Keep Britain Tidy has called for action to target rogue waste operators and strengthen enforcement on waste crime as new research shows that fly-tipping incidents are rising.
Research from the environmental charity revealed that 98 per cent of councils say fly-tipping is a problem in their area, with almost three quarters (70%) reporting a ‘major problem’.
96 per cent of councils are frustrated with the increasing severity of the issue. 56 per cent say incidents have increased in the last year.

London Councils has announced plans to retrofit 20,000 homes and cut energy bills through a London Net Zero Neighbourhood (NZN) programme. 
This would rapidly accelerate the delivery of energy-efficiency measures and clean heat solutions in the capital, retrofitting more than 20,000 homes over five years.

Three community projects in Northern Ireland will receive nearly £64,000 in the latest round of the Northern Ireland Office’s Connect Fund.
On of the projects, The Castle Community Trust in North Belfast is working to beat veterans' social isolation by helping them to build positive relationships with fellow veterans in Great Britain. The ‘Veterans and Volunteers project’ bring together veterans from Belfast and Shrewsbury in England as part of a programme which will include workshops and exchange trips.

The Pride in Place Programme will deliver £5 billion to nearly 250 areas. Each area is to receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next 10 years to make long-term improvements.
The Programme aims to give power to local people and partnerships, bringing together residents, the local MP, the council, businesses and community organisations to decide how they would like to shape their area.

Mayors outside London are to get more power over the government's affordable housing programme.
As part of the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, mayors will be able to prioritise indicative spending of £7 billion, split across six regions.
The initiative is aimed at bringing down record numbers of households stuck on social housing waiting lists and is expected to deliver at least 60 per cent social rent homes.
Mayors will work with Homes England to set the course of action for new affordable housing money in their regions.

The government has launched an independent review into the operations of Social Work England to ensure that social workers are properly supporting vulnerable people.
Social Work England (SWE) is the specialist regulator for social workers in England.
The review will look at how effectively Social Work England is fulfilling its mission, upholding standards, maintaining public confidence in the profession, and protecting the public.

The government has announced £1 billion for two new national forests.
One of the new forests will be in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and a competition will launch in 2026 to establish the location of another in the Midlands or the North of England.
Millions of trees will be planted in the new forests.
The government has allocated over £1 billion his parliament to tree planting and support to the forestry sector. 
A Western Forest was announced in March, covering an area from the Cotswolds to the Mendips.