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Environment

Military aircraft to help fight wildfires after record summer

Fire services will be able to call on RAF Chinooks and A400M planes, and firefighters will get £45m of lighter protective kit.

24 October 2026 Source: BBC News

Environment

Scientists estimate 4,354 heat deaths in the UK and say climate breakdown caused two in every three deaths across the continent.

23 October 2026 Source: The Guardian

Environment

The service, suspended during the bin strike, should come back as part of the next phase of changes, though not at full capacity at first.

23 October 2026 Source: BirminghamWorld

Environment

A committee warns wildfires are the UK's "new reality" after 19 homes were lost in Stourbridge and crews faced more than 1,100 fires by mid-August.

21 October 2026 Source: BBC News

Environment

Police helped the council seize a vehicle allegedly used to dump rubbish, days after the cabinet member for waste chased a suspected fly-tipper.

20 October 2026 Source: BirminghamWorld

Environment

A bonfire pile looks like a ready-made nest to a hedgehog looking for somewhere to hibernate, the charity warns.

19 October 2026 Source: British Hedgehog Preservation Society

Environment

Sealing gaps around doors, windows and floors is one of the cheapest ways to cut heating bills, but some vents must never be blocked.

18 October 2026 Source: Energy Saving Trust

Environment

Students on Hubert Road say bins have not been emptied since August and they are storing waste in their homes.

17 October 2026 Source: Birmingham Live

Environment

The Environment Agency says reservoirs are 21% below normal, and Severn Trent remains at drought level 2 in North Staffordshire.

17 October 2026 Source: Environment Agency

Environment

The service was suspended during the bin strike, and the council wants to bring it back if its new collection model goes ahead.

15 October 2026 Source: Birmingham Live