Environmental scientists from Plymouth University analysed paint samples from 50 playgrounds and found high levels of toxic metals, posing a risk to the health of young children.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has announced a consultation will be held on new measures to commit 2.3 per cent of vacancies in large public sector bodies to apprentices.

Four UK cities have been awarded a total of £40 million to promote green vehicle technology after successfully bidding for a share of a multimillion fund created to support the take-up of plug-in electric cars

A new study conducted by the Land Trust has found that for every pound spent on maintaining green spaces, a comparable £30 is contributed towards health and well-being benefits.

The government has announced £5 million worth of funding to help councils tackle ‘rogue landlords’.

A large number of public sector workers will be affected by new strike thresholds proposed by the government, which will require the support of 40 per cent of union members for industrial action.
The proposed changes to strike thresholds are part of the new Trade Union Bill currently going through Parliament and, following a consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, it has been confirmed that the changes will affect workers in the fire, health, education, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning sectors.

Rotherham Council will regain responsibility for a number of services after intervention from Whitehall last February.

The ECT Charity and Deloitte have launched a set of research which has discovered that investment in community transport schemes would not only save £1.1 billion a year, but also ease the pressure on public services and tackle loneliness among older people.

New research by The Taxpayers’ Alliance has reported that councils in Great Britain paid out over £100 million in compensation claims over the last two years.

Councils are reporting to be less optimistic about handling upcoming cuts than they were in the past, according to new report into the future of financial management.
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has revealed that numerous councils are pre-empting a need to rethink their approach to financial management, given that future years are already being deemed as ‘potentially difficult’.