Reports and Resources

The Environmental Act 2021 holds English Local Authorities accountable for the separate collection of household food waste from the 1st of April 2026. To fulfil this legal requirement, the Newcastle City Council piloted a Household Food Waste Collection scheme across 5,183 homes in September 2024 at least once a week.

This briefing is based on findings from a research project that analysed the role of ‘community power’ for ‘just transitions’ in the North East. It provides guidance for how to work with place-based communities to improve public services, and much more.

For over a decade, concern has mounted about places in Europe and North America that have been ‘left behind’ by the growth and prosperity experienced in more economically dynamic regions. This briefing paper summarises the findings from the ‘Beyond Left Behind Places’ project.

Local authorities in England are facing significant financial challenges, with a collective deficit projected to reach £9.3 billion by 2026–27.

Local growth and productivity are issues that successive governments have tried to resolve, with limited effect. This briefing focuses on how regions can harness existing knowledge and expertise to formulate a local plan that works for their place.

This policy brief tackles the challenge of declining active travel rates, particularly among school children, as seen in cities like Newcastle upon Tyne, where walking and cycling remains a less preferred option.