Delivering Regeneration: How collaborative contracts are transforming place-making
Discover how collaborative contracting is helping councils deliver regeneration more effectively with this free special report from LocalGov and NEC Contracts.
Government intervenes amid local plan concerns
6/12/2026 The Government has intervened in Torbay Council’s emerging local plan amid concerns it falls short of meeting its housing need by more than 10,000 homes. |
Council seizes flat rented by Sierra Leone first lady
6/12/2026 Southwark Council has confirmed that it has seized a council flat previously occupied by Sierra Leone's first lady, Fatima Jabbe-Bio. |
Fresh asylum homelessness spike warning
6/11/2026 Ministers risk repeating a 2023 surge in homelessness among people leaving asylum accommodation unless support is urgently strengthened, IPPR has warned. |
Procurement reform could cut council housebuilding costs, report finds
6/11/2026 Procurement practices are a major driver of why councils and housing associations pay more than private developers to build homes, a new report argues. |
Poor housing costs NHS £1.5bn annually, report reveals
6/10/2026 Poor housing costs the NHS in England £1.5bn annually, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) has revealed. |
MPs scold Home Office over lack of council involvement in asylum
6/5/2026 Local authorities still lack a ‘meaningful say’ in asylum accommodation decisions, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned. |
Council to buy 26 homes to protect tenants at risk of eviction
6/3/2026 Fife Council is working with the Scottish Government to fund the purchase of 26 homes where tenants in its area are at risk of losing their homes. |
Regeneration body to launch in Greater Cambridge to ‘unlock stalled and derelict land’
6/3/2026 The Government has created a development corporation for Greater Cambridge to boost regeneration, housebuilding, infrastructure and economic growth in the area. |
Research finds council homes falling behind in solar uptake
6/2/2026 Councils are being outpaced by private homeowners in their installation rate of rooftop solar panels, data has found. |
Enfield pulls out of New Town scheme
5/29/2026 Enfield Council has formally withdrawn from the Government's New Town programme following the election of Conservative leader Cllr Alessandro Georgiou. |
Councils demand full cost recovery for planning fees
5/28/2026 Proposals to increase planning application fees do not go far enough, the Government has been warned. |
Somerset housing workers lobby council over outsourcing fears
5/28/2026 Housing maintenance workers at Somerset Council are lobbying councillors over plans to transfer staff to a building services contractor. |
Mayoral Development Zone proposed to drive Leeds regeneration
5/26/2026 Mayor Tracy Brabin and Leeds CC leader Cllr James Lewis have proposed a new Mayoral Development Zone for Leeds, in a move designed to accelerate regeneration. |
Housing sector urged to act on equality and diversity gap
5/21/2026 Housing organisations across England are being called on to take more targeted action on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). |
Who do you complain to? The new rules on social housing
5/20/2026 The Renters' Rights Act has extended the LGSCO's jurisdiction to cover non-tenant social housing complaints. The Ombudsman explains what councils need to know. |
Green space trumps building design in public's housing wish list
5/20/2026 Green space, clean air and community connection matter more to people than how buildings look when it comes to new housing developments, new polling finds. |
RIBA calls for introduction of city architects to tackle housing crisis
5/19/2026 City architects should be introduced across England to help unlock millions of pounds in economic value and hundreds of new homes, RIBA report says. |
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Delivering Regeneration: How collaborative contracts are transforming place-making
5/12/2026 Discover how collaborative contracting is helping councils deliver regeneration more effectively with this free special report from LocalGov and NEC Contracts. |
New Councillors, Same Pressures: IFS warns councils face unchanged funding challenges
5/11/2026 New councillors elected last week inherits a local government finance picture that is deeply constrained – and unlikely to improve quickly, IFS warns. |
High Court ruling worth 'millions' to councils
5/7/2026 Sunderland City Council and Middlesbrough Council have fended off a legal challenge that could have cost millions of pounds. |
New towns must be designed with young and old in mind
5/7/2026 Age-friendly new towns are vital for an ageing population, writes Charlotte Lewis, Head of Communities at Centre for Ageing Better. |
Hundreds of millions could be forfeited to second home tax policy
5/5/2026 Councils could face a shortfall of over £380m due to second-home owners reclassifying their properties, research has revealed. |
Reform-led Lancs council to pull out of refugee resettlement scheme
5/5/2026 Reform-led Lancashire County Council could become the first UK council to withdraw from the Government’s refugee resettlement scheme. |
Non-tenants gain right to complain about council housing
5/1/2026 People who are not council tenants can now formally complain about how councils manage social housing due to new powers under the Renters' Rights Act. |
Post-war housing estates blocking city growth, think tank warns
4/23/2026 Britain's largest cities are being held back economically by sprawling low-rise neighbourhoods built in the post-war decades, a leading think tank has warned. |
Temporary accommodation 'unfit for human habitation', warn MPs
4/22/2026 Council chiefs have called for a change to the way they are reimbursed for temporary accommodation costs after MPs warned of housing ‘unfit' for habitation. |
London faces loss of 42,000 homes from development pipeline
4/21/2026 At least 42,000 homes are set to be lost from London's residential development pipeline, according to new research from property consultancy Savills. |
Illegal children's home placements up 370%
4/20/2026 The use of illegal, unregistered children's homes has surged by more than 370% in four years, according to new research. |
Doubt expressed about London’s housebuilding goals
4/15/2026 The Mayor of London’s housebuilding targets have been questioned by market analysts. |
Vent-Axia Welcomes the Future Homes Standard as Competency Takes Centre Stage
4/10/2026 Leading ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has welcomed the Future Homes Standard, alongside the publication of new Approved Document Part F (Means of Ventilation) of the Building Regulations, and Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power), as ‘a significant step on the road to Net Zero.’ |
Greens target Labour in local election campaign launch
4/9/2026 The Green Party has launched its 2026 local elections campaign with a focus on tackling the housing crisis. |
Wales Green Party pledges ‘rent pressure zones’
4/9/2026 The Wales Green Party has pledged to allow local authorities to declare ‘rent pressure zones’ as part of its pitch ahead of the Senedd election in May. |
Scotland’s housing emergency calls for strengthened council powers, COSLA says
4/7/2026 The management of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme should be devolved to councils to help combat the housing emergency in Scotland, COSLA has argued. |
Council leaders call for acceleration of reorganisation decisions
4/7/2026 Council leaders have urged the Government to accelerate local government reorganisation, warning that delays are eating into time needed to deliver reform. |
Half of approved homes remain unbuilt, council chiefs say
3/30/2026 Data from the Local Councils Network (LCN) reveals a significant 'build-out' gap, with only 52% of homes granted planning permission since 2012-13 completed. |
Increasing homelessness blamed for council company failure
3/26/2026 London Councils has blamed ‘increased homelessness rates' for the failure of a company formed to procure properties to tackle the issue. |
Government confirms seven locations for new towns
3/23/2026 The Government has announced seven proposed locations for a new generation of towns, each expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes. |
Oxford approves £32m boost to temporary accommodation to cut hotel use
3/19/2026 Oxford City Council has approved a £32m investment to expand its temporary accommodation provision and reduce reliance on costly hotel placements. |
LGA: Housing finances improving, but budget pressures threaten housebuilding
3/19/2026 The overall financial outlook for social housing is improving, but significant challenges remain, a Local Government Association (LGA) survey reveals. |
London councils collect just a third of fines issued to rogue landlords
3/19/2026 London councils have recovered only a third of fines imposed on landlords over the past two years, according to the NRLA. |
Barking housing scheme could provide ‘blueprint for brownfield development’
3/19/2026 Revised outline planning permission has been granted for a scheme to build up to 20,000 houses at Barking Riverside. |
Bristol CC to overhaul tenancy procedures after Ombudsman ruling
3/19/2026 Bristol City Council has announced sweeping changes to its tenancy processes following a damning finding of severe maladministration by the Housing Ombudsman. |
Wiltshire Council outlines next steps after Local Plan setback
3/18/2026 Wiltshire Council has set out its next steps after planning inspectors rejected its draft Local Plan after nearly a decade of work. |
CCN: Planning reforms risk undermining local voices
3/17/2026 County council leaders are warning that the Government's planning reforms will strip local communities of their voice. |
£1.4bn flood defence funding announced
3/17/2026 The Government has announced a £1.4bn investment in flood defences to better protect homes, businesses and infrastructure across England. |
Call for London to embrace mid-rise housing
3/16/2026 London is missing out on thousands of potential new homes by failing to embrace mid-rise housing, according to a new report. |
Council care leavers benefit from UTCs, study finds
3/13/2026 Delivering an unconditional cash transfer (UTC) to young people leaving council care could help them secure stable housing, research has revealed. |
Government defends planning reforms amid environmental concerns
3/12/2026 The Government has defended its planning reforms, insisting there are ‘numerous safeguards’ in place to balance housebuilding with environmental protection. |
Council U-turns on refusal of Ombudsman pay recommendations
3/12/2026 A council has agreed to deliver the financial recommendations of the Ombudsman after its previous refusal to provide remedies. |
Report highlights £5.3bn in unspent developer funds held by councils
3/10/2026 MPs are set to be alerted to £5.3bn in unspent developer contributions currently held in local authority bank accounts, says Urban Mobility Partnership. |
Over £1m confirmed to drive brownfield land development in Manchester
3/10/2026 The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has delivered an investment of over £1.6m to deliver new homes on brownfield land. |
High Court rules developers must fund infrastructure contributions
3/10/2026 The High Court has ruled that developers must provide financial contributions to local authorities for necessary infrastructure. |
Parish council seeks to protect character of rural village
3/9/2026 A parish council has objected to housing development plans in a Conservation Area village due to the possible effects on its character. |
Manchester CC unites with pension fund to boost housebuilding
3/9/2026 Over one thousand new homes are to be delivered by Manchester City Council through its collaboration with a pension fund. |
Call to overhaul community consultation within planning system
3/6/2026 Public engagement specialists have called on the Government to overhaul community consultation practices within the planning system. |
Councils fail to collect quarter of rogue landlord fines
3/6/2026 Councils have collected just a quarter of the total fines issued to rogue landlords, data has shown. |
Councils face £4bn temporary accommodation black hole, LGA warns
3/4/2026 The gap between what councils pay for temporary accommodation and what the Government reimburses them could balloon to nearly £4bn by 2029/30, LGA warns. |
Council progresses £300m regen scheme for former Dambusters base
3/4/2026 West Lindsey DC has voted to progress plans to acquire the former RAF Scampton site in what leaders are calling a 'once-in-a-generation' regeneration scheme. |
London mayor warned over ‘growing disconnect’ in housing design
3/2/2026 A committee has written to Sadiq Khan warning of a widening gap between what residents want built and the developments being delivered across London. |
Councils face ‘capacity crisis’ of unspent developer funds
3/2/2026 Roughly £9bn in unspent developer contributions is being held by councils, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has found. |
Stalled Before They Start: Councils struggling to deliver regen projects
3/2/2026 Economic turbulence and a volatile national policy landscape are preventing councils from delivering regeneration, housing and infrastructure projects. |
John Lewis no longer to deliver Build to Rent housing
2/26/2026 The John Lewis Partnership has withdrawn from its Build to Rent business that pledged to provide 1,000 rental homes in Bromley, Reading and West Ealing. |
Three councils fail to meet consumer standards
2/25/2026 Three councils have failed to meet consumer standards, according to regulatory judgements published by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). |
North Lanarkshire Council approves £531m housing investment
2/24/2026 North Lanarkshire Council has approved a £531.5m housing investment plan to improve council homes over the next five years. |
Preston City Council looks to boost council housing stock
2/20/2026 Preston City Council is seeking to secure 19 council-owned affordable homes after submitting a conditional offer to a private developer. |
Regeneration programme to boost affordable housing stock in Westminster
2/19/2026 Westminster City Council is delivering a regeneration project that will provide 1,750 new homes. |
Government using strategic planning agenda to speed up devo
2/18/2026 Concerns have been raised over the Government's use of its strategic planning agenda to speed up decisions around devolution. |
Planning enforcement delays undermining trust, Ombudsman says
2/17/2026 Prolonged delays in local authority planning enforcement are leaving unlawful developments in place and undermining public trust, watchdog says. |
Local authority craft workers consider strike action
2/17/2026 Over a thousand local authority craft workers are set to be balloted for strike action after receiving what the Unite calls an ‘unsatisfactory pay offer’. |
Government proposals on spatial development aligned with devo
2/16/2026 The Government is consulting on plans to map out spatial development strategy (SDS) areas across England. |
Regulator hits county council with C4 grading
2/11/2026 Northumberland County Council has been issued with a C4 grading following a planned inspection that uncovered ‘very serious failings’. |
Auditors call for stronger tracking of housing delivery
2/10/2026 New housing investment will need clearer priorities and stronger tracking if it is to deliver the homes the country needs, says the National Audit Office. |
Minister blocks local plan
2/10/2026 The Government has put Three Rivers District Council’s local plan on hold because of a shortfall of 5,000 houses. |
MSL enhances hygiene auditing with air quality testing for Awaab’s Law compliance
2/9/2026 Regulatory and microbiological testing house MSL Solution Providers has expanded its CleanSure Hygiene Auditing Solution to include air quality testing. |
Social housing conditions ‘barely improved’ since pandemic, MPs say
2/9/2026 The conditions in England’s social housing have ‘barely improved’ since the pandemic, with nearly 430,000 homes failing to meet the minimum standard, MPs say. |
Reform council chair resigns following illegal HMO operations
2/2/2026 A council chairman has resigned after being found to have unlawfully operated unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMO). |
Government extends £150 energy bill support
1/30/2026 The Government has confirmed that millions of families will continue to receive the £150 Warm Home Discount each winter until the end of the decade. |
HMO consultation to be launched in Salford following ‘concerning’ inspection results
1/29/2026 Salford City Council has announced plans to begin a consultation on implementing a citywide licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO). |
Government boosts incentive for councils to build homes
1/28/2026 Councils are to be freed up to build and manage up to 1,000 homes without having to open a Housing Revenue Account (HRA). |
10 ways councils are responding to new housing and planning policy
1/27/2026 With the Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029 looming, councils are enacting a number of policy shifts to accelerate housing delivery and increase the efficiency of planning processes. |
London’s affordable housing failing to keep pace with need
1/27/2026 The capital’s affordable housing system is failing to keep pace with need despite public investment, according to the London Assembly Housing Committee. |
Scotland leads on damp and mould regulations
1/23/2026 Regulations to protect tenants from damp and mould have been announced in Scotland. |
Insulation scheme ‘catastrophic fiasco’, MPs say
1/23/2026 A Government-backed home insulation programme has been labelled an ‘abject failure’ by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). |
Peers raise council capacity concerns
1/22/2026 Questions have been raised over local government's capacity to play a role in the creation of new towns. |
LGA: Councils best place to decarbonise housing
1/21/2026 Local authorities are best placed to lead the effort to decarbonise the country’s housing stock, the LGA says in response to the Warm Homes Plan announcement. |
Lease signed for Brum hospital site regeneration
1/21/2026 Homes England has signed a building lease with Vistry to regenerate the former City Hospital site in Birmingham, setting the stage for around 750 new homes. |
Reed hails housing starts increase
1/16/2026 The number of new build starts in the year ending September 2025 has increased by 18% compared to the previous year. |
Broxtowe council hit with C3 rating over housing failings
1/14/2026 Broxtowe Borough Council has been given a C3 grading by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) after failing to meet required consumer standards. |
Tensions rise over out of area placements
1/14/2026 Council relations have strained over housing placements, with some authorities accused of ‘cleansing themselves’ of challenges and ‘exporting’ ‘more complex’ cases outside their area. |
Housing targets could be reduced for new town areas
1/13/2026 The Government has indicated councils’ housing targets could be reduced if planned new towns are placed in the area. |
Illegal children’s homes cost councils over £350m in a year, report finds
1/12/2026 Councils have spent more than £350m on placing children in illegal accommodation over the past year, research has revealed. |
Residents warned of risk to homes during Storm Goretti
1/9/2026 Great Yarmouth Borough Council has told those living in clifftop properties that their homes are at ‘serious risk’ of collapse from Storm Goretti. |
Housing approvals drop in final quarter of 2025
1/6/2026 New data has revealed the number of housing projects granted approval dropped by 17% in the last three months of 2025. |
Council housing cuts loom without rent reform, London boroughs warn
1/5/2026 London boroughs are warning that deep cuts to social housing services are inevitable unless ministers back changes to social rent policy later this month. |
Durham CC takes ‘last resort’ legal action against landlord
1/5/2026 Durham County Council has secured a banning order to temporarily prevent a landlord from renting out properties. |
Motor neurone disease patients dying before home adaptation grants approved
12/24/2025 Many people living with motor neurone disease (MND) are dying before essential grants to adapt their homes are approved, according to new research. |
Cleverly backs pro-density housing report
12/23/2025 Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly has backed a report by think-tank Policy Exchange that called for a fresh approach to building high density homes. |
Crackdown on rogue landlords expands
12/23/2025 The Government has expanded a successful pilot scheme to tackle rogue landlords and protect public funds, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced. |
FOI reveals scale of housing complaints facing councils
12/22/2025 New Freedom of Information (FOI) research has revealed the scale and nature of housing-related complaints received by councils across England. |
‘Landmark’ Bill to overhaul planning system receives Royal Assent
12/19/2025 The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill to reform the planning system has received Royal Assent this week. |
