Solihull Council has significantly reduced its workforce by 158 posts, saving £2m via a paid-resignation scheme. Agency worker costs also fell by over 36%. Read the full financial scrutiny report.
Down Lane in Frant will close to through traffic for up to 18 months for South East Water works from January 13, 2026. Access for residents maintained. Plan alternative routes.
Sevenoaks District Council has published a new list of planning applications. Residents have until January 15, 2026, to submit comments on proposals ranging from house extensions to a Gypsy and Traveller site variation.
The Co-operative Group has applied to sell alcohol from 12am to 11pm daily at its Sherford store. Residents have until January 14, 2026, to submit comments to South Hams District Council.
Nominations are now open for the South Yorkshire Community Celebration Awards, honouring voluntary groups across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield. Deadline: 28 February.
Hard-up families in Surrey can apply for combined support of up to £525 from Monday. Two separate council schemes offer cash and vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Martin Lewis highlights the Severe Mental Impairment council tax discount, which can cut bills to zero for eligible households. Learn if you qualify and how to claim.
Millions of UK households will get a two-month council tax break in 2026 ahead of new property bands. Find out if you're eligible and how the new high-value surcharge will work.
A mother-of-three pleads for help after builders left a vital extension for her disabled son unfinished and 'riddled with damp' for two years. Read her story.
New data reveals the shortest and longest council house waiting times across Birmingham wards, with Holyhead at 30 weeks and Quinton at 250 weeks. Discover the full list and council advice.
Up to 12,300 second-home owners face a 100% council tax surcharge as 38 more English councils activate new powers from April. See the full list of affected areas.
Up to 400,000 UK homes may be in the wrong council tax band due to flawed 1991 valuations. Check your band now and challenge it to potentially claim thousands in backdated refunds.
Residents and parish councillors in Charlton, Worcestershire, strongly oppose plans for six bungalows on agricultural land, citing traffic and sustainability concerns. Read the full story.
A developer has submitted plans to build four dormer bungalows on the former car park of The Coventry Arms in Upton Snodsbury, a site vacant since 2017. Read the latest on this brownfield development.
Lord Anthony Bamford wins planning permission for a 'landscape observatory' on his Cotswolds estate, despite strong opposition over light pollution and landscape impact.
SSAFA volunteers have delivered 40 Christmas hampers to veterans in South East Wales, a scheme now in its third year. The initiative provides vital festive support to the Armed Forces community.
Malvern Theatres is set for a landmark £20 million redevelopment in 2026, funded by the government's Levelling Up Fund. The project will deliver a new studio theatre, improved accessibility, and a community amphitheatre. Read more about this exciting cult
Future Birmingham council leaders elected in 2026 will lack full autonomy, bound by a government-imposed action plan to ensure financial stability. Discover the binding roadmap for recovery.
Government commissioners will oversee Birmingham City Council after the 2026 elections, restricting new leaders' autonomy with a strict action plan. Discover the roadmap for recovery.
Shirebrook Town Council left unable to function after 11 councillors quit. Bolsover District Council appoints temporary members to restore operations. Read the full story.
The Range has been ordered to pay over £412,000 after mice and rats were found gnawing Easter eggs and leaving droppings across a Midlands store. Read the full details of the hygiene breach.
Paralysed adventurer Darren Edwards attempts a 222km South Pole sit-ski world record in -30°C, raising £100k for spinal injury charity Wings for Life. Read his inspiring story.
A 75-year-old man feared for his life after a cow attack left him with a severed artery. The farmer has been fined over £12,000 for health and safety breaches. Read the full story.
A Gloucestershire family's dazzling Christmas light display, in memory of Sandra Wearing, has raised over £8,350 for Sue Ryder's Leckhampton Court Hospice. Open nightly until New Year's Day.
A major £119m deal will fund over 1,500 new student beds at Bristol's Brabazon new town by 2027, addressing housing demand. Read the full details on this key development.
Cornish Metals has floated on London's AIM market after re-domiciling to the UK, marking a key step in its plan to restart tin production at the historic South Crofty mine by 2028.
An 86-year-old man is in custody after a forensic review into the 1993 shooting deaths of pensioners Harry and Megan Tooze at their Welsh farm. Police appeal for new information.
Wirral Council reveals advanced negotiations for a tenant at its costly, empty Irvine building in the £75m Birkenhead Commercial District, a potential boost for the town centre.
Swansea Council leader says the authority should not fear stepping in to run bus services directly as Wales rolls out new franchising legislation, aiming for a unified, reliable network by 2027.
The Eating Inn Steakhouse in Blackpool has had its latest planning application refused. The council says the extension harms the Promenade's character. Read the full story.