Housing | LocalGov

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.

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.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Business Support Officer (Museums & Galleries NPO)

Kirklees Metropolitan Council
£16,765 - £17,607
This is an exciting opportunity to support Kirklees Museums and Galleries in the development of its ambitious vision Kirklees, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Durham County Council
£30,024 - £33,699 pro rata
Higher Level Teaching Assistant Grade 7 £30,024 - £33,699 pro rata Full time, term time only + 2 weeks Permanent Required from 3rd November.  We wish Stanley
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Team Leader - Communication and Interaction

Durham County Council
Leadership 6 - 10 £58,569 - £64,691
We are looking for a Team Leader to join our highly valued and well-established Specialist SEND and Inclusion Support (SIS) Service. This is an addit Spennymoor
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Senior Business Analyst

North Yorkshire Council
£47,181 - £51,356 per annum
Do you enjoy analysing problems, identifying opportunities, and delivering practical solutions? Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Senior Business Analyst

North Yorkshire Council
£47,181 - £51,356 per annum
Do you enjoy analysing problems, identifying opportunities, and delivering practical solutions? Selby, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council
Linkedin Banner