10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
Leicester council secures 350 homes to tackle homelessness
22/10/2025 Leicester City Council has made a major push to expand temporary accommodation, securing 350 properties with a £45m investment over the past 18 months. |
Aberdeen City Council launches rent consultation
22/10/2025 Aberdeen City Council has initiated a consultation inviting tenants to provide feedback on proposed rent changes for the 2026/27 period. |
‘Transformative’ social housing complex wins architectural recognition
17/10/2025 A social housing complex has been awarded the Stirling Prize for architectural excellence. |
Record 172,000 children trapped in temporary housing
16/10/2025 One in five families with children in temporary accommodation (TA) in England have been living there for five or more years, official statistics reveal. |
Social housing regulator flags serious failings at Canterbury council
15/10/2025 Canterbury City Council has been issued a C3 grading by the Regulator of Social Housing after inspectors found it had failed to meet key consumer standards. |
Labour MPs urge Chancellor to scrap ‘outdated’ council tax system
15/10/2025 Thirteen Labour MPs have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to abolish council tax, arguing that the current system is outdated and unfair. |
EXCLUSIVE: London boroughs shunning fixed-term tenancies despite housing pressures
15/10/2025 The MJ has found a majority of London councils still providing lifetime tenancies by default despite the capital's burgeoning temporary accommodation costs. |
Right to Buy leaves councils thousands of homes short
14/10/2025 An investigation by The Big Issue has revealed the lasting impact of the Right to Buy scheme on England’s social housing stock. |
Council greenlights John Lewis rental home project
10/10/2025 John Lewis’ plans to deliver 170 new homes in Reading have been unanimously supported by the council. |
IFS calls for council tax reform ahead of Budget
10/10/2025 Finance experts have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use the upcoming Budget to reform council tax rather than rely on short-term revenue-raising measures. |
Government unveils £84m homelessness package
09/10/2025 Thousands of people facing homelessness will receive urgent help this winter thanks to a new £84m Government funding package announced on World Homeless Day. |
Hillingdon Council warns of £2m bill from Chagos arrivals
09/10/2025 Hillingdon Council has raised concerns over the financial impact of recent arrivals from the Chagos Islands. |
West Midlands mayor launches £40m social housing fund
09/10/2025 Mayor Richard Parker has announced a £40m Social Housing Accelerator Fund to fast-track the delivery of 1,000 new social homes across the West Midlands. |
Planning delays and costs hit small home builders
08/10/2025 SME home builders are facing mounting barriers on small sites, with planning delays, rising costs, and new levies threatening their viability, report warns. |
Homeless deaths hit record high
08/10/2025 A record 1,611 people died while homeless across the UK in 2024, a 9% increase on the previous year, according to a new report from the Museum of Homelessness. |
Conservatives call for reduced affordable housing targets
07/10/2025 Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly has suggested affordable housing targets for new developments should be dropped. |
Ombudsman uncovers ‘systemic failings’ at Lewisham Council
07/10/2025 A investigation into Lewisham Council has exposed widespread failings in how the authority manages housing repairs, complaints, and property conditions. |
Bolton town centre poised for £100m revamp
06/10/2025 Plans for a £100m regeneration of Bolton’s long-vacant Church Wharf site in the town centre have been officially approved. |
Councils face 10 house building hurdles, report says
06/10/2025 Rising costs, skills shortages, and complex regulation are among the key challenges faced by local authorities when it comes to delivering new houses. |
Fixing fragmented procurement to transform social housing
03/10/2025 Dan Germann, Durkan Regen, says by taking a longer-term approach to regenerating social housing, councils can maximise value from private sector partnerships. |
Councils to get rent control powers
02/10/2025 Councils in Scotland will be granted powers to limit rent increases on some properties under new legislation. |
Councils to call for tighter HMO controls
02/10/2025 Councils are expected to call for tighter controls over houses in multiple occupation (HMO) after a ‘rush' of applications for HMO licences. |
Four in five major grey belt housing appeals allowed
02/10/2025 Four in five major residential planning appeals on grey belt land have been approved since the Government’s policy came into force in 2024, analysis finds. |
Exclusive: Cleverly criticises Labour's 'short term fixes'
02/10/2025 The shadow local government secretary has accused Labour of leaving councils with ‘short term fixes', identifying asylum hotels as an area ‘showing strain'. |
Oxfordshire councils told to scrap joint housing plan
02/10/2025 Two Oxfordshire councils have been told to withdraw their joint local plan due to concerns there was not enough cooperation with Oxford City Council. |
Wiltshire Council sees annual complaints surge
01/10/2025 Wiltshire Council’s complaints have increased by over 60% since 2021-22, figures have revealed. |
Gwynedd to appeal court block on second homes clampdown
29/09/2025 Gwynedd Council is preparing to launch an appeal after losing a legal challenge to its clampdown on second homes. |
Labour conference: Reed reveals 12 new town sites
29/09/2025 Housing secretary Steve Reed has revealed the location of 12 new towns as part of his pledge to ‘build, baby, build'. |
Councils hit by £266m temporary housing funding shortfall
25/09/2025 Councils face a soaring bill for temporary housing as the funding gap widens by 30% in a year, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
LGA: Councils need more than a decade to reach decent homes standard
24/09/2025 Councils should be given up to 12 years to bring social housing up to an enhanced decent homes standard (DHS) and even then the cost may mean they build fewer new homes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has told ministers. |
West Midlands launches plan to remove unsafe cladding
24/09/2025 The West Midlands Combined Authority has unveiled a plan to remove unsafe cladding from residential buildings over 11 metres tall. |
Sean Bean backs green belt protest
24/09/2025 A campaign against plans to build on Sheffield’s green belt has been backed by actor Sean Bean. |
Charity calls for ‘ambitious’ brownfield housing targets
24/09/2025 Brownfield land could provide nearly 1.5 million new homes to help meet the Government’s goals, figures have revealed. |
Southend housing standards need urgent fix, regulator says
24/09/2025 Southend-on-Sea City Council has been told to urgently raise its housing standards after the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) handed it a C3 grade. |
Call for greater inclusivity in social housing sector
23/09/2025 Over 90% of tenants believe their organisation is not doing enough to attract tenants from ethnic minority groups into its influencing structures. |
Ombudsman reports improvement in housing complaints
22/09/2025 The Housing Ombudsman’s 2024-25 Annual Complaints Review reveals social landlords are starting to handle complaints better, even as volumes continue to rise. |
New towns report delayed amid fears over rising costs
19/09/2025 The final report of the New Towns Taskforce has been delayed as part of the Government’s attempts at a refresh. |
Call to restore 56-day refugee move-on period
19/09/2025 Sixty-four homelessness and migrant support organisations have urged ministers to reverse a recent asylum policy change, warning it will increase rough sleeping and put extra pressure on local authorities. |
Councils spend record £2.8bn on temporary housing
18/09/2025 The Government has released new figures showing that local councils in England spent £2.8bn on temporary accommodation for homeless households in 2024/25. |
Housing watchdog highlights hidden service failures
18/09/2025 The Housing Ombudsman has published a new report on ‘silent severe maladministration’ in the social housing sector. |
Westminster City Council launches ‘Westminster Living’
17/09/2025 Westminster CC has launched a new brand, Westminster Living, to showcase homes for sale across its developments, supporting the delivery of 4,000 new homes. |
Serious safety lapses found in Tandridge homes
17/09/2025 Tandridge District Council has been handed a C4 grading by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). |
Local plan to boost affordable homes in Manchester
11/09/2025 Manchester City Council unveils 15-year plan to deliver homes, jobs, and green spaces. |
Ombudsman escalates housing complaint against Leicester council
10/09/2025 Ombudsman has written to the Government after Leicester CC refused to fully accept recommendations following a complaint from a domestic abuse survivor. |
Vent-Axia Delivers Social Housing a Smart Ventilation Solution Ahead of Awaab’s Law
09/09/2025 Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has unveiled an industry first with its new Lo-Carbon Revive 7 Switchee-Enabled smart ventilation. |
Mayor announces new social and affordable homes
09/09/2025 The mayor of the West Midlands has unveiled funding for a new housing scheme in Birmingham, marking another step in his ‘Homes for Everyone’ priority. |
Call for greater play provision in urban areas
09/09/2025 Play spaces for children are being neglected in favour of local housing developments, a study suggests. |
Stoke-on-Trent invites feedback on housing plan
09/09/2025 Residents of Stoke-on-Trent have been invited to give their views on the city’s long-term vision to boost growth, employment and prosperity. |
Rayner resigns from Government
05/09/2025 Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has announced her resignation from the Government. |
Worcestershire takes action over 'proliferation' of HMOs
05/09/2025 Reform UK-led Worcestershire CC is the latest council to raise concern over Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). |
Council denies leaving man to sleep in car
04/09/2025 A Lincolnshire man with health issues was left sleeping in his car after South Kesteven DC failed to offer him temporary housing, Ombudsman rules. |
Councils back Right to Buy reforms but seek more flexibility
04/09/2025 Reforms to Right to Buy (RTB) have given councils greater confidence in protecting and growing their housing stock, according to a new LGA survey. |
ARCH plea to increase rent cap
01/09/2025 Councils should be able to raise tenants' rents by up to £3 per week on top of any inflation-linked increase, a local authority association has told ministers. |
Councils forgo over £50m second homes revenue
01/09/2025 The sale of second homes has seen up to £55m less council tax revenue generated for local authorities. |
Call to abolish Homes England
01/09/2025 A think-tank has called for the abolition of Homes England. |
Councils hand millions to landlords amid housing crisis
01/09/2025 Local authorities in England are paying millions of pounds a year to incentivise private landlords to house homeless families, new data has revealed. |
Councils call for restrictions on office-to-home conversions
01/09/2025 Local authority leaders are calling on the Government to limit office-to-residential conversions, warning they are undermining affordable housing delivery. |
Airtech Helps Landlords Comply with Awaab’s Law
29/08/2025 Condensation and mould specialists, Airtech, are offering help to social housing landlords ahead of Awaab’s Law coming into effect on 27 October 2025. |
Breaking: Epping asylum hotel injunction overturned
29/08/2025 A temporary injunction banning use of the Bell Hotel in Epping to accommodate asylum seekers has been overturned. |
One in 10 supported homes at risk
29/08/2025 50,000 specialist homes for people with support needs are at imminent risk of closure due to ongoing funding pressures, National Housing Federation warns. |
Hotels Aren’t the Answer: Rethinking Asylum Support
28/08/2025 Jon Featonby, chief policy officer at Refugee Council, argues that last week’s High Court ruling shows hotels are an unsustainable solution for asylum seekers. |
‘Very serious failings’ found in council’s social housing
27/08/2025 Arun District Council’s housing service has been hit with the regulator’s lowest rating after inspectors uncovered ‘very serious failings’. |
Supported housing shortage costs NHS £71m, warns LGA
27/08/2025 Local government leaders have called on the Government to invest more in supported housing to help save the NHS £50m a year. |
Dorset Council reveals lower homelessness rates
22/08/2025 Dorset Council’s temporary accommodation (TA) rates have dropped by over half following the launch of ‘successful prevention initiatives’. |
London Councils: Funding reforms could be ‘devastating’ for capital
22/08/2025 The Government must consider London’s ‘high levels of deprivation’ in the Fair Funding Review 2.0, says the cross-party group representing the capital’s councils. |
Lloyds social housing ad branded ‘misleading’
22/08/2025 A Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) advert stating that the lender had provided £19.5bn to social housing projects has been banned by the advertising watchdog. |
Council home sell-offs to outpace new builds eightfold
21/08/2025 Local authorities in England are set to lose over eight times as many council homes in 2025/26 as were completed the previous year, think tank has estimated. |
'Quiet majority' favour local development
21/08/2025 Councils have been urged to consult more widely on planning applications after research found a majority of the population was in favour of local development. |
Councils press Home Office for closer work on asylum housing
21/08/2025 Local authority leaders have urged the Home Office to work much more closely with councils when it comes to decisions about asylum accommodation. |
A Local Ruling with National Consequences
20/08/2025 The Epping Forest asylum hotel case exposes a planning problem far bigger than Essex, says Faraz Baber, Chief Operating Officer at Lanpro. |
Council acts on Disabled Facilities Grant backlog
20/08/2025 North Yorkshire Council has pledged to improve how it manages Disabled Facilities Grant applications after an investigation revealed a backlog of cases. |
Farage: Put pressure on councils to follow Epping Forest
20/08/2025 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has urged people to 'put pressure' on councils to go to court after a High Court ruling. |
Council wins temporary injunction over asylum hotel
19/08/2025 Asylum seekers are to be removed from an Essex hotel that has became the focus of protests this summer. |
Devolution Revolution: Solving the Data Deficit
19/08/2025 Jonathan Marwood, Partner at Hartnell Taylor Cook, explains why robust real estate data is essential for devolution, housing delivery, and regeneration. |
Over £300m Ukrainian refugee funding unspent
19/08/2025 More than £300m given to English councils to help house Ukrainian refugees still sits in council bank accounts, freedom of information (FOI) request reveals. |
Newcastle CC welcomes £120m brownfield regeneration deal
19/08/2025 Newcastle City Council has hailed today’s approval of a £121.8m investment as a ‘catalyst for development’ that will deliver thousands of new homes. |
Tenancy fraud punished in Hackney
15/08/2025 Several council houses have been taken from fraudulent tenants who were revealed to own multiple properties. |
EXCLUSIVE: Sector warns Government over rental crackdown
15/08/2025 Councils have privately warned they will be unable to enforce a planned toughening up of regulations on the quality of rented homes without extra funding. |
Call for one hundred thousand high-quality council homes
14/08/2025 Council housing stock in the UK must be ‘replenished’ and improved in design, a think tank has argued. |
Housing plan prompts backlash from Sunderland A.F.C
13/08/2025 Sunderland A.F.C has announced plans to object to Sunderland City Council’s housing development proposals. |
Residents want more say in new town development plans, survey reveals
13/08/2025 A survey has revealed that 73% of people don’t feel confident that the Government’s new towns scheme will fulfil future ‘community needs’. |
Vacant property numbers up despite housing shortage
11/08/2025 The average number of vacant properties per council area has increased in recent years despite the ongoing housing crisis. |
Cloudhouse offers housing associations risk-free route to IT modernisation
08/08/2025 70% of UK housing associations still rely on unsupported IT – Cloudhouse offers a risk-free route to modernisation. |
Editor’s Comment: Are councils selling off allotments?
06/08/2025 Jeremy Corbyn warns of a government-backed threat to UK allotments—but are fears justified? |
Corbyn accuses Rayner of allotment sell off
06/08/2025 Jeremy Corbyn has criticised local government secretary Angela Rayner for allowing councils to sell off allotments to fund day-to-day spending. |
Planning reform proposals could deliver thousands of new homes
04/08/2025 New think tank report urges rapid local planning changes to boost housing supply and support council-led development |
RTB reduced council wealth by billions, says think tank
04/08/2025 The Right to Buy (RTB) scheme resulted in councils handing over £82bn to tenants, think tank says. |
Councils underperform in meeting self-build plots demand
01/08/2025 Over 50% of councils reportedly did not abide by legal guidelines around authorising sufficient numbers of self-build homes. |
Wethersfield base to house 445 more asylum seekers
31/07/2025 Home Office has informed Braintree DC that it plans to temporarily increase the number of asylum seekers at the Wethersfield base beyond its bed limit. |
Home Office recommits to closing asylum hotels
31/07/2025 The Government has insisted it ‘remains committed' to ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation after growing public anger. |
Regulator identifies ‘serious’ social housing failings
30/07/2025 Five local authority landlords have been told to make significant improvements to the management of their social housing. |
Sunderland invests over £700,000 to support people with learning disabilities
25/07/2025 Sunderland City Council is to allocate £724,000 to help people with learning difficulties or autism carry out adaptions to their homes when they are discharged from hospital. |
Vent-Axia Welcomes Awaab’s Law Draft Guidance
22/07/2025 Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has welcomed the Government’s recent publication of ‘Awaab’s Law: Draft guidance for social landlords’. |
West Midlands Mayor reveals economic growth plan
22/07/2025 West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has unveiled plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs and homes, which he hopes will ‘turbocharge’ the region’s economy over the next decade. |
PM says 'lots of housing' exists across councils
22/07/2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has claimed there is ‘lots of housing’ that can be used to provide temporary accommodation across local authorities. |
New town developments could advance amid local objections
21/07/2025 New town developments could proceed amid resistance from residents, says housing and planning minister. |
Councils to be handed powers to inspect rented homes without notice
21/07/2025 Councils are set to be given powers to inspect rented homes without providing notice to landlords |
Norwich secures investment for redevelopment scheme
17/07/2025 Norwich City Council had partnered with Aviva Capital Partners (ACP) to deliver a £350m redevelopment project. |
LGOF: Will it work?
16/07/2025 Dr Jonathan Carr-West, LGIU, discusses the Local Government Outcomes Framework (LGOF), the latest instalment in the history of local government accountability. |
Majority of rural councils have no social housing targets
16/07/2025 Only one in five rural local authorities have planning targets for building new social homes despite a shortage of new houses in rural areas. |
