Wiltshire Council outlines next steps after Local Plan setback
18/03/2026 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
17/03/2026 County council leaders are warning that the Government's planning reforms will strip local communities of their voice. |
£1.4bn flood defence funding announced
17/03/2026 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
16/03/2026 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
13/03/2026 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
12/03/2026 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
12/03/2026 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
10/03/2026 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
10/03/2026 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
10/03/2026 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
09/03/2026 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
09/03/2026 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
06/03/2026 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
06/03/2026 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
04/03/2026 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
04/03/2026 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
02/03/2026 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
02/03/2026 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
02/03/2026 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
26/02/2026 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
25/02/2026 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
24/02/2026 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
20/02/2026 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
19/02/2026 Westminster City Council is delivering a regeneration project that will provide 1,750 new homes. |
Government using strategic planning agenda to speed up devo
18/02/2026 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
17/02/2026 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
17/02/2026 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
16/02/2026 The Government is consulting on plans to map out spatial development strategy (SDS) areas across England. |
Regulator hits county council with C4 grading
11/02/2026 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
10/02/2026 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
10/02/2026 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
09/02/2026 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
09/02/2026 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
02/02/2026 A council chairman has resigned after being found to have unlawfully operated unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMO). |
Government extends £150 energy bill support
30/01/2026 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
29/01/2026 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
28/01/2026 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
27/01/2026 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
27/01/2026 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
23/01/2026 Regulations to protect tenants from damp and mould have been announced in Scotland. |
Insulation scheme ‘catastrophic fiasco’, MPs say
23/01/2026 A Government-backed home insulation programme has been labelled an ‘abject failure’ by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). |
Peers raise council capacity concerns
22/01/2026 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
21/01/2026 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
21/01/2026 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. |
Council investigated over possible housing fraud
20/01/2026 Hundreds of homes owned by Barking and Dagenham Council's property company could have been allocated to organised criminal gangs, investigation reveals. |
Reed hails housing starts increase
16/01/2026 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
14/01/2026 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
14/01/2026 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
13/01/2026 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
12/01/2026 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
09/01/2026 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
06/01/2026 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
05/01/2026 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
05/01/2026 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
24/12/2025 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
23/12/2025 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
23/12/2025 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
22/12/2025 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
19/12/2025 The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill to reform the planning system has received Royal Assent this week. |
Watchdog uncovers 'serious failings' in social housing
17/12/2025 Gosport BC has received the lowest grading for its social housing after a regulator found ‘unacceptable failings’ in its role as landlord. |
Planning overhaul to clamp down on 'unjustified local deviation'
17/12/2025 Revised planning rules unveiled by the Government yesterday would result in a ‘default yes’ in favour of development around train stations, on brownfield sites and for blocks of flats. |
Value of new homes at risk due to 100-mile pylon plan, warns council
16/12/2025 Essex County Council is concerned the value of a 4,000 new home development in its area could be hit by National Grid plans to install 100 miles of pylons close by. |
£3.5bn investment to 'end homelessness for good'
11/12/2025 A cross-government plan to ‘end homelessness for good’ by preventing it before it occurs has been launched, backed by £3.5bn investment over the next three years. |
MHCLG blow as councils' housebuilding expansion comes to a halt
10/12/2025 A surge in housebuilding by councils is expected to grind to a halt – threatening the Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029. |
Council faces £2m deficit due to ‘continuing housing crisis’
09/12/2025 Worthing Borough Council says pressure meeting a ‘continuing housing crisis’ in the area means it is facing a £2.1m budget deficit this year, forcing it to ask the Government for emergency financial support. |
Grey belt countryside warning
08/12/2025 Almost nine in 10 grey belt developments approved by the Government rather than councils over the last year involve ‘unspoilt rural landscapes’, countryside campaigners have warned. |
Budget: Reeves commits to homelessness review
27/11/2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed to a review of homelessness service funding. |
Budget: More funding to recruit planners
26/11/2025 Funding to recruit officers has been announced in a bid to boost capacity in the planning system as part of today's Budget. |
Budget: Council tax surcharge to 'support funding for local government services'
26/11/2025 Revenue from the high value council tax surcharge will be used to ‘support funding for local government services', Budget documents have confirmed. |
Housing regulator criticises council for ‘serious failings’
26/11/2025 Oldham MBC has been handed a C3 consumer grading after the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) found it failed to meet required consumer standards. |
Lambeth to house more families out of area
25/11/2025 Lambeth LBC is proposing to house more people further out of the borough as housing pressures in London worsen. |
‘Postcode lottery’ in rent support has cut tenants’ incomes, warns IFS
21/11/2025 Renters impacted by frozen local housing allowance (LHA) rates have seen a decrease in their disposable income by nearly £1,500 per year, researchers say. |
Burnham unveils £1bn ‘Good Growth’ fund
20/11/2025 Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has announced a landmark £1bn Good Growth Fund, designed to kick-start a pipeline of projects across the city-region. |
New social homes could boost economy by £5bn
20/11/2025 Meeting the Government’s target of delivering 180,000 new social rent homes could add more than £5bn to the economy, according to new research released today. |
Lambeth refreshes TA policy amid ‘unsustainable pressure’ of housing crisis
19/11/2025 Lambeth Council has suggested amendments to its temporary accommodation placement policy. |
Vent-Axia Welcomes Healthy Homes Standard
17/11/2025 Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has welcomed the Government’s publication of its Healthy Homes Standard. |
Ministers accused of 'scapegoating' nature
17/11/2025 Ministers have been accused of ‘scapegoating' nature as they attempt to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. |
Majority of councils failing to prosecute landlords, FOI reveals
17/11/2025 Two-thirds of councils in England have not prosecuted a single landlord in the past three years, new analysis shows. |
‘No-fault’ evictions to end May 2026
14/11/2025 Historic reforms to England’s private rented sector will see ‘no-fault’ evictions outlawed from 1 May 2026. |
Council approves 100% tax premium on second homes
12/11/2025 North Northamptonshire Council has formally approved plans to introduce a 100% council tax premium on second homes. |
Failures continue at Grenfell council, peers find
11/11/2025 Housing challenges are continuing at the council at the centre of the Grenfell tragedy, a Local Government Association (LGA) peer review has warned. |
Nearly 300,000 face severe homelessness, charity warns
10/11/2025 Landmark study shows nearly 300,000 households are now experiencing the worst forms of homelessness with many staying in temporary accommodation. |
Temporary accommodation funding freeze costs districts £268m a year
10/11/2025 A funding freeze on Government support for temporary accommodation is draining English district councils of £268m a year, fresh analysis has revealed. |
Affordable housing boost for mayors
07/11/2025 Mayors outside of London will be given greater influence over the Government's multi-billion-pound affordable housing programme. |
Major Salford regeneration project gets green light
07/11/2025 A major redevelopment of the Regent Retail Park in Salford has been approved by the city’s Planning and Transportation Regulatory Panel. |
Airtech Calls For Urgent Government Action to Support Radon Awareness Week
05/11/2025 Airtech, the condensation, mould and radon specialists, is once again supporting UK Radon Awareness Week by helping raise awareness of the radioactive gas. |
Call for better monitoring of energy efficiency standards
03/11/2025 Over 60% of councils neglect to enforce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for renters. |
Man ordered to repay £30,000 after council housing fraud
03/11/2025 A man who falsely claimed to be homeless to secure a council house has been ordered to repay almost £30,000 following an investigation. |
Chancellor failed to get licence to rent out home
30/10/2025 The PM has declined calls for an investigation after Chancellor Reeves apologised for renting out her family home without a licence from Southwark Council. |
London councils face ‘eye-watering’ £4bn funding gap
30/10/2025 London’s town halls are warning of 'inevitable' service cuts and growing financial crisis as new analysis reveals a £4bn funding gap. |
Councils accused of homelessness ‘gatekeeping’
29/10/2025 A third of young people in England who approached their local authority for help in 2023/24 were not assessed under the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) 2017. |
Redesigning Services: Anti-racist models of home improvement
29/10/2025 Without inclusive home improvement support, the wellbeing of people from racially minorities will be at risk, writes Nazia Azad of Centre for Ageing Better. |
Council responds to four-day week fears
29/10/2025 South Cambridgeshire District Council has reinforced its ‘exceptionally high’ performance standards following concerns over its four-day week trial. |
Building Safety Regulator delays prompt rethink
28/10/2025 Elements of building safety could be removed from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and returned to local authority control. |
MPs urge overhaul of developer levies
28/10/2025 The system for capturing developer contributions is failing communities, leaving vital public amenities like schools and GP surgeries underfunded, MPs say. |
Autumn Budget Insights: Saving supported housing
27/10/2025 Supported housing is on a financial knife-edge and needs emergency funding in the upcoming Budget, says Sarah Finnegan of the National Housing Federation. |
LGA welcomes Awaab’s Law but flags resource gap
27/10/2025 Council chiefs have welcomed the introduction of Awaab’s Law, but called for more funding to support implementation. |
Billions wasted on ‘chaotic’ asylum accommodation system
27/10/2025 The Home Affairs Committee has called for a major overhaul of the ‘failed, chaotic and expensive’ asylum accommodation system. |
Vent-Axia’s New Smart Fan Helps Landlords Stay Ahead of Awaab’s Law
24/10/2025 As Awaab’s Law comes into effect for social landlords in England, Vent-Axia is urging landlords to take proactive steps to improve poor indoor air quality. |
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. |
