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:

• Wolverhampton City Learning Quarter now complete
• The Gillingham Taskforce gets to work
• Demolition starts in the regeneration of Prestwich village
• £102,000 illegal tobacco uncovered in Barking & Dagenham raid
• Cardiff’s Catherine Gardens play area re-opens after upgrade
• E-scooters start in Brighton & Hove
• North East Mayor and Homes England launch joint delivery unit

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

Wolverhampton: City Learning Quarter now complete

Wolverhampton’s £61m City Learning Quarter is now complete following the completion of improvement works to the city’s Central Library and Adult Education building, the final phase of a major regeneration project in the heart of the city centre. The works have transformed the Grade II*-listed Central Library through extensive heritage restoration, including roof replacement, renewed leadwork and like-for-like copper replacement of the main spire and matching domes. The interior has been renovated with new flooring, shelving and furniture as well as a new rear entrance lobby and remodelled extension space.

The neighbouring Adult Education Wolverhampton building on Old Hall Street has been internally remodelled to create more flexible classroom space, a new teaching kitchen and a two-storey glazed link building connecting it directly to the library’s 1930s extension. Together with the new college campus that opened to students in November 2025, the completed quarter provides a modernised, digitally enabled hub for education and skills in Wolverhampton city centre. Future public realm works are planned to connect the rear of the facilities with the nearby St George’s development. The £61m scheme was funded by the Labour council alongside £49m in Government funding, with additional contributions from government grants and the college.

Gillingham: The Gillingham Taskforce gets to work

The Gillingham Taskforce, led by MP for Gillingham and Rainham, Naushabah Khan, includes representation from Gillingham North, Gillingham South and Watling wards. In addition, the Taskforce also comprises officers from Kent Police and Labour Medway Council services, with the aim of making the town centre a better place to live, work, learn and visit.

• A safer high street – The team has installed eight new CCTV cameras in the high street and started an ANPR camera trial, extending parking restrictions in the pedestrianised high street from 6:30pm to midnight, with fines being issued to any offenders.
• Better housing decisions – An Article 4 Direction within Gillingham North, Gillingham South and Watling wards has been issued to place tighter local restrictions on Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This ensures that changes of use from single dwelling houses to small-scale HMOs now require planning permission.
• A cleaner high street  – £100,000 worth of council funding to improve street cleaning in both Gillingham and Chatham High Street.
• Tackling anti-social behaviour – Since 1 January 2026, there has been an increased police presence in the high street to tackle anti-social behaviour. Police officers have spent nearly 1,000 hours in Gillingham High Street.

Bury: Demolition starts in the £100m regeneration of Prestwich village

Having served Prestwich for more than 60 years, the Longfield Centre will now be demolished to pave the way for the next stage of regeneration and the long-term transformation of Prestwich village by Prestwich Regeneration LLP, a joint venture between Labour Bury Council and Muse, its private sector partner. Initial preparatory works have already been completed ahead of the Longfield Centre demolition programme, which will begin with the internal strip-out of the retail units and the main Longfield Centre building.

Since the outline plans were approved in July 2024, the masterplan has been further refined. The current plan proposes to deliver 248 build-to-rent apartments, a market hall with space for 13 independent food, drink and retail operators, an enlarged village square, a new retail and community hub featuring a new library, and green spaces at the heart of Prestwich.

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Barking and Dagenham: £102,000 illegal tobacco uncovered in Trading Standards operation

More than 113,000 illicit cigarette sticks with an estimated street value of over £102,000 have been seized in one of the largest illegal tobacco hauls ever uncovered in Barking and Dagenham. The seizure was made during a major multi-agency operation led by Labour Barking and Dagenham Council’s Trading Standards team, following weeks of intelligence gathering and evidence-led investigations.

Officers, supported by a specialist tobacco detection dog, the Metropolitan Police and the council’s Private Sector Housing team, uncovered hidden stockpiles of illegal cigarettes in storage accommodation above commercial premises. Officers recovered more than 113,000 cigarette sticks concealed beneath makeshift beds, inside suitcases, supermarket carrier bags and storage boxes in an apparent attempt to avoid detection. Investigators also seized evidence linking the premises to a number of other shops across the borough, suggesting the existence of a wider illicit tobacco supply network. Illegal tobacco harms communities by undercutting legitimate businesses, making cheap tobacco more readily available, depriving the public purse of tax revenue and helping to fund organised criminal activity. Trading Standards officers are now continuing their investigation.

Cardiff: Catherine Gardens play area reopens after upgrade

Catherine Gardens play area in Rumney is one of the latest in Cardiff to benefit from an upgrade by Labour Cardiff County Council and has now been reopened to the public following a refurbishment that includes the city’s longest slide. Local children and families can now enjoy a wide range of ‘medieval’-themed play equipment, including new swings, a springer, a ‘castle’ multi-unit, ‘dragon’ slide and climbing kart. The project has also delivered upgraded steps, handrails and safety surfacing, as well as an improved seating area, creating a more welcoming and accessible space for the community.

This investment is part of the Labour Council’s ongoing work to improve play spaces across Cardiff, helping to create healthy, active communities and giving children safe, imaginative places to play.

Brighton: E-scooters start in Brighton & Hove

The first e-scooters of a regulated, citywide trial are now available to hire in Brighton & Hove. Initially, 100 Beryl e-scooters will be available at 20 phase-one hubs with dedicated racks installed along the seafront, in the city centre and at both Brighton and Hove railway stations, with the rollout continuing over the summer. By the end of phase 2, 300 e-scooters will be available to hire from 34 hubs across the city. In phase 3, at least 18 more sites will be consulted on.

The scheme includes several no-go and go-slow zones, and weekday night-time and weekend curfews. The launch means Brighton & Hove joins more than 50 towns and cities across the UK currently running e-scooter trials. The use of private e-scooters remains illegal. Residents, commuters and visitors can hire an e-scooter using the Beryl app. While it’s not a legal requirement to use one, users will also be incentivised to wear helmets through an online retailer discount and signposted guidance on quality.

North East: North East Mayor and Homes England launch joint delivery unit

North East Labour Mayor Kim McGuinness and Homes England have launched a joint delivery unit to focus on unlocking complex development sites and speeding up the delivery of major schemes. The Major Projects Delivery Unit will provide shared project oversight, specialist expertise and coordinated delivery support to bring forward housing and regeneration projects more quickly. A key focus of the partnership will be unlocking brownfield land for development, alongside accelerating progress across the region’s three Mayoral Development Zones (Newcastle and Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham).

The initiative is intended to support increased housebuilding, including the delivery of more affordable and social housing, while driving economic growth and job creation. By pooling resources and expertise, the partners aim to bring forward major projects at pace, supporting the North East’s wider ambitions for housing growth and long-term regeneration.

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