Pothole Claims: What Councils Need to Know
Councils face growing pothole claims. Georgia Milton of DWF highlights how strong inspections and AI tools can help balance legal duties, budgets and safety.
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. |
Affordable housing projects to receive £100m uplift
09/07/2025 Housebuilders are set to deliver a boost of £100m to affordable housing projects across the UK. |
Councils set to benefit from ‘bespoke’ housebuilding support
08/07/2025 A vanguard of 10 councils has been selected to co-design the new Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS). |
Alarm raised over safeguarding risks in temporary accommodation
07/07/2025 Councils must do more to consider safeguarding risks when housing children in temporary accommodation, says the Children’s Commissioner. |
Council leaves abuse survivor homeless
04/07/2025 The London Borough of Waltham Forest has apologised after a survivor of domestic abuse was left street homeless for five weeks. |
Pennycook confirms fresh Right to Buy restrictions
04/07/2025 Tenants of new social homes will not be able to buy their homes through Right to Buy (RtB) for 35 years, housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed. |
LGA: Councils have £276bn of untapped potential
04/07/2025 Government support overcoming place-specific barriers to growth could help local authorities unleash £276bn of untapped economic potential, research suggests. |
Rayner announces plan to build 180,000 new social homes
02/07/2025 The Government has announced plans to build 180,000 new social homes by 2035 as part of the effort to tackle the shortage in temporary accommodation. |
Rough sleeping rates surge by 63% over a decade
30/06/2025 Rough sleeping rates in London reached a peak between April 2024 and March 2025, research reveals. |
EXCLUSIVE: Government turns to councils for extra building inspector capacity
30/06/2025 The Government has turned to councils for extra building inspector capacity as high-rise housing projects continue to be dogged by regulatory hold-ups. |
Reform-led council to bring social housing in-house
25/06/2025 West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet has voted to bring back in-house the management of 11,500 social homes. |
Regulator finds ‘serious’ consumer standards failings
25/06/2025 An inspection has revealed ‘serious failings’ with Slough Borough Council’s engagement with tenants. |
Waverley BC demands ‘fairer’ local infrastructure rules
24/06/2025 Waverley Borough Council has called for ‘clearer’ and ‘fairer’ legislation around the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). |
Finding accessible housing ‘postcode lottery’
24/06/2025 Disabled people in the North East or East Midlands six times less likely to be living in an accessible home compared to people in London, research reveals. |
Landlords take council to court over licensing fees
23/06/2025 A legal case has been filed against Leicester City Council following a dispute about landlord fees. |
New social housing criteria to support vulnerable groups
20/06/2025 A change in housing rules is set to improve access to social housing for care leavers under 25 and domestic abuse survivors. |
Councils face enforcement capacity 'struggle'
19/06/2025 A cornerstone of the Renter's Rights Bill is under threat due to a lack of council capacity, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Council backs women-only housing development
18/06/2025 A new women-only housing block in Acton is set to provide 102 affordable flats for those ‘disproportionately affected’ by the housing crisis. |
Housing target threatened by planning officer shortage, says UNISON
16/06/2025 The Government’s efforts to boost affordable housing could be derailed if the shortage of planning officers in England is not addressed, UNISON warns. |
Black hole spending review
11/06/2025 Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis, reflects on what the Spending Review means for local government. |
Spending Review: £39bn funding boost for social and affordable housing
11/06/2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a £39bn investment in social and affordable housing over the next 10 years in the Government's Spending Review. |
Mapping successful 15-minute cities
11/06/2025 Is GIS the difference between success and failure for 15-minute neighbourhoods? Alex Zirpolo, principal GIS consultant at Lanpro, argues it is. |
Council’s pension scheme could provide over 200 homes
10/06/2025 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea intends to invest millions from its £2bn pension fund to support vulnerable residents. |
Call for strengthening oversight of developer contributions system
06/06/2025 Weaknesses in developer contributions system intended to fund affordable housing are undermining the councils' ability to negotiate with developers, NAO says. |
Housebuilders call for ‘meaningful action’ on planning staff crisis
05/06/2025 The association representing housebuilders in England and Wales has called on the Government to tackle the staffing shortage in local planning authorities. |
Spending Review ‘make or break’ for 1.5m housing target
05/06/2025 A select committee chair has written to the Chancellor warning of the impact of departmental budget cuts on Government plans to deliver 1.5 million houses. |
Hillingdon considers asylum seeker funding legal action
30/05/2025 Hillingdon Council is considering legal action against the Government after the Home Office refused to provide extra funding to house asylum seekers. |
Housing ombudsman raises alarm over 474% surge in repair complaints
29/05/2025 The housing ombudsman has warned that anger at poor housing conditions could result in unrest as his office reveals a dramatic increase in repair complaints. |
Is immigration making the UK an ‘island of strangers’?
28/05/2025 LocalGov editor William Eichler spoke to Belong CEO Kelly Fowler to discuss immigration, social cohesion, and whether the UK was an ‘island of strangers’. |
John Lewis wins approval for plan to build 430 homes
28/05/2025 The John Lewis Partnership’s largest build-to-rent project has been given the go ahead in West London despite objections from the local council. |
Government proposes easing environmental protections to boost housing
28/05/2025 The Government has announced a raft of reforms aimed at easing planning regulations and environmental protections to support smaller housebuilders in England. |
New housebuilding rules to offset ‘years of inaction’
23/05/2025 Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner tells housebuilders to ‘get on and build’ as the Government introduces delivery timeframes for developers. |
Hackney warned of ‘positivity prism’ danger
22/05/2025 The Housing Ombudsman has criticised Hackney Council for missing multiple opportunities to improve its housing service and warned of a ‘positivity prism’. |
West of England advances local regeneration projects
21/05/2025 Homes England and West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) have signed a new partnership to support the delivery of housing and regeneration projects. |
Plans to deliver new towns could cost £48bn
20/05/2025 Government plans to build up to 12 new towns in England could cost £48bn, a new study estimates. |
Council told to apologise to homeless abuse survivor
15/05/2025 The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has asked Halton Borough Council to apologise and pay monthly reparations to a homeless domestic abuse survivor they failed to help. |
Councils urged to ringfence housing for women prison leavers
15/05/2025 Local authorities should ringfence a proportion of their supported housing units for women released from prison, a new report says. |
London boroughs face £264m council housing cuts
15/05/2025 London boroughs will need to reduce spending on social housing by £264m over three years to avoid the collapse of their council housing finances, report warns. |
Local government pension scheme could fund affordable housing
14/05/2025 The £392bn local government pension scheme should be harnessed to address the UK’s underinvestment in affordable and social housing, think tank says. |
Skyrocketing Right to Buy applications threaten social housing projects
13/05/2025 A recent rise in Right to Buy (RTB) applications is putting pressure on councils attempting to deliver affordable social housing, the LGA warns. |
Flood victims missing out on support
13/05/2025 Thousands of flood victims are not receiving essential Government support to help protect their homes against future storms, new research reveals. |
Mayor of London unveils ‘ambitious’ green belt plans
09/05/2025 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced plans to build tens of thousands of new homes on green belt land despite his previous opposition to green belt developments |
Cost of asylum accommodation jumps to £15bn
08/05/2025 The cost of providing asylum accommodation between 2019 and 2029 is expected to triple to £15.3bn. |
Council apologises to domestic abuse victim
08/05/2025 North Kesteven District Council has issued an apology after failing to promptly install vital security measures in the home of a domestic abuse victim. |
VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
08/05/2025 As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant. |
Government launches support network to help local veterans
06/05/2025 Local authority leaders have welcomed a new system designed to make it easier for veterans to access care and support but cautioned against the duplication of services. |
Record number of children in temporary accommodation
30/04/2025 A record 165,510 children are now homeless and living in temporary accommodation, according to the latest homelessness figures. |
Climate change due to wreak havoc on properties
30/04/2025 More than six million properties in England are in areas that are at risk of flooding, the Climate Change Committee has warned. |
200k children risk being trapped in temporary accommodation
29/04/2025 Over 200,000 children could be in temporary accommodation by the end of this Parliament if more isn’t done to build social housing, homelessness charity warns. |
Council chiefs call for solar panels on new builds
28/04/2025 All new homes should have solar panels installed to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs for households, council leaders say. |
Call for caution over land value capture reform
24/04/2025 Experts have urged against wholesale reform of developer contributions, despite the flaws within the current system. |
London boroughs issue bankruptcy warning over £330m overspend
23/04/2025 Town halls may soon be forced into effectively declaring bankruptcy if more is not done to tackle the £330m homelessness overspend, London Councils warns. |
Social workers warn of rising risk of unsafe housing
23/04/2025 Over 21% of social workers have had to remove a child from their family in the last three years due in part to unsafe housing conditions, new research reveals. |
Leeds battles Right to Buy housing crisis
23/04/2025 Efforts to deliver affordable housing in Leeds have been undermined by Right to Buy, the city council has warned. |
Horsham challenges local plan decision
23/04/2025 Horsham District Council has complained to the planning inspectorate after its local plan was rejected. |
Council rejects accusation it acted illegally in homeless mother case
22/04/2025 A London borough maintains that it has acted legally after the local government ombudsman accused it of refusing to find temporary housing for a pregnant woman. |
Council to sell unsafe properties purchased after Grenfell fire
22/04/2025 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is aiming to sell off 14 properties that it purchased to house survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire. |
Craig David backs call for 90,000 social homes
17/04/2025 Music icon Craig David has backed a call for tens of thousands of new social homes a year over the next decade. |
Minister blocks Oldham exit from development plan
10/04/2025 Oldham MBC's attempt to exit an agreement that could see the development of 11,500 new homes has been stymied by the Government. |
Councils spend £40m fighting ‘ratflation’
09/04/2025 Local authority pest control services made nearly 300,000 visits to people’s homes to deal with pest infestations last year at a cost of £40m. |
Social housing wait over a hundred years in some areas
09/04/2025 The Government has been urged to tackle the worsening housing crisis as new research reveals a century-long wait for social housing in parts of England. |
Stepping up to help disabled social housing tenants
07/04/2025 The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is calling for social housing providers to train staff in disability issues to help impaired tenants. |
Temporary accommodation crisis ‘utterly shameful’, MPs say
03/04/2025 Council chiefs have urged the Government to increase the temporary accommodation subsidy as MPs warn homeless children are living in ‘appalling conditions’. |
Whitehall dismisses Homes England cull reports
02/04/2025 Reports the Government plans to abolish Homes England as part of a cull of quangos have been dismissed by Whitehall. |
Minister: No compromise on building safety amid housing target pressure
01/04/2025 Building safety will not be compromised as the Government tries to meet its 1.5m new homes target, minister Alex Norris has insisted. |
Council issues £45k in housing fines
01/04/2025 Salford City Council has issued £45,000 of fines to landlords in an effort to improve local housing conditions. |
Local planning authorities working to out-of-date plans
01/04/2025 Two-thirds of local planning authorities (LPAs) outside of London are working to out-of-date research plans, new analysis has revealed. |
Homelessness 'fastest growing financial risk' for London boroughs
28/03/2025 MPs have called for action to help local authorities in London tackle the rising costs of providing homelessness support. |
LGA launches new empty homes toolkit
28/03/2025 Councils can now access more support to help them tackle long-term empty homes thanks to a new toolkit from the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Godstone sinkhole residents able to return home
27/03/2025 Most of the residents of a Surrey village affected by a huge sinkhole are now able to return to their homes, the council has confirmed. |
A national asbestos record could prove positive for councils
26/03/2025 With momentum for a national record of asbestos in public buildings, Nicola Dawn, a Partner at Forbes Solicitors, looks at how this could benefit councils. |
Cladding safety tax delayed one year
26/03/2025 A tax to fund the removal of unsafe cladding from homes has been delayed one year over fears it might undermine the Government's housebuilding plans. |
Newport to set up company for property maintenance
26/03/2025 Newport CC is planning to set up an arm's-length trading company to take over the maintenance of its properties. |
Affordable housing gets £2bn funding boost
25/03/2025 The Government has announced £2bn in funding aimed at delivering up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes. |
Government ‘complacent’ over cladding capacity issue
20/03/2025 The Government ‘appears complacent’ about the fact there is insufficient capacity across local government to address the dangerous cladding crisis, MPs warn. |
Overstretched finances threaten 1.5m housebuilding target
20/03/2025 The pressure on social housing finances at the local level could undermine the Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million houses this parliament, LGA warns. |
Ministers in urgent plea for council help with Afghan refugees
11/03/2025 Councils have been urged to support an Afghan resettlement programme under which regions will be handed an allocation from the 6,000-7,000 annual arrivals. |
