Two councils have axed publications, less than a week after a new code was approved by parliament which limits councils to publishing a maximum of four newspapers a year.

Hammersmith and Fulham’s H&F News has announced it is publishing its last newspaper today, due to the new revised Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and, as Jon Slattery had reports, Hull City Council has axed its monthly magazine Hull in print in a cost saving move and, in an on the council’s website, says the way forward is online.

Hammersmith and Fullham council reports “an agreement was approved with Trinity Mirror Southern to publish future council advertising” which will see “public notices and other display advertisements published in the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle every week”. Simon Edgley, managing director of Trinity Mirror Southern, welcomed the development. “We are not only absolutely delighted to sign this agreement, but also that our titles and websites will play such a significant part in ensuring that residents of Hammersmith & Fulham remain appropriately informed,” Edgerly said in a statement on the council’s website.

H&F News was first published as a monthly paper in 2006, and went fortnightly in 2008.

Councils have no legal obligation to follow the new code, which comes in to effect shortly. Last week Tower Hamlets Borough Council’s newspaper East End Life said it is continuing to publish weekly while a review is carried out.