Digital Transformation, AI and Local Government: The Case for Workforce Upskilling
The new LocalGov and Multiverse report explores how workforce upskilling is driving smarter, more efficient, and inclusive local government transformation.
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. |
Aberdeen City Council launches rent consultation
22/10/2025 Aberdeen City Council has initiated a consultation inviting tenants to provide feedback on proposed rent changes for the 2026/27 period. |
‘Transformative’ social housing complex wins architectural recognition
17/10/2025 A social housing complex has been awarded the Stirling Prize for architectural excellence. |
Record 172,000 children trapped in temporary housing
16/10/2025 One in five families with children in temporary accommodation (TA) in England have been living there for five or more years, official statistics reveal. |
Social housing regulator flags serious failings at Canterbury council
15/10/2025 Canterbury City Council has been issued a C3 grading by the Regulator of Social Housing after inspectors found it had failed to meet key consumer standards. |
Labour MPs urge Chancellor to scrap ‘outdated’ council tax system
15/10/2025 Thirteen Labour MPs have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to abolish council tax, arguing that the current system is outdated and unfair. |
EXCLUSIVE: London boroughs shunning fixed-term tenancies despite housing pressures
15/10/2025 The MJ has found a majority of London councils still providing lifetime tenancies by default despite the capital's burgeoning temporary accommodation costs. |
Right to Buy leaves councils thousands of homes short
14/10/2025 An investigation by The Big Issue has revealed the lasting impact of the Right to Buy scheme on England’s social housing stock. |
Council greenlights John Lewis rental home project
10/10/2025 John Lewis’ plans to deliver 170 new homes in Reading have been unanimously supported by the council. |
IFS calls for council tax reform ahead of Budget
10/10/2025 Finance experts have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use the upcoming Budget to reform council tax rather than rely on short-term revenue-raising measures. |
Government unveils £84m homelessness package
09/10/2025 Thousands of people facing homelessness will receive urgent help this winter thanks to a new £84m Government funding package announced on World Homeless Day. |
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. |
