Main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland
Shetland Islands Council has backed a plan to explore four subsea tunnels, linking Mainland with Yell and Unst, with later links to Bressay and Whalsay. The project aims to replace aging ferries and unlock economic growth, with an estimated total cost of about 1.5 billion pounds and a completion timeline of eight years for the first tunnel.
Fifteen towns have been shortlisted from nearly 400 applications to become the UK Town of Culture 2028. Each shortlisted town will receive £60,000 to develop full bids, with the winner receiving £3 million to host a year‑long cultural programme in 2028; runners‑up receive £250,000 each. The shortlist includes Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, Stockton Town Centre Ward, Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham. The decision will be made by an independent panel early next year.
The government has unveiled plans to give England’s mayoral authorities a share of income tax to fund local development. While praised as a potential fix for regional inequality, the policy will take years to implement and risk leaving slower-growing areas behind, as councils seek to borrow for major projects amid central oversight.
Scotland’s GP walk-in centres have delivered few visits since the pilot began. Public Health Scotland reports low patient numbers across nine operating clinics in June, with Dundee and other sites recording only a handful of daily visits. Officials defend the scheme’s early stage while critics call it a misallocation of funds. A robust evaluation will determine whether the programme continues.