£1.6 billion investment to tackle scourge of potholes to be delivered to councils from next month as PM tells councils to put cash to use. For the first time every council in England must publish how many potholes they’ve filled or lose road cash. Local authorities that comply will receive their full share of the £500m roads pot – enough to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes a year, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change. Government also announces £4.8bn for 25/26 for motorways and major A-roads including economy boosting road schemes on the A47 and M3.

Northern has praised all of the volunteers who work to make “a real difference” for passengers, after dozens were recognised at the Community Rail Awards. Station adoption groups, community groups and community rail partnerships across the country received awards during a ceremony in Newcastle last week.

British consumers much more likely to say cost (70%) and quality (62%) drive their purchasing decisions. Young Britons are no more likely than older ones to say social or ethical considerations are one of the top factors when choosing between products. Among the 5% who say social and ethical considerations are most important for choosing product, environmental concerns were the most significant area.

New buyer enquiries and agreed sales tip slightly negative. House prices continue rising overall at a national level, but momentum wanes. Coming changes to stamp duty threshold impacting decision-making Near-term expectations point to a further softening in the months ahead. Lettings demand reduces again but availability of rental properties reduces at a faster rate leading to more rent price increases

A new report by UK ecology consultancy, Arbtech, reveals that the Government’s plans, announced in Tuesday’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, for a new tax on development that includes a single payment into a Nature Restoration Fund could put UK cities at risk of losing green space and nature.

Overall YouGov/Centre for Economics and Business Research consumer confidence index increases by 1.4 points in February. However, Britons were less optimistic about household finances for the year ahead (-1.4), and workers more worried about job security (-0.5) compared to January 2025. Business activity measures for past 30 days (+2.0) and next 12 months (+1.2) rise Outlook for house prices rises (+5.2), as do retrospective measures (+1.6)

UK household wealth across savings, investments and physical possessions has risen 12% over the last 12 months - with pay rises, better savings rates, investment performance, and paying off debts driving an improved financial picture for many.

A third of drivers feel a lot less safe on any form of ‘smart’ motorway than they did three years ago, according to a new AA survey. However, two thirds felt safer on a traditional motorway. These new figures highlight the scale of anxiety drivers suffer on ‘smart’ motorways. The 4th annual safety Stocktake due to be published last year has yet to be released.

Tractor Fest returns to North Yorkshire this summer, marking its 19th anniversary as the UK’s largest tractor festival. Newby Hall, near Ripon, will host the famous tractor spectacle over the weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025.

LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ peers, according to new national research. Of those surveyed, 1 in 4 LGBTQ+ people had experienced homelessness, compared to official government figure of 4%. This rose to 1 in 3 for trans and non-binary youth. Mainstream services are struggling to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ young people, with 50% of young people coming to akt reporting a poor experience of other services.

Main findings Unpaid overtime is an issue for millions of workers: 3.8 million people did unpaid overtime in 2024, putting in an average of 7.2 unpaid hours a week. For those workers, that’s equivalent on average to £8,000 a year of wages going unpaid for work done.