16 h. ago UK council to fine people £100 if they're caught swearing in public spaces

Thanet District Council has launched a fresh bid to introduce a public space protection order (PSPO) after it was scrapped last year following a threat of legal action

Economics

3 d. ago I don’t plan to have children. That doesn’t mean I want them banished from my life | Rachel Connolly

As Britain’s birthrate falls, hostility towards children in public spaces seems to be rising. That’s sad for all of usIt struck me recently that, as a woman in my 30s, I am almost never asked about my plans to have children. Even in the few instances I have been, the question arose naturally in a related conversation and each time, when I said “Oh I don’t think I want children”, the other person responded politely and didn’t push any agenda.We could draw conclusions on what this says about other people’s impressions of my lifestyle or my mothering instincts. But let’s choose to see this anecdote in a positive light. I imagine that, even as recently as 10 years ago, I would have had to endure endless hectoring and intrusive comments about the so-called “biological clock”. Or about ending up lonely in my old age or having a life which feels somehow empty or unfulfilled, as if that never happens to people with children.Rachel Connolly is the author of the novel Lazy City Continue readi...

Politics

4 d. ago New £100 fines introduced for dog owners who fail to clean up mess

Councillors agreed to a public spaces protection order across the county which includes a £100 fine for not cleaning up dog mess

Economics

4 d. ago Calls for Welsh Government to open 'cool hubs' in public spaces during heatwave

It comes as the Met Office has said temperatures could climb to 33°C in parts of Wales this weekend

Politics

7 d. ago Plans unveiled to transform Pomona Island into 'waterfront district'

The proposed vision for Manchester Waters will see public realm and green spaces delivered on more than half of the site

Politics

7 d. ago The former Caerphilly indoor market is being turned into a new apartment and office scheme

The development from Linc Cymru will see 71 apartments new commercial units and public space

Society

1 week ago Holiday warning for Brits as selfie mistake could land you with £100,000 fine

Brits heading on holidays this summer are being warned to check the rules for taking photos in public spaces as some countries have some hefty fines in place if you get it wrong

Events

2 w. ago Parent living near Heaton Park demands dress code is put in place for Oasis gig

'This is not a matter of taste or fashion - it is a matter of basic public standards, community respect, and moral decency in shared spaces'

Society

2 w. ago Women in India don’t want ‘safe zones’ – they want to enjoy public spaces as equals | Nilanjana Bhowmick

Segregation does not make going outside any safer or more comfortable for women – it only reinforces the idea that the public sphere belongs to menA couple of weeks ago, I was in an upmarket neighbourhood in Delhi for a photoshoot. The sun was already unforgiving, and only a handful of walkers and joggers had dared to step out in the heat. A few children, on their summer break from school, gave curious glances in our direction, but they quickly lost interest and returned to their games. Women walking by offered quick looks, but the men stared – every single one who passed us.Then one went a step further. Mid-shoot, he walked straight up and interrupted us. At first, we smiled – out of habit, out of conditioning – thinking that he would leave. But he didn’t. Instead, his questions turned increasingly personal. From “What are you doing?” to “Do you have an Insta page?” and “Where do you stay?”, the questions grew increasingly intrusive. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago I was one of those men who couldn’t stop talking. Here’s how I learned to shut up and listen

After realising how much I interrupted other people, I decided I needed to make a drastic change. Here’s how starting to listen changed my relationships – and made me happierI like to talk as much as the next man – and men like to talk. A now-famous study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, noted that, in a series of recorded public conversations between men and women, 48 interruptions occurred, 46 of which came from men. The 2024 Women in the Workplace survey by McKinsey found that nearly 40% of women experienced being interrupted or spoken over “more than others” at work, against 20% of men.Men in public spaces, according to research, talk more than women, talk over women, and talk down to women, contributing to the rise of gender neologisms such as manologuing, bropropriating and mansplaining. So, aware that men tend to dominate and disrupt, aware that the world at large feels unbearably loud, aware that I, too, often add to that noise, I decided to learn to keep my m...

Politics

3 w. ago Arnaldo Pomodoro, whose bronze spheres decorate prominent public spaces around the world, dies at 98

Arnaldo Pomodoro, one of Italy’s most prominent contemporary artists, has died at age 98

Events

3 w. ago Backlash from thousands who want parking fees scrapped at popular Welsh beach

The council say the charges help to maintain an important public space

Politics

4 w. ago Spain's new travel rules include hefty fines for a specific mistake

Spain has expanded its restrictions on alcohol in public spaces, with drinking on the streets, parks, and on beaches strictly prohibited

Politics