The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience. But it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK. Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK's rich and varied wildlife.
At this stage of development, it is not possible to definitively estimate the cost to government from developing and running the digital ID system, adding that yet-to-be-taken policy decisions will materially impact the costs involved.
Ontario will consolidate its 36 conservation authorities into nine across the province. Environment Minister Todd McCarthy says there will be no job losses as a result. He says the province listened to feedback after several town halls and 14,000 comments on its plan, which initially proposed having seven conservation authorities.
The plans would affect an area known as Royal Victoria Dock West, which is the end closest to London City Hall and the Cable Car. If carried out, the two biggest changes will be a range of floating walkways reaching into the dock, lined with water plants. The other change will be the introduction of walkways on the south side of the dock for long-term residential boat moorings.
Greenwich Council has denied claims it airbrushed evidence of public opposition in reports concerning a contentious Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme. The South London authority also firmly rejected the notion that the consultation for the West and East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme was biased, undemocratic or secretive. The council implemented the first stage of the LTN scheme in November 2024, trialling the project in an attempt to reduce traffic and improve air quality in two residential areas in Greenwich.
Body-worn cameras are video and audio-recording devices attached to a Garda's clothing, which will retain audio and video footage when a Garda switches them on. Garda acting deputy commissioner with security, strategy and governance, Paul Cleary, said: "They will assist our personnel in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal offences and will also be a key piece of equipment for An Garda Síochána into the future."
Camden Council, with financial backing from Transport for London (TfL) has published the first sketches of how Holborn could look after its Liveable Neighbourhood revamp of several streets in and around Holborn. According to the council, the aim of the multi-million pound project is for residents to be able to breathe clean air, with more plants and trees, in beautiful new and improved spaces.
The French government has launched a consultation to gather the public's views on parenthood and policies related to parenthood, in an effort to understand declining fertility rates. The goal of the report is to "target the economic and socio-cultural causes that have led to a decline in the birth rate in France, but also to understand the related consequences," MP Constance de Pélichy told the French press. Anyone can take the survey (which is entirely in French).
A motion approved approved at Peel Regional Council last month proposes control of the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA) be transferred to the City of Brampton, with a plan to enhance programming and modernize the funding model. The site, which was originally the Peel County courthouse and jail, was built in 1867. But for more than 55 years it's housed thousands of pieces of art and artifacts representing the history of the region.
The document states that the Reform administration is currently working on a "planning assumption" that bills will rise by 5%, which would add around 80 a year to the annual mid-range Band D rate. But it also warns the council is under "significant financial pressure", with the authority planning to make widespread cutbacks and ask the government for Exceptional Financial Support of 43m to help balance the books.
At the moment, around 25 matches are hosted at the stadium in a typical league season, including 19 home games in the Premier League and then depending on how far they progress in the League Cup or FA Cup. But when the stadium is not in use during the off-season between June and July, the club is now considering hosting carefully managed concerts inside the stadium.
Describing the scheme as being part of the Labour administration's anti-car agenda, the Tories have also raised concern over the cost of installing the project. Two low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) installed by the council in Palmers Green and Bowes Park in 2020, and made permanent in 2022, caused significant controversy. The council recently agreed to trial a major change to the Bowes Park LTN after coming under pressure from drivers wanting easier access to their homes.
Liberty argues that the EHRC's initial two-week consultation period was insufficient, claiming the consultation should last at least 12 weeks to comply with legal standards.
Ministers will consider changes to planning rules including attic conversions and external wall insulation, aimed at improving residential adaptability and efficiency.
