49 per cent of councils are at risk of being unable to meet the demand for secondary school places within the next five years.

Councils are being encouraged to join forces and put forward proposals to retain the growth in their business rates income.

A metro extension linking Birmingham city centre with Edgbaston and the city’s Westside area has been given the green light.

The Environment Agency has appointed a new team of engagement officers to help communities be more resilient to flooding in the North East.
The £280,000 a year project includes four new engagement officers spread across four areas: Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Darlington, and Cleveland.
The officers are working alongside partner organisations to help support communities in the project funded by the Northumbria Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (NRFCC).

Unite, the union, urged members of Birmingham City Council’s cabinet to bring the long-running bin dispute to an end.

Glasgow City Council’s executive committee has approved the next stage of its Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Glasgow City Council’s executive committee has approved a report on the city’s programmes for affordable warmth and energy efficiency in the city.
These programmes, which aim to deliver energy and efficiency measures to homes and buildings across Glasgow in both the public and private sectors, are funded by the Scottish government.
The measures include external wall insulation and replacement central heating, windows and boilers, as well as the connection of Dalmarnock Nursery to Dalmarnock Energy Centre.

Almost 70 of Buckinghamshire’s children in care and care leavers have had their achievements celebrated at a special awards event.
The county council hosted the event, now in its seventh year, which recognises and celebrates the personal, academic and sporting achievement of the county’s looked after children and young people leaving care.
Children and young people in care were nominated by professionals working with them in a number of categories including overcoming difficult circumstances, coping well with change and for achievements within education, training or sport.

Derby City Council cabinet is seeking to extend the roll-out of targeted waste enforcement to other ‘hotspot’ areas within the city.

The government’s 30 hours free childcare offer for working parents will roll out across the country on 1 September.
Parents of three and four-year olds who have registered for a place will join the 15,000 families benefitting in the 12 areas of the country that introduced the offer early.