Recycling work in Oxford city was recently recognised when the city council won an award for Best Team of the Year.
The award was given to Oxford’s recycling team by the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), whose annual awards showcase the achievements and hard work of local authority recycling staff.

Birmingham City Council cabinet is being asked to approve a pilot scheme that involves at least 20 zero emission hydrogen-fuelled buses taking Birmingham’s roads.

Bristol has overtaken London as the UK’s ‘smartest city’, according to new data.
The second UK Smart Cities Index, commissioned by Huawei UK and conducted by Navigant Consulting, reveals that Bristol is now the UK’s leading smart city.
Bristol and London were named as ‘leaders’ in the UK, with the South West city taking the next top spot.
Bristol has moved up the rankings as a result of it taking significant steps to extend its innovation programmes and closely integrate those initiatives into city strategy.

Newcastle City Council has been selected as one of the first local authorities in the UK to team up with Unicef to become a Child Friendly City.
The three-year partnership will see Newcastle working to become a city that puts children’s rights first and proudly supports all children to grow up healthy, safe and resilient.
The collaboration will focus on embedding the voices, experiences and rights of children into decision-making, governance and local services in order to positively impact all children in the city.

Drivers of older, more polluting vehicles now have to pay almost twice as much to drive into central London.
The £10 T-Charge, implemented by Mayor Sadiq Khan, mainly applies to diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006, has come into force.
It covers the same area as the existing congestion charge zone, bumping up the cost to £21.50 for those affected.
The measure is the latest attempt by Mr Khan to improve air quality in the capital and will affect 34,000 motorists a month.

A £9 million boost by the DfT will help fund £15 million of improvements in the key development sites, Sherford and east of Exeter.

Two major Buckinghamshire road improvement schemes have won £6.32 million of government funding.
The schemes are among 76 across the country awarded funding totalling £244 million, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced.
The £6.32 million will be divided between an improvement project for the A40 from High Wycombe town centre to Loudwater, and an improvement scheme for the A418 Oxford Road, Aylesbury.

Norfolk County Council is looking to bid for £1.5 million to help reduce the number of children in care and provide support to vulnerable families.
The bid is to be discussed at the council’s Policy and Resources Committee shortly. Members will hear about proposals to target a social impact bond at those of going into care, as well as those already in care, with a plan to return home.
The council has already received £36,500 of developmental funding from the Big Lottery Life Chances Fund to bring in support to help shape the bid for the SIB.

A scheme to improve safety for people with disabilities and anyone who feels vulnerable when out in Lancashire has been launched.
Lancashire County Council’s champion for disabled people, Peter Steen, launched the programme at an event in Plungington Community Centre, Preston.
The scheme, which has been developed by the Lancashire Learning Disability Partnership Board (LLDPB), ensures people can access welcoming and safe places to get help when needed.

Children and young people in Kent are less likely to have mental health problems thanks to a £10 million programme funded by The BIG Lottery.