M25 Turns 40: Officers Recall Bolting Horses and Hay Fires
The London Orbital opened on 29 October 1986. National Highways staff and a retired engineer from the original team look back at four decades of Britain's busiest motorway.
Category: City & Environment
327-Bed Student Block Planned Beside Liverpool Olympia
A planning application for a five-to-nine storey student building on a West Derby Road car park has gone to Liverpool City Council. Early plans had allowed for 15 storeys.
Warm Home Loans Open for Heat Pumps, Batteries, Solar
Households can apply for loans of £7,500 to £35,000 for low-carbon upgrades, offered through energy suppliers and partner lenders.
Two Slip Roads at Tarbock Island to Stay Shut Until January
Knowsley Council expects the M62 junction six roundabout to reopen fully by mid-January 2027. Overnight resurfacing closures run until 13 November.
Heat Pump Installers Brace for Boiler Grant Cut
Firms fitting heat pumps say a slashed boiler upgrade scheme would hit jobs, apprentices and manufacturers. The government will not comment on budget speculation.
Ministers Met 137 Firms on AI Datacentres, No Green Groups
An investigation by Spotlight on Corruption says UK datacentre policy was shaped without meetings with environmental organisations.
Oxford Street Closes to Traffic as Shoppers Weigh the Change
Almost a kilometre of London's Oxford Street is now pedestrianised. Shoppers largely welcomed the space, while a taxi driver and a cyclist objected to the change.
Oxfam: Richest Gain Twice Over From Climate Crisis
A new Oxfam study says the wealthiest investors profit from polluting industries and from the market that repairs the damage.
Storm Boelo Leaves 22,600 Properties Without Power
Clean-up is under way after Storm Boelo, with two men killed by falling trees and a new yellow wind warning issued for the west coast.
Rochdale Landlord Lodges Plans for 270 Homes at Lower Falinge
RBH wants to demolish 150 homes in the town centre and build 270 affordable ones in a hybrid planning application now validated by the council.
Rare Nutcracker Brings Birdwatchers and Bus Disruption to Norfolk
Hundreds of twitchers travelled to Mundesley to see a northern nutcracker, and parking around the village forced a coach firm to alter services.
Airport Fined Drivers £100 for 18-Second Stops, Then Refunded
Two drivers who briefly stopped in airport red zones were billed by a private operator. Airports are statutory land, so keepers were not liable.
Veteran Bus Driver Doubts £100 Antisocial Behaviour Fines
A Staffordshire driver of 41 years says the government's planned passenger fines cannot be policed; police say they will engage, explain and enforce.
Tyne Nurdle Spill: Just 28% Recovered, Impact Unclear
Months after about a billion plastic pellets entered the River Tyne, scientists and charities say key questions about their spread and effects remain open.
Council Detectives Sift Fly-Tips for Clues Near Grimsby
Enforcement officers in North East Lincolnshire dig through a motorway-side dump for names and addresses, while Hull crews say fly-tipping is rising.