Council leaders in England have warned that a multibillion pound deficit from years of overspending on special educational needs has become a “burning platform” that will push scores of councils into bankruptcy within months.They say time is running out to resolve rapidly growing shortfalls and are concerned the government gave no indication in Wednesday’s spending review how it will deal with Send debts, which are expected to exceed £5bn by next March.Official figures show a sharp rise in the n...

Soroka hospital in the southern city of Beersheba has been hit by a ballistic missile, Israeli officials have said, after Iran launched its latest wave of retaliatory strikes on the country. The medical centre has more than 1,000 beds and provides services to the approximately 1 million residents of Israel’s south. In Tel Aviv, a high-rise building showed extensive damage after several missiles targeted the city, wounding at least 40 people

Soroka hospital in the southern city of Beersheba has...

Chester zoo has successfully hatched one of Africa’s rarest species of duck for the first time.It said the successful breeding of four maccoa ducklings formed part of growing efforts to safeguard Africa’s most threatened species.The maccoa population in the wild is estimated to be 5,000, and recent surveys found only 14 in Kenya and fewer than 100 in Tanzania.The ducklings are in Chester zoo’s Heart of Africa zone, a 22.5-acre habitat supporting endangered African species. The habitat is home to...

The variety of wildlife in the UK’s woodlands continues to decline as the habitats deteriorate, according to a new report.The Woodland Trust found that the progressively worsening ecological condition of woodlands is making them a less effective habitat for the wildlife living in them.Only one in 50 native woodlands have more than one veteran tree per 200,000 square metres, the report revealed. The presence of older trees are vital for wildlife as they provide food and habitat.Abigail Bunker, th...

All 21 areas with two-tier local government have been tasked with bringing forward proposals for new unitary councils.
LGC’s latest LGR map shows how many proposals were submitted to the government in each area as well as where each area is up to in its reorganisation and devolution journey and what proposals could mean for the number of councillors in each area.
No area has full consensus about the best approach, meaning the government’s role in deciding which proposals go to public consultatio...

The communities secretary has given his clearest indication yet that postponed council elections will take place in 2026, less than a month after hinting that he was open to further delays.
Nine councils had their 2025 elections postponed for one year so that areas involved in the devolution priority programme would be able to work on their reorganisation business cases in time for their September deadline. But further delays have not previously been ruled out and there have been suggestions tha...

Reform run Staffordshire CC has submitted a letter to the prime minister asking to scrap plans for local government reorganisation (LGR) in the area.
The letter, which is supported by all 62 county councillors, says that LGR would be “unnecessary in Staffordshire and costly to the taxpayer.”
There has been disagreement in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent about what new unitary authorities should look like, with five proposals set to be sent to the government before the 28 November deadline.
Desp...

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) has warned one of its members is unable to make major spending decisions after the suspension of several councillors in Reform run Kent.
Since taking control of Kent CC, Reform UK has suspended five councillors who sat on the Kent and Medway Fire Authority, including its chair and vice chair.
Steve Wright, the general secretary of the FBU, called the situation a “shambles and a threat to public safety.”
Joe Weir, the FBU’s executive council member for the South East,...

The first decision in the process of LGR must be how many authorities will be created, and where the boundaries will be. In their joint proposal, Hampshire County Council set out three options: 2, 3, or 4 mainland UAs. When taking into consideration the transition costs, service fragmentation, local identities and, most importantly, any efficiency savings, the County appear to have concluded that 2 mainland UAs is the best option. A conclusion not shared by other councils in Hampshire....

Jessica Toale, the MP for Bournemouth West, has said that she is hoping to set up a women’s commission in the next year to improve safety for women in Bournemouth.
Last Friday Toale published her Town Centre Action Plan which was made in consultation with residents and the local council.
Speaking about the purpose behind the action plan, Toale said it was a way to meaningfully engage residents on the future of the town.
“There have been lots of strategies written, high-level panels and summits,”...

Dorset remains a county largely inaccessible to disabled passengers wishing to travel by rail.  
Out of 22 train stations in Dorset, just one, Yetminster, is fully accessible for disabled passengers.
Network Rail classifies five stations as category C, meaning they provide no step-free access to any platform.
Earlier this month, the Rail Minister Lord Hendy confirmed the future of 50 train stations that the previous government started feasibility work on.
Projects deemed feasible receive Access...

A former chairman of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council has revealed he is closing his town centre shop after nearly 50 years.
Nigel Hedges’ business, Bourne Engraving, will shut its doors at the end of this year.
The jewellery engraving business opened in 1976.
During this time, Nigel saw the town centre wither away. “There’s one shop that has been empty for 12 years,” he said, “It wouldn’t be shut for 12 days when I first started.”
At its peak, Bourne Engraving was working on police gu...

Abby West reports from Paris on a Dorset student bidding for gold medal gloryBournemouth University student Leo McCrea has his eyes on a medal at the Paralympics in Paris.
Leo, 20, from Poole, began swimming when he was six years old and hasn’t looked back.
His older sister, Jasmine, inspired him to get in the pool, and he says his love for the sport has kept him coming back.
He has since won a silver medals at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2022 and 2023 and now hopes to continue that...

Inside a community hub in Eastleigh, a modest crowd was gathering, nervously waiting to hear from one man. Ben Habib - the deputy leader of Reform UK.
A group of party members sat patiently on rows of small plastic chairs; some had come alone, others with friends or partners. After checking around the room, it became clear that the party failed to target the younger generation.
When Habib, introduced as ‘Mr Brexit Ben,’ walked into the room, the applause c...