Councils are slammed for allowing CCTV vehicles to park with engines running

‘Hypocrisy’ of idling snooper cars: Councils are slammed for allowing CCTV vehicles to park with engines running while enforcing anti-pollution scheme Vehicles with number-plate recognition have been seen by residents ‘idling’   Last year authorities were given power to give £40 to motorists who idle  Low traffic neighbourhoods led to thousands of miles of cycle lanes   … Read more

Councils in England under Tier 3 restrictions roll out rapid community Covid testing

Is your area getting a coronavirus mass testing scheme? Sixty-seven English councils that are part of pilot scheme to cut Covid infection rates revealed 67 Tier 3 local authorities received Government approval for testing schemes  1.6m rapid turnaround lateral flow tests would be delivered for use this month  Schemes will help put the local councils … Read more

Teachers threaten to walkout over council’s refusal to allow two days of Zoom home-learning

Scottish teachers threaten to walkout over council’s refusal to allow two days of Zoom home-learning at start and end of Christmas break to combat Covid The Educational Institute of Scotland presented plans to Aberdeen City Council It asked for students to be allowed to work from home to prevent isolation  The union refused to rule out … Read more

Just FOUR councils applied to use a new hedgehog warning road sign

Prickly decision: Just FOUR councils requested to use a new hedgehog traffic sign to warn drivers of animals in the road – and all have been DENIED Signs unveiled last year to be used in areas with high accident rates due to small animals They also aim to alert drivers of area with high concentrations … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Fury at Kate Middleton’s tennis club over council’s £130 road fines 

The Hurlingham Club is patronised by the Duchess of Cambridge and her family, but for how much longer? A London council’s aggressive tactic to prevent ‘outsiders’ using its cut-through roads could result in Kate Middleton and her staff being fined £130 each time she visits her favourite tennis club. Members of the prestigious Hurlingham Club … Read more

Lambeth Council’s claims £200,000 for ‘temporary’ road closures which could remain for three years

Lambeth Council in south London is planning to keep ‘temporary’ controversial road closures in place for three years, it has been reported.  The authority is said to have claimed nearly £200,000 of Government cash to block off five streets as part of its ‘Oval Triangle low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) temporary scheme’.  But it has also … Read more

Councils hit out at Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s plans to make dream Essex castle ‘a fortress’ 

Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s plans to make their dream family home a fortress has been criticised by two local councils. The couple have demolished a £1.3 million farmhouse and are building a five-bedroom house in Ongar, Essex, complete with bar, gym and outdoor swimming pool. They recently put in a new planning application to … Read more

Government tells councils to ‘discourage’ public from attending Remembrance Sunday events

The Government has ordered local councils to ‘discourage’ the public from attending Remembrance Sunday events this coming weekend due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its order comes amid mounting criticism aimed at No.10 after it banned veterans from standing inside. Current Government guidance states that local authorities in England can hold events at a ‘public war … Read more

Councils urged to grant permission for build-your-own home to give more a foot on the housing ladder

Get planning on your DIY home! Councils are urged to grant permission for build-your-own property to give more people a foot on the housing ladder A review to be announced on Friday will check if current measures meet demand Currently around 15,000 families design or build their own home each year  Ministers believe there is … Read more

Almost half of all councils in England saw their Covid-19 infection rate DROP last week

Almost half of local authorities in England saw a drop in coronavirus infections last week, according to an analysis of official data. Sixty-nine out of 149 councils recorded a dip in their Covid-19 per population case rates in the seven-day spell that ended October 18. For comparison, only two saw a drop in infections in … Read more