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:

• Construction awards for Leicester City Council
• New homes in Salford
• Work starts on Cardiff Crossrail
• Doncaster city centre remediation works
• New Plymouth community diagnostic centre
• New woodlands in Merton
• North Tyneside school’s breakfast club success 

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

Leicester: Leicester City Council wins two regional construction awards

Two of Labour Leicester City Council’s development projects have been recognised at this year’s Constructing Excellence East Midlands Awards.

Hillview children’s home, which opened in November 2025 and provides accommodation for five young people between the ages of seven and 17, was named the Residential Scheme of the Year. The home has five bedrooms with ensuite facilities, as well as two semi-independent living flats, to help young people leaving care learn to live independently. There is also a kitchen, lounge, sleeping quarters for staff and a games room with ‘street art’ wall. The £1.8m scheme was supported with a contribution of £800,000 from the Department for Education and is the city council’s first purpose-built children’s home to be constructed for more than 40 years.

Canopy, in King Street, is the result of the regeneration of five former factory heritage buildings and now provides more than 30,000sqft of high-quality workspace to support the city’s creative and design sector, becoming a base for businesses with a focus on enterprise and innovation, and helping to support around 250 jobs in the city centre. Canopy’s tenants will have access to meeting rooms and conference facilities, a co-working lounge, a reception area, an outdoor courtyard and coffee shop and bakery. This project won the Regeneration and Conservation Project of the Year award.

Salford: Salford completes Little Hulton homes

Contractor Seddon has completed 177 Passivhaus-designed homes off Longshaw Drive in Little Hulton, Salford, built on the former 12-acre site of Harrop Fold High School. The £39 million development is one of the largest affordable housing initiatives by Labour Salford City Council, with 92 affordable or social rented homes. The remaining 85 homes are for the private rental sector or open market sale.

The scheme has transformed an empty brownfield site into a thriving neighbourhood of high-quality homes, built to Passivhaus standards. These energy-efficient homes will help residents keep their bills down.

Cardiff: Work starts on the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail 

Enabling works to transform Callaghan Square as part of the first phase of Cardiff Crossrail have started, with a new tram-train route set to be built between Cardiff Central Railway Station and Cardiff Bay in a joint project between Labour Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales. The project will help manage the increase in footfall, transport visitors to and from Cardiff’s 16,500-seat indoor arena currently under construction, and carry workers, residents and visitors between the Bay and the city centre.

Phase 1a of the scheme will deliver:

• A new tram-train connection between Cardiff Central Station and Cardiff Bay, via the new Loudoun Square Railway Station, which is currently under construction
• New tram platforms at Cardiff Central Railway Station and an additional platform at Cardiff Bay Railway Station
• A new twin-track tramway through Callaghan Square
• Fully segregated cycle routes and improved pedestrian crossings

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Doncaster: Remediation works completed to attract city centre development

Extensive remediation works have been completed at Doncaster’s Waterfront East Park, off Chappell Drive, which has been transformed from an underused, contaminated piece of land into a temporary green, open space. The remediated land will attract development projects and further investment for the city centre and is funded by the Government, Labour’s South Yorkshire Mayor and backed by Homes England.

Labour Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, says that Waterfront East represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the city centre and create a dynamic new neighbourhood that people are proud to live, work and invest in. The Waterfront area was previously used as a Victorian gas works and a sewage pumping station. Specialised works have removed soil contaminants such as cyanide, arsenic and lead and included the delivery of new topsoil, trees and new perimeter fencing

Plymouth: New Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre Opens 

The Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre has been officially opened, marking a major milestone in improving access to diagnostic services for local people. Located on Western Approach in Plymouth City Centre, the £22 million facility will provide a wide range of vital tests, scans and checks in a convenient, community-based setting. The new centre is expected to deliver more than 91,600 diagnostic tests each year, with capacity for up to 330 appointments per day, helping reduce waiting times and improve patient experience.

The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic technology, including two MRI scanners, two CT scanners – one of which is a specialist cardiac CT scanner, and two X-ray rooms. Additional services include ultrasound, phlebotomy, lung function testing and audiology. By bringing these services into the heart of the city, the centre will help patients access care more quickly and closer to home, while also easing pressure on Derriford Hospital. The central location also enables patients to attend multiple appointments in a single visit and benefit from nearby amenities, such as shops and cafés.

Merton: New woodlands in Morden Park and other areas across Merton

Thousands of trees are set to be planted across Merton over the next year by the Labour London Borough, creating several new woodland areas that will benefit both wildlife and local communities. The first new woodland will be created in Morden Park, with further locations to be confirmed in the coming months. Sites are being identified where new tree planting can deliver the greatest benefits for both residents and the local environment, with local Friends of Parks groups helping to shape the plans. The first trees will be planted during the next planting season, which runs from November to March. 1,000 new street trees were planted during the last planting season.

As these woodlands mature, they will create beautiful new green spaces for residents to enjoy and improve biodiversity by providing valuable habitats for local wildlife. They will also help provide shade during periods of hot weather, support the long-term storage of carbon, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable local environment.

North Tyneside: Riverside Primary School’s breakfast club success 

Riverside Primary School in Meadow Well, North Tyneside, is celebrating the success of its new “Ready, Set, Breakfast Club”, which is making a significant difference to pupils’ attendance, wellbeing and engagement. Since launching in April as part of Labour’s national Free Breakfast Club Programme, the initiative has gone from strength to strength. Attendance across the school has risen by around 50%, with more than 80% of pupils now having taken part in at least one session.

The club has quickly become one of the most popular parts of the school day. In recent weeks more than 100 pupils have been attending every morning, representing around 70% of the school’s 152 pupils on roll. The club is helping children to build positive routines, boost confidence and arrive in class ready to learn. It is also playing an important role in reducing anxiety and ensuring pupils begin the day in a calm and supportive environment.

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