Birmingham Council's 2026 Challenges: Strikes & Finances
Birmingham City Council faces a critical year with ongoing strikes and financial fragility. Commissioners see progress but warn of major risks ahead. Read the full analysis.
Birmingham City Council faces a critical year with ongoing strikes and financial fragility. Commissioners see progress but warn of major risks ahead. Read the full analysis.
Low-income households can apply for £200+ payments via the extended Household Support Fund in 2026. Check eligibility and apply to your local council now.
Councils in England get a £78bn funding boost with a 3% council tax rise cap. Find out what the new multi-year settlement means for your local services.
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.
Dudley Council outlines major regeneration projects for 2026, including a new bus station and Metro link, while confirming council tax will rise by 4.9%. Explore the key developments.
Reform UK seized minority control of Worcestershire County Council in 2025, ending two decades of Conservative rule. Discover the key events, financial crises, and political defections that reshaped the Midlands.
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.
A petition on housing asylum seekers in Dudley, gaining over 3,000 signatures, triggered a full council debate. Discover the other local issues that mobilised residents in 2025.
Generous junior footballers from Penrhyn Bay FC have collected over 870 items for Conwy Food Bank, delivering a record-breaking community donation to support local families in crisis.
Vulnerable Blackpool residents can apply for up to £300 in energy bill support. The scheme, funded by the DWP, runs until 31 March 2026. Find out if you qualify and how to apply.
Joanne Lewis, 57, gives up her Christmas to answer calls on Marie Curie's free support line, offering vital emotional support to those facing death and bereavement during the festive season.
Fraser's Budgens in Reading celebrates a year of support for Sue Ryder, raising over £800 through bag charges and providing event refreshments for the local hospice.
A Birmingham landlord urges locals to support their pub this Christmas as closures hit 'unprecedented rate' and business rates threaten a 15% hike. Protect your local.
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.
Struggling families in Leicestershire can claim up to £170 in free supermarket vouchers via the DWP's Household Support Fund. Find out if you're eligible and how to apply.
Dudley Council is set for a £75.9m three-year finance settlement from the Labour government. While Labour MPs hail a 'turning point', the borough's Conservative leader urges caution, saying 'the devil is in the detail'. Read the full story.
The DWP's Household Support Fund will pause on 19th December, with payments not restarting until 5th January 2026. Leicestershire residents are urged to check eligibility for food and fuel vouchers.
Birmingham City Council secures a massive £651.5m funding increase over five years as part of a new £78bn government settlement targeting deprived areas. Read the full story.
Persimmon Homes West Midlands has donated £3,000 to Wem and District Rotary Club via its Community Champions scheme. The funds will support local people through events, youth activities, and tackling isolation.
Birmingham City Council proposes selling the freehold of the Grade II listed Alpha Tower to aid its financial recovery. Key committee vote set for December 16.
Struggling UK households begin receiving £100 payments via the Household Support Fund. Find out if you're eligible and how to apply for this vital help with energy and food bills.
Low-income households can apply for emergency payments of up to £200 via the Household Support Fund. Apply now to your local council for help with food and energy bills.
Low-income households can apply for emergency cost-of-living payments from councils. Grants of up to £200 can help with food and energy bills. Apply now for pre-Christmas support.
From a historic pub facelift to a new fly-tipping crackdown, here's your roundup of the latest news and decisions from Solihull Council this week.
Warwick District Council must repay double council tax charged on second homes after admitting it 'acted outside the law'. A procedural mistake forces a costly U-turn.
A Dudley councillor reveals residents wait up to six months for help with potholes and home repairs due to staffing issues, not technology. Read the full investigation.
Birmingham City Council's new Local Plan proposes 15 Green Belt sites in Sutton Coldfield for housing, with over 8,200 potential homes. Public consultation extended to December 19.