The checklist is designed to ensure local plans are ready for examination, resulting in a more efficient process for both local planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorat.

The measures proposed in the consultation will support the government’s commitment to reduce water usage in England by 20% per person per day by 2038

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has spoken about the government’s first-ever Regional Investment Summit, aimed at driving economic growth and job creation across every part of the UK.

A new law giving Welsh councils the choice to introduce a small charge on overnight stays has received Royal Assent.
The funds raised will be reinvested locally to support tourism.
Individual councils will decide how the money will be spent - for example on improving toilets, footpaths, beaches, visitor centres and activities.
The levy will be collected and managed by the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA).

24 new electric double-decker buses will be taking to the roads in Norfolk.
The increase is supported by a £13.8 million investment, £8.9 million from First Bus and the rest from Norfolk’s Bus Service Improvement Plan grant.
The new buses will begin service in Great Yarmouth and Norwich by Autumn 2026.
Meanwhile, the Caister Road depot in Great Yarmouth will be upgraded to support 10 electric buses serving service 8, connecting James Paget Hospital to Caister via the town centre.

The Civil Service Fast Stream has come out on top of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers Awards.
It also won the title of Best Public Sector Employer.
The ranking is based on research involving more than 15,000 final year students from universities across the UK.
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, said: "I’m delighted that the Civil Service Fast Stream has been recognised by graduates as a great place to kick-start a fulfilling career in public service.

Civil servants are being invited to apply for the latest round of the Civil Service AI and Data Challenge.
AI and data ideas that could improve how the government works and tackles major challenges are being sought including on how to cut doctor's waiting lists, cut benefit fraud and boost business exports.
An idea from a previous winner - using aerial photographs and AI to create detailed maps of the surface features of peatlands - is now being used to map all peatland surface features across England.

£12.9 million of Welsh Government funding is being used to support Welsh communities to transition to renewable energy.
48 successful projects will share the money from the Ynni Cymru Capital Grant Scheme - including solar panels, heat pumps, battery storage and electric vehicle charging points.
The Grant Scheme aims to accelerate the deployment of Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) and is a key part of Wales’ goal to generate 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

29 local cultural projects across Wales are set to receive a share of £3 million in Welsh Government funding.
18 local museum, five library and six archive projects will receive funding to enhance their facilities and make them more accessible for visitors
The 1910 Conacher Pipe Organ at Pontypridd Museum is the beneficiary of £150,000. visitors will soon be able to hear the organ play on demand through a digitally controlled trigger which allows a recital to be recorded and then played back without an organist being present.

Government Skills has launched a new digital platform for civil servants to get easy access to one-to-one coaching.
Government Skills’ Internal Coaching Service enables user to access a database of more than 250 fully-trained coaches, all current civil servants. It sets up a messaging channel between the coach and coachee, through which they can organise face-to-face or online sessions.
The new system replaces an older system, which was based on a spreadsheet.