Delivering in local government: How Labour is building a better Britain everywhere

Labour Councils up and down the country are helping to improve the lives of their residents.

Week in, week out, Labour councils, working in partnership with the NHS, Homes England and the Labour Government, are getting things done for their local communities on the things that matter to local people.

Every week, ‘LabourList’ brings you a selection of the great work being done by Labour Councils and Labour Mayors.

This week we feature:

• A new public square in Cardiff
• Youth support expansion in Nottingham
• Upgrades to 24 roads in Blackpool
• A new specialist secondary school in Middlesbrough
• 49 new Council homes in Margate and Ramsgate
• New homes awards in Newham
• Transformation of Huddersfield bus station

Please send news from your council to Paul Dimoldenberg at [email protected] 

Cardiff: New Public Square to be built on Kingsway

A new public square is to be built on Kingsway, creating a tree-lined boulevard with seating, landscaping and open space, as part of a wider scheme to improve active travel routes and public transport to the eastern edge of Cardiff. The new public space will introduce step-free crossings, wide footways and new cycle routes, as well as rain gardens and drainage features integrated into the design. The new road layout and public space will create a link between the city centre and the civic centre, resulting in a public space for markets, performances and gatherings.

The scheme will begin with the first phase delivering a new cycleway from Cardiff city centre to Cypress Drive in St Mellons and the county boundary. This will be supported by measures to prioritise buses, improving journey times and service reliability. The Kingsway improvements form part of the first phase and are funded through grants from the Regional Transport Fund, the Burns Grant Fund and Labour Cardiff Council’s Capital Programme. 

Nottingham: Youth support set for major expansion across Nottingham

Young people across Nottingham are set to benefit from a major expansion of youth support, with new investment helping more children and young people access trusted support, develop new skills and take part in positive activities in their communities. The investment will see 40 Youth and Development Workers operating in neighbourhoods across Nottingham. Youth workers will be based in community spaces, schools and on the streets, helping young people access support where and when they need it.

Alongside this, Labour Nottingham City Council is launching a new programme that will increase access to music, arts, sport and leadership opportunities for children and young people, particularly those from low-income families and groups who are less likely to participate in these activities. The programme is expected to support over 1,000 children and young people in its first phase and forms part of a wider ambition to ensure every child has access to opportunities that help them thrive, regardless of their background.

The initiative forms part of Labour Nottingham City Council’s wider £7.6 million programme of investment into frontline services, focused on supporting residents and communities with the cost of living and improving access to help where it is needed most.

Blackpool: A further 24 Blackpool roads set to receive major upgrades

Labour Blackpool Council has added a further 24 residential roads to its resurfacing programme, including Devonshire Road, with 15 roads set to be completed before the summer holidays. This is part of a significant £6m investment in Blackpool’s roads, focused on improving the streets people use every day to park by their homes, get to work, visit shops and appointments, and support family life.

Blackpool Council’s road maintenance budget has increased by £6m this year, targeted at resurfacing and restoring key routes, extending the life of Blackpool’s roads for years to come. Since February, 21 residential roads across the town have already been resurfaced, covering more than 44,000 square metres of road. These improvements are making everyday journeys smoother, safer and greener for residents, businesses and visitors.

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Middlesbrough: New specialist secondary school announced

A new secondary school for children with special educational needs and disabilities will be built in Middlesbrough. The free school, which will be operated by Horizons Specialist Academy Trust, will provide specialist support for children at a time of growing demand. Labour Middlesbrough Council originally secured funding for a new primary school but amended its proposal following a review of local need.

The new school will provide a positive and motivating environment where students can be successful and develop with the support of inspirational teachers. Alongside this, the school will provide a range of outreach support to further enhance inclusion within mainstream settings. Elsewhere in Middlesbrough, the Labour Council is working alongside the DfE and Outwood Grange Academies Trust on a new secondary school in Middlehaven. Building work on Outwood Academy Riverside started last year with students expected to move to their new home in 2027. 

Thanet: 49 new council homes in Ramsgate and Margate

Labour Thanet District Council has delivered 49 high-quality, energy-efficient council homes across four sites in Ramsgate and Margate, transforming underused brownfield land into modern residential developments. Every home is owned and managed by the council and let to local households from the council’s Housing Register, at affordable rents, no higher than the Local Housing Allowance. The four completed sites are:

• Clements Road, Ramsgate: 9 flats on a former parking area.
• Staner Court, Ramsgate: 11 family houses on a former garage site.
• Tomlin Drive, Margate: 12 family houses replacing underused garage blocks.
• Dane Valley Arms, Margate: 17 homes on the site of a former pub that had been vacant for over a decade.

Priority is given to applicants from the postcode areas surrounding each site, helping to keep people connected to the neighbourhoods they already call home. Accessible and wheelchair-adapted units are matched to households with specific mobility and disability requirements. So far, 39 of the 49 new homes have been let to local people at affordable rent. Of these, 15 households were previously in temporary accommodation, provided by the council at significant cost. Ramsgate-based contractor WW Martin Ltd built the homes, using a workforce that was 90% local to Thanet. 

Newham: Newham scoops top honours for affordable homes at the 2026 RIBA London Awards

Labour Newham Council is celebrating a major success at the RIBA London Awards 2026, with two of its housing developments recognised for outstanding design, sustainability and community impact. Plashet Road in Upton Park and Noele Gordon House in East Ham have both received Awards, with Plashet Road also winning the RIBA London Sustainability Award.

Plashet Road, designed by Levitt Bernstein, is Newham’s first Passivhaus-certified housing development. It provides 65 affordable homes and a nursery, designed to be highly energy efficient and low-cost to run. Residents benefit from warmer homes, lower energy bills, and a healthier living environment.

Noele Gordon House, designed by Mae Architects, offers 75 affordable homes for residents aged over 55, alongside a new community health centre. The scheme supports independence, wellbeing and social connection.

The council has already delivered around 855 affordable homes and is on track to reach 1,000 new council homes by early 2027. Developments are being built on council-owned land, funded through the Housing Revenue Account and supported by grant from the Labour Greater London Authority to meet the needs of residents.

West Yorkshire: Work starts on the £28m transformation of Huddersfield Bus Station 

The renovation of Huddersfield bus station, supported by Labour West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, will provide passengers with a modern bus station which is more welcoming, accessible and energy efficient. The revamped facility will be part of the Weaver Network, West Yorkshire’s new, integrated transport network, joining up buses and trains and making it easier to travel across the region.

There will be a new entrance canopy, solar panels and a green roof, along with new cycle parking, upgraded shop fronts and public space improvements outside the building.

Huddersfield will be the third Weaver Network bus station in Kirklees, with Heckmondwike and Dewsbury bus stations both due to open later this year. Over the last few years, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has also delivered the £20.5m transformation of Halifax Bus Station.

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