Councils will be better placed to apply government policy where new homes, in areas at risk of flooding, should meet recommended standards on flood resilience

Its investigation found the merger would likely result in higher cost or lower quality services for councils, with knock-on effects for taxpayers, as well as businesses across the UK

The scheme will support EV charging infrastructure in nine local authorities

Energy efficiency is the single most important measure toward net zero, according to a survey

Most councils do not currently have the resources available to meet their net zero goals, according to a new survey

It believes the merger could create a loss of competition and hike in costs for waste management services

The government’s Air Quality Grant helps councils across England develop and implement measures that benefit schools, businesses and communities and improve air quality

Some of the upgrades that will be trialled include the installation of heat pumps, intelligent energy systems and solar panels

They can apply for projects including electric vehicle charging points, cycling infrastructure and developing local online air quality resources

Five councils will install a total of 73 charging networks across 33 car parks