Wakefield's main cemetery, Sugar Lane Cemetery, is expected to become full within seven years and Councillor Nadeem Ahmed has called for creating a new cemetery to be a priority. The motion urges officers to consult with stakeholders, including nearby landowners, allotment holders, religious groups, and residents before making a final decision on a new site. Ahmed also wants allotments next to the cemetery to receive priority in negotiations. Residents are concerned about the future availability of plots, particularly for those who require burial rather than cremation, and the council has previously extended cemeteries or explored other potential sites to provide new burial plots across the district.

The Dutch parliament has voted to ban buying and setting off fireworks, but only after next New Year's Eve. The ban was approved by a majority of MPs, but with a delay due to concerns about compensation claims from fireworks suppliers. The decision comes after years of chaos on New Year's Eve, including two deaths and 1,162 injuries last year, as well as property damage and rioting. Many Dutch cities have already banned fireworks or created firework-free zones, but the ban has been largely ignored in the past.

Furious locals in Folkestone, Kent, have complained about holidaymakers ruining a clifftop beauty spot by parking campervans "wherever they like" and leaving human waste behind. Residents say tourists are staying for several nights and throwing rubbish into their gardens. Some have even reported finding human waste and urine bottles thrown over the fence. The issue has been exacerbated by new parking restrictions that ban campervans between midnight and 7am.

Prime Minister Starmer will relax green rules to boost the UK car industry, exempting work vans and supercars from the 2030 ban on new petrol vehicles due to the fallout from Donald Trump’s tariff war. Luxury vehicle manufacturers like Aston Martin, Bentley, and McLaren will be allowed to continue selling petrol-only models beyond the cut-off year. Additionally, the ban on petrol and diesel vans has been delayed until 2035, and swingeing fines on manufacturers have been reduced and postponed.