Labour will force a vote in the House of Commons demanding the government reverse its plans to force councils to raise council tax by five per cent.

Aberdeen City Council is joining a new network to support local government innovators across the UK in tackling homelessness.

300 more electric vehicle rapid charging points have been installed across the capital by the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

From this week, local authorities are being encouraged to target community testing to people who cannot work from home during lockdown.
Rapid, regular testing for people without symptoms of coronavirus is being made available across the country this week, with the eligibility of the community testing programme expanded to cover all 314 lower-tier local authorities.
Expansion of asymptomatic testing will identify more positive cases of coronavirus and ensure those infected isolate, protecting those who cannot work from home and our vital services.

Research has revealed that councils are planning to install an average of only 35 on-street electric vehicle chargers between now and 2025. The research was conducted under a Freedom of Information request from Centrica to over 400 councils, the results of which they argue could leave those with no access to home charging behind in the race to switch to EVs.
The analysis shows that there are 7,682 on-street chargers currently installed across the UK and only a further 9,317 are planned to be rolled out over the next four years.

A recovery app has been launched by the Welsh Government for people experiencing the longer term effects of coronavirus.

Friends of the Earth and Transport for Quality of Life has released a list of 27 actions that local authorities can take to reduce car use.

Councils are being urged to update their Local Plans to ensure that the country gets on with building the homes it needs and in the right places.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher said that councils should consider that an up-to-date plan will put them in the best possible position to deliver the homes that the country needs. He pointecd to the Planning for the future white paper consultation published last year, which set out proposals to deliver a significantly simpler, faster and more predictable planning system.

All homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills.

The pandemic has taken a ‘devastating toll’ on young people’s mental health, with the unemployed significantly more likely to feel anxious and depressed.