Answers to questions in Parliament and a year end statement from the Towns Fund Delivery Partner team, have indicated the state of progress with the government's £3.6 billion Towns Fund Levelling Up project, and how individual submissions are being managed from the 101 eligible towns.

A number of schemes are being announced about the future use of the substantial Debenhams department stores in 100 plus towns around the country, following the collapse of the business at the beginning of December, although the prospects for many are unclear.

In a move that bucks a trend of retrenchment amongst local news media, The Oldham Times will become a six-days-a-week print title from January, returning a daily newspaper to the borough after an absence of three years

Proposals for a waterside events centre, year-round surf resort and a revamp of Southport Pleasureland featuren a £50m Sefton Council funding submission to the Government's £3.6bn Towns Fund aimed at rejuvenating town centres across England.

A village society in the Surrey commuter belt at Hersham, whose single Councillor is part of the majority group on Elmbridge District Council, have been given a windfall donation of over £200,000 by a former local resident who died last year

Local authorities are being offered free expert advice, mentoring and other help from a panel of 15o experts, funded by the Government, to assist them evolve their town centres, progress local plans, bid for investment, and respond to the impact of COVID-19

A summary of discussion and projects to consider the future of local parks under the Rethinking Parks initiative, led by Nesta as one of its exploratory projects on new ways of addressing social and economic challenges, has just been published

A self-assessment tool to help green space friends and community groups reflect and strengthen their activities has just been launched by Parks Community UK, the project to bring together and support those working locally to protect and improve local parks and green spaces

Local projects in Kirklees, Kent and Wiltshire have been named as winners in the 2020 Community Archives and Heritage Group (CAHG) Awards, announced at the end of October.

New controversies have arisen over further proposed tower block schemes in Lambeth, South London, with approval just given for the one in Brixton local activists have been campaigning against.

In new announcements from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the 11th November, the Communities Secretary has made an extension to permissions granted to support businesses, and has taken powers to restrict the demolition of cultural venues

Opposition to proposals for the future development of Warrington by the District Council have brought six Parish Councils together in their campaign. The local campaign group unveiled their own new plan ideas at the end of October under the title 'A New Plan for a Changing World’

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee at the House of Commons is asking the public to take part in a survey on the planning system in England and the government’s proposed changes to it.

Activists in Brixton are angered by the discovery that a community group have been supported by a property developer to lend credibility to the company’s bid to build a 20 storey tower block in Brixton town centre

Allocations of funds to the first 7 areas across England to benefit from the government's £3.6 billion Towns Fund have been announced in up to £178.7 million worth of new Town Deals by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick

Thousands of independent businesses in more than 100 towns have come together this month to highlight the importance of high streets and put on special £5 offers for two weeks, as part of the 'Totally Locally Fiver Fest'

Communities across England are being urged to consider owning, leasing and running pubs which are under the threat of closure after the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown – and a support programme is being relaunched to help

A social enterprise project to train people that have experienced homelessness to become walking guides of their own city has just won one of this year's Group Travel Awards. Founder Zakia Moulaoui spoke about the project

In what has been hailed as an ‘historic success’ for the Democracy4Bexhill movement, on Monday September 21st, Rother District Council passed overwhelmingly a proposal to create a new Bexhill Town Council.