Housing | LocalGov

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.

CCN: Planning legislation would ‘dilute’ local oversight

11/03/2025

Legislation aimed at speeding up planning decisions would ‘dilute’ the role of councillors on planning committees, warns the County Council Network (CCN).

Vent-Axia Publishes Free eBook to Help Social Housing Landlords Navigate Awaab’s Law

05/03/2025

Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has published a free eBook ‘Ensuring Safe Housing Conditions: Focusing on Mould and Damp Conditions’.

Hull CC urges residents to report empty homes

05/03/2025

Hull City Council has urged residents to report empty homes as part of the effort to tackle the ‘unprecedented housing shortage.’

Wealth fund backs social housing retrofit loans

03/03/2025

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has announced plans to guarantee £250m of loans to housing associations to support the retrofitting of social housing.

Planning breaches uncovered at £6m mansion

03/03/2025

North Norfolk DC has launched an investigation after it was alleged the owners of a £6m house had built a pool and tennis court without planning permission.

Is enough being done to meet the 1.5m housing target?

28/02/2025

Jonathan Pearson, director of Residentially, asks if the Government is doing enough to meet its 1.5 million new homes target.

Number of rough sleepers up by a fifth

28/02/2025

The number of people rough sleeping in England has increased by a fifth in a year, according to new government figures.

Rayner: Grenfell inquiry must be ‘catalyst’ for systemic change

26/02/2025

The Government is committed to ‘stronger regulation’ to improve building safety, says Rayner while setting out the response to the Grenfell inquiry.

Extra £30m to combat homelessness

26/02/2025

An additional £30m in emergency funding has been allocated to councils in England to help prevent evictions and support rough sleepers.

Unlock Awaab’s Law compliance with audits

25/02/2025

Validate cleaning performance to ensure healthier living conditions, advises MSL Solution Providers.

Leicester to build 53 council homes on derelict school site

24/02/2025

Work is set to begin on the construction of 53 council homes at a derelict school site in Leicester.

Investigations into Godstone sinkhole delayed

24/02/2025

Authorities have delayed investigations into the cause of a huge sinkhole in a Surrey village, citing safety concerns.

Average wait for council housing nearly at three years

18/02/2025

The average wait for council housing has almost hit the three-year mark with one London borough reporting the average wait to be over 25 years.

Rules change proposed to boost social housing supply

18/02/2025

Changes to financial rules that could unlock funds for council investment in social housing are to be put before ministers.

Developers leave 1.4 million homes unbuilt

14/02/2025

Councils have given planning permission for more than 1.4 million homes since 2007 that have not been built, research has found.

Starmer: 100 new towns under consideration

13/02/2025

Proposals for new towns on more than 100 sites have been submitted as part of what the PM calls the ‘largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era.’

Vent-Axia Welcomes Government Setting Date for Awaab’s Law

12/02/2025

Vent-Axia has welcomed the UK Government setting a date of October 2025 for Awaab’s Law to be introduced across the social housing sector.

Rayner announces £350m affordable housing boost

12/02/2025

An extra £350m will be invested to boost the number of affordable homes and more will be done to stop rogue landlords getting benefits, the deputy PM says.

Spending Review chance to end ‘permacrisis’

11/02/2025

The Spending Review is a chance to end the ‘permacrisis’ that has left a growing number of local authorities on the brink of bankruptcy, London Councils says.

Housing plan on MoD site scrapped due to acid grasslands

07/02/2025

Colchester City Council is set to remove a former Ministry of Defence firing range from its development plans due to the site's ‘environmental value.’

Combined authority plea ahead of Chagossian arrivals

05/02/2025

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has pleaded for help from other local authorities ahead of the upcoming arrival of hundreds of Chagossians.

Social housing waiting lists to 'top two million'

04/02/2025

The number of households on social housing waiting lists in England could top two million by 2034, property experts have forecasted.

Croydon to use Peep Show flats for temporary housing

31/01/2025

Croydon Council is set to acquire part of Peep Show’s ‘Apollo House’, home of characters Mark and Jeremy, to house homeless people on a temporary basis.

Council’s housing service in need of ‘significant improvement’

29/01/2025

An investigation by the social housing regulator has confirmed that ‘significant improvement is needed’ in Portsmouth City Council’s housing service.

Vent-Axia's Embodied Carbon Calculations for Commercial Heat Recovery Aid Building Design

29/01/2025

To help with the design of low and zero-carbon buildings, ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has completed its embodied carbon calculations on its products.

Major flooding incident in Somerset as residents evacuated

28/01/2025

A major incident was declared in Somerset yesterday as residents were evacuated from their homes due to flooding.

Rising number of child deaths linked to temporary housing

28/01/2025

An estimated 80 children died in temporary accommodation in the year up to 30 September 2024, according to new research.

Havering to house homeless people in empty Essex office block

27/01/2025

Cash-strapped Havering Council has approved plans to convert an office block outside the borough into residential units for homeless families.

‘No desire’ to address short-term homelessness system

24/01/2025

MPs examining the homelessness crisis have warned that there is seemingly ‘no desire to move away from an unsatisfactory short-term system’.

Tackling the ecological skills gap

21/01/2025

Catherine Spitzer, chief executive of Environment Bank, explains how private investment can help councils that are struggling to attract skilled ecologists.

Nine in 10 council housing budgets under financial stress

20/01/2025

Local authorities have warned in a new survey that they may be unable to balance their books because of pressure on their council housing budgets.

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