Environment
Toad patrol hops to it
Why did the toad cross the road, asks one of the many jokes on a similar highways theme.
Greening public services
GLL’s Chris Hebblewhite reveals progress on the co-op’s five year sustainability strategy.
DEFRA withholds £6m of air quality funding
Around £6m in funding promised to local authorities to help tackle air pollution will be withheld, a Government spokesperson has confirmed.
Wakefield’s in-between spaces
Wakefield’s Urban Greening Strategy sets out an ambition to transform the city centre by reconsidering the approach to using space between buildings. Mark Lynam explains.
Destruction dismissed
With Banksy’s artwork drawing attention to rocky relations between urban councils and trees, Plymouth City Council headed back to the High Court last week – and, like the street artist, emerged scarred-but-victorious.
Losing their plots
There are some issues over which councils take on the British public at their peril – and the love of allotments is one of them.
Future Forum: Councils ‘pivotal’ to net zero
Local government has a ‘pivotal’ role to play in the journey to achieving net zero, The MJ Future Forum has heard today.
LGA warning over XL Bully dogs ban
Councils face a double whammy of soaring costs and declining police support as they try to enforce a ban on XL Bully dogs.
Jenrick leads new charge to axe nutrient neutrality laws
Former housing secretary Robert Jenrick is leading Tory calls for the Government to renew efforts to axe nutrient neutrality laws and boost house building.
LTNs popular and effective, leaked report says
Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) are popular and effective, a leaked report from the Department for Transport (DfT) has found.
View with a poo
Angry residents of Falmouth were up in arms recently.
Decarbonisation: from planning to action
Lack of capacity on the electricity grid can present a significant barrier to local authorities’ net zero goals. Ben Taylor explains how partnering with a decarbonisation expert can help to provide the best chance of success.
Getting crucial decarbonisation buy-in
Sean Ranson suggests how local authorities can maximise buy-in and build advocacy for achieving net zero locally
What’s mew pussycat?
The neighbouring cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup in Western Australia are taking different approaches to public policy when it comes to our feline friends.
Expanding Oflog’s vision
Jack Shaw says the Office for Local Government needs to go further than its current long-term vision, and moving to a statutory footing would mean it could set up a more robust performance regime.
Why climate change is health’s biggest threat
The health risks from climate change are considerable, but directors of public health are ideally placed to ensure initiatives are implemented in the right way, to the right people, say Greg Fell and Darrell Gale.
Oxfordshire’s response to the flooding challenge
Stephen Chandler and Carole Mackay describe Oxfordshire CC’s response to the recent floods, working alongside the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum.
Driving the green agenda
Maud Hollis discusses the crucial role of talent and leadership in local government’s journey to net zero.
Councils mobilise to tackle Storm Henk flooding
Nottinghamshire CC has declared a major incident as the county has been hit by near-record levels of flooding.
A ‘poultry’ 10 minutes
Diary must whisper it but, on rare occasions, councils don’t do themselves any favours.