partners could do even more to contain the spread of COVID-19 if properly funded to undertake a robust localised system of testing, tracking and tracing, argues Professor Donna Hall.
A greener future?
01/05/2020 Steven Meersman warns that transitioning to net-zero must continue to be a priority despite Covid-19. |
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Councils told to prioritise black bag rubbish collections
08/04/2020 Councils have been advised to prioritise black bag waste collections over recycling during the coronavirus crisis. |
Most councils still providing normal waste collections, survey reveals
06/04/2020 The majority of councils have been able to provide a normal waste and recycling collection service, a new survey has revealed. |
Coronavirus lockdown has improved air quality, scientists find
01/04/2020 Air pollution across the UK’s largest cities has fallen since the start of the lockdown, new analysis has shown. |
Pandemic forces Birmingham to delay launch of Clean Air Zone
25/03/2020 Birmingham City Council has written to the Government requesting postponement to the launch of its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) to help protect the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Wales to ban ‘hard to recycle’ plastics
18/03/2020 Plastic straws, cutlery and polystyrene food containers are just a few of the items set to be banned as the Welsh government cracks down on single-use plastics. |
Councils granted over £2m to improve air quality
18/03/2020 Local authorities across England have been granted more than £2.2m in Government funding to deliver innovative projects to improve air quality. |
Leeds council confirms CAZ launch date
11/03/2020 A date has been confirmed for the launch of Leeds’ Clean Air Charging Zone (CAZ), which aims at tackling air pollution and protecting the health of residents in the city. |
Islington Council launches ‘revolutionary’ energy centre
05/03/2020 Islington Council today launched an energy centre which converts waste heat from the London underground into heating for homes, schools and leisure centres. |
Devolve power to mayor’s office to deliver ‘green investment’ for London, report says
04/03/2020 A study has called for the devolution of power to mayor of London’s office and the creation of a ‘taskforce’ to deliver investment London needs to decarbonise. |
TV presenter launches legal challenge against ‘vanity project’ HS2
04/03/2020 The TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham has launched a legal challenge against HS2 in order to stop the ‘largest deforestation project’ since WWI. |
Eliminating consumer single use plastics in the workplace
26/02/2020 How CCS can help your organisation achieve environmental goals. |
Is it a climate ‘emergency’?
25/02/2020 Alex Massie explores if the climate change crisis is really an 'emergency' or not. |
Five cities rated 'A' in fight against climate change
20/02/2020 Five UK cities have been named as leaders in climate change and transparency by CDP. |
Air pollution stopping children reaching sporting potential, report warns
11/02/2020 More than a quarter of children’s sports grounds have dangerous levels of air pollution, a new report has found. |
Green energy - the linchpin of EV success
11/02/2020 Thomas Newby explains why green energy is the linchpin of electric vehicles success for local government. |
Council stops Bristol Airport expansion
11/02/2020 North Somerset Council has rejected a planning application to expand Bristol Airport due to concerns over its impact on the environment. |
Leisure centre contracts in the era of the climate crisis
07/02/2020 Why contracts for the future operation and maintenance of leisure facilities need to change to accommodate issues like the climate emergency. |
Bristol declares ‘ecological emergency’
05/02/2020 Bristol has become the first major city to declare an ecological emergency in response to what it describes as escalating threats to wildlife and ecosystems. |
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. |
Edinburgh council announces aim to be a ‘million tree city’
29/01/2020 Edinburgh City Council has announced that it is working on an ‘action plan’ aimed at increasing the number of trees in the city to one million. |
Brighton considers becoming a ‘car-free’ city
28/01/2020 Brighton & Hove City councillors have agreed to look into the possibility of the city becoming ‘car-free’ by 2023. |
Leeds council launches electric vehicle trial
24/01/2020 Leeds City Council has launched a new scheme giving businesses, organisations and charities in West Yorkshire the opportunity to drive electric vans free of charge for up to two months. |
NLGN study highlights concerns over air quality
22/01/2020 Unitaries are much less likely than Metropolitan councils and London boroughs to consider taking action on air quality as ‘extremely or very important’, the latest quarterly NLGN leadership index survey has found. |
Whitehall announces £3.4m investment in wireless charging tech
17/01/2020 The Government has announced that it is investing £3.4m in wireless charging technology trials at taxi ranks in Nottingham. |
Hydrogen for transport
16/01/2020 Mark Griffin explains why Aberdeen City Council has introduced a fleet of hydrogen fuelled buses to help reduce emissions. |
Islington Council launches electric vehicle charging partnership
16/01/2020 An electric vehicle charging partnership with Islington Council was launched yesterday as part of the London borough’s push to reduce harmful air pollution. |
Tackling the climate emergency
15/01/2020 Duncan Price explores why everyone needs to take responsibility and action in order to meet the Government’s 2050 net zero target. |
Air pollution 'major public health emergency’, charity warns
13/01/2020 Heart and circulatory disease deaths attributed to particulate matter air pollution could exceed 160,000 over the next decade in the UK, according to a health charity. |
Road run-off 'is pollution risk to London rivers'
02/01/2020 Sadiq Khan has called for more Government cash to tackle road run-off after a ‘pioneering’ study found that it is a pollution risk to the capital’s rivers. |
Council aims to make York city centre ‘car free’
02/01/2020 York city centre could become a ‘car free’ zone as part of a council effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2030. |
A new era in street cleansing
20/12/2019 Phil Oldbury explains how councils can bring street cleansing into the digital age. |
Former council employee who falsified air quality data convicted of fraud
20/12/2019 A former Waverley Borough Council employee has been given a suspended prison sentence for committing fraud after falsifying air quality data. |
Council advises residents to ‘clean up safely’ after flash floods
20/12/2019 Cornwall Council has urged residents affected by the flash flooding in the last 24 hours to clean up safely and keep evidence of flood damage. |
Welsh government commits £74m to ‘green transport network’
19/12/2019 The Welsh government has committed to investing £74m into initiatives aimed at building a ‘clean, green transport network’. |
Council ditches plastic parking tickets
19/12/2019 Brent Council has announced it is stopping the use of plastic parking tickets and replacing them with an environmentally friendly replacement. |
Cornwall Council launches tree planting drive
18/12/2019 Cornwall Council’s flagship climate emergency project the Forest for Cornwall will be officially launched next week at a community planting day in Saltash. |
Siemens launches 'great model' for EV charging network
17/12/2019 Siemens Mobility has announced a partnership to deliver a series of charging hubs and more than 120 electric vehicle connections across the West of England. |
Striking a clean energy deal
17/12/2019 William Eichler finds out how and why 20 universities have signed a £50m landmark renewable energy deal. |
Oxford CC publishes £19m climate emergency budget
17/12/2019 Oxford City Council has outlined a £19m climate emergency budget to help the authority become a zero carbon council in 2020. |
City of London Corporation launches UK’s first 24/7 zero emission street
17/12/2019 A busy thoroughfare in the City of London is set to become the UK’s first street where polluting vehicles are banned all year round. |
Renewables at no upfront cost?
16/12/2019 Rebecca Lawson explains why local authorities are embracing community energy. |
Creating the right climate for change
13/12/2019 ADEPT has created an expert advisory panel to assess projects and share knowledge throughout the sector. Nigel Riglar explains. |
In a nutshell: What the election result means for local government
13/12/2019 With the Conservative party securing its biggest majority since the 1980s, what does this mean for local government? |
Millions more to be affected by flooding as Greenland's ice melt faster than expected
11/12/2019 More than 40 million people than expected will be affected by coastal flooding by 2100 a new study has revealed. |
‘Vast majority’ of council vehicles run on diesel despite pollution concerns
11/12/2019 Over 90% of vehicles operated by local authorities run on diesel despite council efforts to tackle air pollution, new research has revealed. |
Air pollution like smoking 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns
05/12/2019 People living in areas that have high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of death equivalent to smoking over 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns. |
It’s party time
05/12/2019 Paul Marinko tries to help the sector navigate the web of policy commitments for local government on offer after 12 December. |
What next for the Environment Bill?
04/12/2019 Simon Colvin explores what local government needs to know about the Environment Bill. |
Bristol backpedals on diesel vehicle acquisition
03/12/2019 Bristol City Council has suspended its roll-out of a new vehicle fleet after purchasing dozens of diesel vehicles despite a planned city centre diesel ban. |
Council accidentally cuts down 800 young trees
20/11/2019 Reading Borough Council has apologised to community volunteers after accidentally digging up hundreds of newly planted saplings. |
Council sets out plan to build 1,000 social homes
12/11/2019 Nottingham City Council has committed to building or buying 1,000 council houses and creating thousands of new jobs over the next decade. |
Bristol council considers banning diesel vehicles
30/10/2019 Bristol City Council is considering banning diesel vehicles in what it claims will be the quickest way to reduce nitrogen dioxide in the air. |
Council to trial use of plastic kerbstones
28/10/2019 Kerbstones made from recycled plastics will be trialled by Wokingham Borough Council. |
Six local authorities sign housing deal with Homes England
24/10/2019 The Government has launched a nearly £40m fund in an attempt to kick start a ‘green housing revolution’ in the north of England. |
Support local industrial strategies to ‘promote a zero-carbon economy’, think tanks say
23/10/2019 Government must support local industrial strategies, with new funding and devolved powers, to promote a zero-carbon economy, according to two think tanks. |
Queen's Speech 19: Councils promised new powers to tackle pollution
14/10/2019 The Queen’s Speech promised an Environment Bill which will establish a ‘world-leading’ independent regulator, the Office for Environmental Protection, and hand some new powers to councils. |
Councils urged to apply for funding from £2m air quality pot
04/10/2019 The Government has today announced the latest round of funding to help local authorities improve air quality across England. |
Portsmouth’s energy firm sale falls through
29/08/2019 Portsmouth City Council has admitted defeat in its search for a buyer for its energy company. |
Council hits carbon reduction target early
28/08/2019 Herefordshire Council has hit its 2020 carbon reduction target early, an outcome the authority says shows their ‘commitment to tackling the climate emergency’. |
Whitehall carbon emission target ‘undeliverable’, MPs warn
22/08/2019 MPs have warned the Government that there are no policies in place to deliver the net-zero carbons emissions target by 2050. |
Over 10 million patients in hospitals with ‘dangerous pollution levels’
19/08/2019 Nearly a quarter of hospitals in England are located in areas with poor air quality, new research reveals. |
Over half of councils declare ‘climate emergency’
31/07/2019 More than half of UK councils have committed to reducing carbon emissions by declaring a 'climate emergency'. |
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. |
Brokenshire tells house builders to ‘protect wildlife’
22/07/2019 The communities secretary James Brokenshire has published new guidance to help developers do more to protect wildlife. |
Cuadrilla plans second fracking well in Lancashire
12/07/2019 Fracking company Cuadrilla has announced it plans to drill a second well in Lancashire before its planning permission runs out in November. |
Online tool to calculate health impact of trees published
11/07/2019 A new online tool which can help councils calculate how much pollution would be removed by planting trees in local areas has been launched. |
Whitehall announces nearly £40m electric chargepoint investment
09/07/2019 The Government has announced it is investing £37m to transform electric chargepoint infrastructure. |
Fall in number of councils reducing carbon footprint
28/06/2019 The number of UK local authority areas reducing their carbon footprint is falling despite Parliament setting a new target for cutting emissions, according to a research and campaign group. |
Policies to clean up air pollution ‘effective’, research suggests
27/06/2019 Policies to clean up air pollution in the UK over the past 40 years have led to significant reductions in human exposure to air pollution, research suggests. |
UK commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’
27/06/2019 The UK has become the ‘first major economy’ to pass a law to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. |
New toolkit launched to help councils go green
20/06/2019 A new toolkit designed to help local authorities reduce their carbon footprint and ‘trigger the wider benefits of bold climate action’ has been launched. |
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. |
Top panel formed to study local impact of Social Value Act
23/05/2019 Localis has launched a research project asking if the Government is providing social, economic and environmental benefits through public procurement. |
Coventry ordered to implement clean air zone
17/05/2019 Coventry City Council has accused the Government of using ‘heavy handed’ tactics after it was ordered to implement a clean air zone. |
Hackney publishes guide to banning traffic outside schools
17/05/2019 Hackney Council has launched a new toolkit designed to help local authorities ban traffic outside of schools at opening and closing times. |
To what extent is the environment shaping national politics?
15/05/2019 Erica Popplewell explores what the local election results can tell us about concerns for the countryside and environment. |
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. |
Heat networks can deliver huge energy savings with regional leadership
01/04/2019 Abandoning one-boiler-per-property model could deliver carbon savings, but it won’t happen without strategies at the regional level, argues Sweco's Andy King. |
Councils must finalise air quality plans or face legal action, lawyers say
27/03/2019 Environmental campaigners have written to 38 local authorities warning them to finalise their air quality plans or face legal action. |
Birmingham faces 'major public health crisis’, council warns
14/03/2019 Birmingham City Council has been given the go-ahead to introduce a clean air zone to tackle what it has called a 'major public health crisis'. |
Planners ‘must do more’ to protect people from pollution
28/02/2019 The Government's health advisers say planning authorities must make sure new building projects protect people from air pollution. |
Scotland’s landfill ban will be £100m tax gift to England, waste experts say
27/02/2019 Waste management experts have ‘expressed deep concern’ that Scotland is not prepared for a landfill ban which will lead to higher haulage costs for councils. |
Council chiefs insist waste reforms must be ‘fully funded’
18/02/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed plans to ‘overhaul’ the waste system, but cautioned Whitehall that any reforms need to be fully funded. |
Infrastructure funding must be tied to ‘clean air agenda’, think tank says
14/02/2019 Ministers must use the forthcoming spending review to tie funding for vital public infrastructure to the 'clean air agenda', according to think tank Localis. |
Around £2bn of clean energy projects ‘stuck’ due to lack of funds
30/01/2019 A ‘temperature check’ survey has identified an estimated £2bn worth of council clean energy projects that are struggling to progress due to underfunding. |
Nottingham sets sights on being UK’s first carbon neutral city
23/01/2019 Nottingham City Council has set itself an ambitious target of becoming the UK’s first carbon neutral city by 2028. |
Consultation plans for council tree felling proposed
03/01/2019 Councils would be required to consult residents before cutting down trees in urban areas under Government plans. |
Parish councils protest against airport expansion
20/12/2018 A group of parish councils have protested at plans to expand Bristol Airport on the grounds that it will increase traffic and damage the environment. |
Recycling services receive a £1bn boost
18/12/2018 Council chiefs have welcomed the Government’s new waste strategy, which aims to encourage businesses and manufacturers to use easily recyclable packaging. |
Developers may be forced to make 'biodiversity net gain'
03/12/2018 Developers will have to improve habitats for wildlife under new rules proposed by environment secretary Michael Gove. |
Council abandons controversial plan to drop kerbside plastic collection
28/11/2018 Swindon has abandoned controversial proposals to withdraw the kerbside collection of plastics and says it will carry out further ‘research’ into the issue. |
Khan launches five ‘clean air’ zones
16/11/2018 Sadiq Khan yesterday launched five new ‘clean air’ zones in a bid to clean up some of London’s worst polluted hotspots. |
West Midlands to invest £43m in ‘congestion busting projects’
07/11/2018 Local leaders in the West Midlands will this Friday consider plans to invest £43m in projects designed to tackle the region’s congestion problems. |
Whitehall launches ‘fracking’ consultation
01/11/2018 The Government has launched a consultation on community involvement in shale gas proposals in an effort to ‘open a meaningful dialogue’. |
How local authorities can ditch plastic
29/10/2018 Mike Winter outlines the lessons learned from London's refill revolution. |
Whitehall’s response to air pollution ‘lacks ambition’
29/10/2018 Health bodies have criticised the Government’s approach to pollution and called for legally enforced air standards to ensure cleaner air across the UK. |
Saving Britain’s bees
10/10/2018 Sophie Hamnett urges local authorities to adopt pollinator action plans, which could help save them money as well as protecting the country’s bees. |
Councils must ‘act now’ to tackle carbon emissions
09/10/2018 Councils must ensure all plans have carbon-reduction targets, charity says after report warns global warming will lead to ‘unprecedented changes' in society. |
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.
