A new enquiry has been launched to explore the impact of funding cuts on local parks and possible funding models to be used in the future.
The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee will also consider the contribution parks have on local community health and well-being, how councils can generate income from park users, and how new and existing parks can best be supported.

Neighbourhood Plans continue to gather interest with the news that the initiative has now broken through the 200 mark.

More than 1,000 barristers have argued that the referendum result is advisory and called for Parliament to act on the EU referendum vote.

The expansion of Heathrow Airport is necessary to help safeguard the future of the north east economy, a council has warned government.
Aberdeen City Council has deemed it ‘critical’ that north-east businesses could continue to use London as a means of expanding foreign trade, and views the Heathrow expansion as central to this.
Councillor Jenny Laing is one of 34 council leaders from across the UK who have signed a letter to Patrick McLoughlin, the government’s Transport Secretary, urging him to move ahead with proposals to upgrade the country’s busiest airport.

Decaying seaside towns could get a tourism boost after a camping for the creation of a seaside tsar.
A report by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) claims that people living in Britain’s forgotten seaside towns are more likely to be unemployed or unemployable, poorly educated, claiming benefits or residing in multiple occupation housing.
This seems to be the evidence of a 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation by the Department for Communities and Local Government, in which nine of the 10 most deprived English neighbourhoods were seaside communities.

Bolton council has announced proposals to close 13 children’s centres in a bid to save £1.5 million.

Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has criticised Bradford, Birmingham and Luton councils for doing little to trace pupils which go missing from mainstream schools.

Portsmouth City Council has expanded its UK property portfolio with the purchase of £12.4 million parcel distribution warehouse, near Birmingham, as part of a drive to generate more income.

A report by Citizens Advice has accused councils in England of being too quick to resort to sending in bailiffs to recover council tax debts.