Housing


New housing developments slammed for 'mediocre and poor' design 21/01/2020 Three-quarters of new housing developments should not have been approved due to their ‘poor’ or ‘mediocre’ design, a new report from campaigners has found.
Manchester becomes 'early adopter' of Hackitt Review 20/01/2020 Manchester City Council has joined three other councils to become an ‘early adopter’ of the recommendations made in the Hackitt Review.
Preparing for new regulations 20/01/2020 Chris Proctor warns housing providers must enact change now to improve compliance and not wait for the regulators.
Council abandons joint housing plan after inspectors question its ‘soundness’ 20/01/2020 A third west of England council has voted to withdraw from a joint regional plan for housing and growth.
Council prepares to approve £306m investment strategy 20/01/2020 A multi-million pound investment strategy that will see the delivery of 2,000 new homes is set to be approved by Oldham Council.
Number of build-to-rent homes rises over 50% mark 17/01/2020 New figures reveal that the total number of newly completed build-to-rent homes across the UK, excluding London, increased by over 50% last year.
Councils secure funding to tackle criminal landlords 17/01/2020 Councils across England are to share more than £4m to target criminal landlords and letting agents.
Former housing minister warns of ‘a new generation of slum housing’ 16/01/2020 A former housing minister has warned that national planning policy needs ‘a radical rethink’ in order to promote the wellbeing of communities.
Two million private renters made ill by housing worries, poll reveals 15/01/2020 Worries over private renting is causing millions of people to become physically ill or sick, a new survey has revealed.
Councils as modular building champions 15/01/2020 Ruby Giblin calls on councils to use their access to public borrowing to help grow modular building.
Funding boost for garden towns and villages 14/01/2020 The Government has allocated £6m to deliver up to 200,000 new homes in new locally-led garden towns and villages.
Local housing allowance ‘freeze’ ended 14/01/2020 The Government has announced that it will end the four-year freeze on the local housing allowance (LHA) which charities blame for a rise in homelessness.
Tackling grant complaints 13/01/2020 Paul Smith outlines five ways that a local authority can reduce the number of complaints it receives about disabled facilities grants.
Liverpool criticises 'short-sighted' rejection of its landlord licensing scheme 13/01/2020 The Government has been branded ‘short-sighted’ after it refused Liverpool’s application to continue its landlord licensing scheme.
Council chiefs call for permitted development right to be ‘scrapped’ 13/01/2020 Local authority leaders have warned that communities are potentially losing out on thousands of affordable homes due to office conversions which bypass local planning offices.
Housing benefit errors pushing families into homelessness, ombudsman warns 09/01/2020 Families are facing the prospect of becoming homeless due to the way some councils are handling housing benefit appeals, the ombudsman has warned today.
Scottish councils granted powers to regulate short-term lets 09/01/2020 Local authorities in Scotland are to be given new powers to regulate short-term lets where they decide this is in the interests of local communities.
Council ‘vows’ to defend local plan 09/01/2020 Sevenoaks District Council has vowed not to withdraw its draft local plan despite continued pressure from the planning inspector who they accuse of ‘ignoring evidence’.
Only one in 10 support ‘new towns’, study finds 08/01/2020 Just 10% of the UK population believes that the construction of new towns is the best way to tackle the UK housing crisis, according to a new report.
Councils still being held back from building more homes finds report 07/01/2020 Local authorities are still being held back from providing more homes, a new report examining the future for council housing has argued.
Report calls for end of 'age apartheid' 07/01/2020 Radical action is needed to create ‘a country for all ages’ by 2030, according to a report published today.
Lack of housing benefit forcing families to give up food to pay rent, charity warns 07/01/2020 Families are being forced to give up food shopping in order to pay their rent, a charity has warned today.
Council chiefs welcome £4m ‘rogue landlord’ fund 03/01/2020 Local authorities have welcomed a funding commitment by the Government aimed at cracking down on criminal landlords and letting agents.
PM pledges £260m to ‘eliminate’ homelessness 24/12/2019 The Prime Minister has pledged £260m to help local authorities prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.
Welfare reform drives ‘sofa surfing’, council chiefs warn 23/12/2019 Council leaders have called on the Government to adapt welfare reforms as research finds changes to the benefits system have been a driver of ‘sofa surfing’.
Welsh government bans combustible cladding 23/12/2019 Welsh government has banned the use of combustible cladding on high rise buildings following the Hackitt review into fire safety after the Grenfell tragedy.
Visionary housing for the elderly 19/12/2019 A project in London has linked private and public sectors to provide quality care for older people alongside a block of luxury apartments, Mark Whitehead says.
Council chiefs call for welfare reform to tackle homelessness 19/12/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the new Government to adapt welfare reforms so that they protect families at risk of becoming homeless.
Rogue west London landlord fined over £400,000 18/12/2019 A landlord in west London has been ordered to pay £430,000 for illegally renting out her property to 15 tenants.
Rough sleeping in Greater Manchester down by nearly 40% 18/12/2019 Mayor of Greater Manchester urges the Government to do more to help the homeless as figures reveal rough sleeping has fallen by 37% in one year.
Around 280,000 people will be homeless this Christmas, charity warns 18/12/2019 A new study has revealed that 280,000 people are recorded as homeless in England – an increase of 23,000 since 2016.
Khan urges Londoners to support rough sleepers this winter 17/12/2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on residents of the capital to support his winter rough sleeping campaign ahead of Christmas.
In a nutshell: What the election result means for local government 13/12/2019 With the Conservative party securing its biggest majority since the 1980s, what does this mean for local government?
Rogue landlord fined for ‘endangering lives’ 11/12/2019 A landlord in Birmingham has been successfully prosecuted and ordered to pay close to £20,000 for breaching housing regulations.
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2019 10/12/2019 From calls to a 10% pay rise for council staff to declaring a climate change emergency, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2019.
Providing sanctuary for refugees 10/12/2019 Neil Merrick finds out what councils across the country are doing to welcome and resettle Syrian refugees.
Garden Communities set to deliver over 400,000 homes 09/12/2019 Garden city developments are set to deliver over 400,000 new homes, the equivalent to a city the size of Birmingham, new research has revealed.
Council’s homelessness service suffers ‘serious weaknesses’ 09/12/2019 A housing regulator has launched an inquiry to investigate ‘serious weaknesses’ in Glasgow City Council’s service for people who are homeless.
It’s party time 05/12/2019 Paul Marinko tries to help the sector navigate the web of policy commitments for local government on offer after 12 December.
Councils could lose millions in utilities repayments after court ruling 04/12/2019 Local authorities could be facing repayments worth millions of pounds to council tenants in excess water charges, after a High Court ruling last week.
London council sues contractors for £130m over ‘fire safety failings’ 29/11/2019 Camden Council has launched legal action against a group of contractors over ‘multiple fire safety failings’ that led to the evacuation of the Chalcots Estate two years ago.
Lib Dems unveil plans to tackle homelessness 28/11/2019 The Liberal Democrats have set out a raft of plans to end rough sleeping if they won the General Election.
New grants to support Housing First services 27/11/2019 Five housing providers have been awarded £450,000 to help support people facing chronic homelessness and multiple disadvantages.
Private renters overspending £11bn a year on rent 26/11/2019 Private renters in England are spending £11bn more a year on rent than they can afford, new research has shown.
Tories pledge to create ‘more homeowners’ 22/11/2019 The Conservative Party has pledged to help renters buy their home and to give first time buyers discounts.
Nearly £11bn of London property ‘sitting empty’ 22/11/2019 Over 22,000 properties are sitting empty across Greater London, new research has revealed.
Labour promises biggest council house building programme for decades 21/11/2019 Labour has pledged to create a 'housing revolution' with the biggest council house building programme since the Second World War.
Survey warns housing developments are 'built too quickly' 21/11/2019 Planners and developers are failing to consider the infrastructure needed to support new house building, according to a report produced with the help of architects.
Families forced into homelessness by ‘unaffordable’ housing 20/11/2019 A charity has warned families are being pushed into homelessness as figures reveal nine in 10 homes are unaffordable to families relying on housing benefit.
Council to buy back estates from developer 19/11/2019 Hammersmith and Fulham LBC is to take back ownership of two housing estates 12 years after they were sold off by a previous administration.
Calls for councils to be given more power over empty properties 15/11/2019 A major union has called for councils to be allowed to take over empty properties to house people on waiting lists.
Temporary accommodation costing councils £1bn a year 15/11/2019 A dramatic increase in the amount of money councils spend on temporary accommodation for the homeless is 'shocking yet entirely preventable', according to leading campaigners.
Council closes property company to focus on building 300 new homes 13/11/2019 An arms-length local authority property company is to be wound up when its first project has been completed in the New Year.
Government urged to revitalise key worker housing 12/11/2019 The Key Worker Housing initiative should be revitalised to help public sector workers access affordable homes, a think tank has argued.
Council sets out plan to build 1,000 social homes 12/11/2019 Nottingham City Council has committed to building or buying 1,000 council houses and creating thousands of new jobs over the next decade.
Thousands of people living in 'unregulated' housing 07/11/2019 Tens of thousands of vulnerable people are living in unsafe and unsuitable conditions, according to new research.
LGA reveals successful applicants for its housing advisers programme 05/11/2019 Fourteen local authorities are to receive funding to pay for independent expertise to help overcome housing challenges in their local areas.
Councils given extra £4m to tackle rogue landlords 05/11/2019 Councils have been awarded an extra £4m in new funding to take action against criminal landlords.
No starter homes have been built yet, investigation finds 05/11/2019 None of the Government’s planned ‘starter homes’ have yet been built as legislation has not been implemented, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.
Charity calls for commitment to deliver 90,000 social homes a year 05/11/2019 New figures show that nine in 10 private renters are left on council housing waiting lists for years due to a lack of social homes.
Whitehall to pay Yorkshire company £30m to build ‘modern, green homes’ 04/11/2019 The Government yesterday announced it will be paying £30m to a construction firm in Yorkshire to make the North of England the ‘world-leader in the creation of modern, green homes’.
Chancellor announces £250m ‘infrastructure revolution’ 01/11/2019 More than £250m in funding will be made available to provide infrastructure for thousands of homes, the chancellor has said, in a move condemned as a pre-election ‘publicity stunt’.
London businesses support devolving housing powers to councils 31/10/2019 Businesses in London have urged Whitehall to give local authorities more power to deliver infrastructure and housing in their communities.
Councils offered £10m fund to ‘kick start’ new towns 28/10/2019 The Government has released £10m to help councils develop locally-led proposals to deliver more ‘new towns’.
Six local authorities sign housing deal with Homes England 24/10/2019 The Government has launched a nearly £40m fund in an attempt to kick start a ‘green housing revolution’ in the north of England.
Whitehall commits £19m for young people leaving care 23/10/2019 Young people leaving care have been promised better housing, healthcare and employment opportunities in a new government scheme.
Joint venture unlocks ‘biggest brownfield’ site in the Black Country 21/10/2019 Industrial land in Sandwell is set to be the site of a 750-home community after a deal was struck by the council and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Charity calls for ‘whole Government approach’ to health of young people 16/10/2019 Whitehall should transform its policies across housing, transport and education in order to secure the future health of today’s young people, charity says.
Queen's Speech 19: Whitehall to ‘implement’ new building safety standards 14/10/2019 The Government plans to ‘implement new building safety standards’ in order to prevent a repeat of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, according to the Queen’s speech.
Queen's Speech 19: Brexit, health and devo at the heart of Government plans 14/10/2019 Brexit, the NHS and devolution are at the heart of the next round of Government legislation as outlined in the first Queen’s Speech today.
Only 10% of recent homes built on the Green Belt are 'affordable' 14/10/2019 Only one in ten homes built on land released from the Green Belt over the past decade are considered ‘affordable’, a new report has found.
Cost of B&Bs for homeless people rockets 14/10/2019 Councils are being forced to spend more than £90m a year on placing homeless people in bed and breakfasts, council chiefs have warned.
Trial launched into providing a stable home for ex-offenders 11/10/2019 A scheme to give prisoners a place to live when they are released is now being trialled in Leeds, London and Bristol, it has been announced.
A targeted approach to tackle homelessness 10/10/2019 The Government's objective of ending homelessness by 2027 can be achieved through a more targeted and long-term approach, experts told Mark Whitehead.
Public call for more investment in housing benefit 10/10/2019 Three quarters of the public believe that housing benefit should increase in line with rents, according to a new poll published to mark World Homeless Day.
Norwich council estate wins top architecture prize 09/10/2019 A council estate in Norwich has been named as the UK’s best new building.
UK marked by ‘extreme’ inequalities, study shows 08/10/2019 A new study from University College London has warned that the UK is characterised by ‘extreme’ inequalities both between and within cities and regions.
Cambridge’s pioneering cohousing scheme 07/10/2019 Laura Sharman visits Marmalade Lane – Cambridge’s first cohousing development and the largest scheme of its type in the UK.
Local Housing Allowance 'inadequate' for family homes, research warns 07/10/2019 More than nine out of ten family homes for private rent are too expensive for people on housing benefit, new analysis has revealed.
Sussex council green lights 3,000 new homes 07/10/2019 A planning committee in Sussex has given the green light to a construction project that will see thousands of new homes delivered in the area.
Rent caps needed to curb housing crisis, report says 04/10/2019 A think tank has called for local leaders to have the power to cap rents in high-cost areas.
Oxford to lose out on millions due to planning rule changes 03/10/2019 Oxford City Council has warned that the city could lose out on hundreds of new council houses due to changes in the national framework which guides planning policy.
Glasgow faces legal battle over homeless services 03/10/2019 Shelter Scotland has launched a legal battle against Glasgow City Council over failures in its homelessness service.
Councils attack plans to extend permitted development rules 01/10/2019 The Government has announced plans to extend permitted development rules to allow developers to convert commercial buildings into homes without planning permission.
Fit for purpose homes 27/09/2019 With a new report showing the amount of money spent on the repair and maintenance of public housing has hit a 20-year low, Mark Robinson explores how councils can ensure their homes are fit for purpose.
The safety of social housing 26/09/2019 Neil Merrick explores how councils are improving the safety of social housing two years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Scotland sees a 15% increase in its housing supply 24/09/2019 Scotland has seen an increase in its housing supply for the sixth year in a row, new figures reveal.
Housing crisis affecting 8.4m people in England 23/09/2019 The number of people in England who need social housing is nearly double the number of people on the government’s official waiting list, a new report has warned today.
Council chiefs warn ‘boom’ in barn conversions undermines local planning 23/09/2019 Local leaders have called for scrapping of the permitted development right after new figures suggest rural developments might be missing out on vital services.
Council chiefs call for devolution process to be ‘reignited’ 20/09/2019 The Government must 'reignite the devolution process' to give all parts of England more powers and funding, council leaders have demanded.
Processes for allocating social housing excluding ‘vulnerable’, think tank warns 18/09/2019 The rules and processes designed to decide who gets access to social housing could be failing people in greatest need, housing experts warn.
Casey calls for support to tackle homelessness 16/09/2019 Homelessness expert Dame Louise Casey has issued a call to arms to tackle the rising tide of homelessness around the world.
Government to reintroduce Domestic Abuse Bill 13/09/2019 The prime minister has confirmed that his Government will reintroduce a Bill to help tackle the ‘horrific crime’ of domestic abuse.
£150m housing scheme to go ahead on former Toys R Us site 12/09/2019 Housing and new offices are set to go ahead on a former Toys R Us site in Southampton.
APSE to launch Local Government Commission 10/09/2019 A new commission to develop a practical vision for local government in 2030 will be launched by APSE later this month.
Council to help deliver over 80 ‘cutting-edge’ properties 10/09/2019 A district council in Cambridgeshire has welcomed the Government’s decision to build what they describe as ‘cutting-edge, designer council homes’ in Northstowe.
Burnham announces £6m for homelessness scheme 09/09/2019 Mayor Andy Burnham has announced a £6m funding package for the second phase of Greater Manchester’s A Bed Every Night scheme.
Review into sprinklers in high-rise homes 06/09/2019 The Government has announced plans to reduce the height of tower blocks where sprinklers must be installed.
Who’s planning for more? 04/09/2019 One year on from the launch of the new National Planning Policy Framework planning, Sophie Innes has concerns about its progress.
Council pension fund calls on housebuilders to improve transparency 04/09/2019 One of the biggest local government pension funds has called on housebuilding companies to improve the way they report environmental, social and governance issues.

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