BBC Village News Links

All of the features below are from the BBC News website and relate to villages and towns in the UK.

Councils to get help to stop 'garden-grabbing'
9th June 2010

Councils in England are to get greater powers to stop developers building homes on gardens, the government says.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Ashtead villagers fight Tesco store plan
2nd May 2010

Residents are hoping to raise £25,000 to fight plans to build a Tesco supermarket in a Surrey village.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Calls to reduce light pollution 'backed by CPRE survey'
30th April 2010

Most people feel their view of the night sky is spoiled by artificial light, a survey suggests.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

More land given to growing food in Brighton
25th January 2010

Council-owned land in Brighton and Hove could soon be used to grow food.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Red phone box has new life as library
29th Novembery 2009

A traditional red phone box has been recycled into one of the country's smallest lending libraries - stocking 100 books.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Village community shop milestone celebrated
5th Novembery 2009

200 people have descended on a village shop to celebrate a success which is bucking the trend.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

New life for an old pub
23rd July 2009

Britain's pubs are closing at a rate of 52 a week.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Communities saving cherished stores
10th July 2009

Many small independent stores have fallen victim to the economic downturn, but a growing number of communities are fighting back.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Allotments Hell in earth
28th June 2009

Want an allotment? Before you get swept in the trend, the BBC's Paul Reynolds, has some words of warning.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Growers reject allotment security
24th June 2009

Some allotment holders in Leicester have given up securing their plots as they are burgled so often.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Off-licence to use biometric tool
27th May 2009

An off-licence manager in Leicester has installed a biometric scanner in his shop to prevent sales of alcohol to underage teenagers.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Pothole go-slow to 'calm traffic'
16th April 2009

An Essex parish council wants potholes to be left unfilled for longer to act as a "natural traffic calming" measure.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

A celebration of the humble village hall
13th April 2009

When I pass a sign pointing to a village hall, I'll divert and have a look. I've turned into a village hall spotter...
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Our pub's about to shut ...
4th March February 2009

Six pubs a day close in the UK, and MPs and brewers are holding a crisis summit to find a way to help struggling publicans.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Thousands apply for Leicestershire zoo positions
28th February 2009

Thousands of people have applied for 150 summer jobs at Twycross Zoo.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Land freed for 1,000 allotments
19th February 2009

The National Trust is releasing enough land for up to 1,000 allotments, on some of the most famous country estates in Britain..
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Town shoppers prove their honesty
2nd January 2009

A shopkeeper in North Yorkshire who wanted a day off on Boxing Day decided to leave his store open and let his customers help themselves.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Downturn helps village save shop
5th December 2008

A community in Somerset has clubbed together to buy a village shop threatened with closure.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Village adopts red telephone box
November 2008

A village has "adopted" its red telephone box to try to save it from being scrapped.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

The village of the cloned
11th September 2008

People in a West Midlands village say they have come under attack from organised criminals who have somehow cloned many of their credit and debit cards.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

3,000 more post offices 'at risk'
11th May 2008

A further 3,000 post offices may be forced to close, the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters has warned.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Speed humps cut after complaints
13th March 2008
Speed humps in a village in Staffordshire are to be removed or modified.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Earthquake hits much of England
27th February 2008

The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years shakes homes across large parts of England.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Red tape 'deterring volunteers'
28th January 2008
People are being put off volunteering by red tape and needless criminal checks.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Lasers unearth historical sites
22nd January 2008
Laser technology is being used to locate potential archaeological sites.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Pantomime gun must be registered
18th January 2008
A Cornish village drama group has had to register a toy gun with the police to comply with health and safety rules.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Sustainability quiz
17th November 2007
How sustainable is the food you buy and eat? Are you aware of the issues that crop up every time you pick something off the supermarket shelf? Test yourself on food, fish and other sustainable factors.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Can a village really make you healthy?
15th November 2007
Ministers say we should learn from places in Finland and France, but a Buckinghamshire village has also been pioneering the approach.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Village-owned post office expands
5th November 2007
Planners have given approval for the single-storey extension
Work is starting on the expansion of a Devon post office that villagers clubbed together to keep going.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Noise annoys
5th November 2007
Silence is golden, but it's under threat in a world where as business booms and prosperity looms, noise is growing.
read more on the BBC website (new window)

Town bans plastic bags 'forever'
29th October 2007
The reusable bag is printed in the UK with organic ink
A Devon town that sparked off a national movement to ban plastic bags from its shops is making the initiative a permanent one.
read more on the BBC website (new window)