What do we want to see from the Levelling Up White Paper?
Zo Hoida discusses recent claims from the National Infrastructure Commission that the government’s ‘levelling up’ plan will fail.
Al fresco dining in Westminster set to continue post-lockdown
17/09/2021 Westminster City Council has decided to continue supporting a number of outdoor dining schemes after a positive response to al fresco dining from locals. |
How can local authorities benefit from digitised licencing tools?
15/09/2021 Nicola Ray explains how the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has updated its licensing system to ensure the safety of vulnerable workers and protect them from exploitation. |
Why councils should have the power to improve safety of cosmetic treatments
06/08/2021 Tony Veverka argues local authorities must be given new powers to better regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures. |
Councils warn licensing decisions should cover public health
06/08/2021 Council leaders have called for the power to take public health into account when deciding whether to grant licences to protect communities from harm. |
Councils approve more than 2,000 pavement licences in past year
04/08/2021 Councils approved requests from businesses for more than 17,000 extra outdoor seats in the past year, new research has discovered. |
Manchester council to consider extending selective licensing schemes
09/09/2020 Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve a consultation on extending selective licensing schemes to up to 12 new locations in the city which cover around 2,500 homes. |
How local authorities could help their private hire and taxi drivers
13/08/2020 Dr. Tom Vickers outlines how local authorities can help improve the working conditions and economic insecurity among private hire and taxi drivers. |
Councils call for tougher licensing powers to tackle COVID-19 safety breaches
10/08/2020 Councils have called for a temporary change in licensing laws to allow them to close down premises that are not protecting the public during the pandemic. |
Councils call for action to ensure smoke-free pavements
20/07/2020 Councils have called for pavements outside pubs, bars and cafes to be smoke-free. |
Planning rules relaxed to support outdoor dining
26/06/2020 The Government has temporarily lifted planning rules to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to serve customers outdoors. |
Next mayor should ‘step up’ fight against rogue landlords, group says
09/03/2020 Half of London’s boroughs did not fine any landlords for letting out unsafe homes in the past year, new research reveals. |
Councils warn moves to license hand car washes must be fully funded
14/02/2020 Councils have warned that any attempt to licence hand car washes must be fully funded by license fees. |
Councils urge retailers to become 'no knife shops'
10/02/2020 Councils are urging retailers not to sell knives in an effort to tackle the knife crime epidemic. |
Managing short-term lets
27/01/2020 Deborah Heather explores the issue of homestay rentals and managing short-term lets within council boundaries. |
Approval given for council's landlord licensing scheme
22/01/2020 A large-scale selective licensing scheme in Waltham Forest has been approved by the Government. |
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. |
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. |
Manchester to implement Martyn’s Law
08/01/2020 Manchester City Council is set to Martyn’s Law to improve security at all public venues. |
Council chiefs warn of ‘bogus' Christmas taxi drivers
20/12/2019 Local authority leaders have warned revellers of the dangers of unlicensed rogue drivers around Christmas time. |
Wakefield council ‘overcharging’ cabbies, court rules
12/12/2019 A court has ruled that Wakefield council were overcharging local taxi drivers for a licence to trade in what could prove to be a landmark case. |
Manchester calls in Uber for urgent meeting
28/11/2019 Uber's troubles have continued with Manchester City Council revealing it has requested an urgent meeting with the company over concerns regarding licensing rules. |
Uber loses licence to operate in London
25/11/2019 Transport for London (TfL) has ruled against granting Uber a new private hire operator’s licence, deeming it to 'not be fit and proper' to hold one. |
Outdated taxi laws putting public at risk, councils warn
01/11/2019 The Government has been urged to reform 'outdated and flawed' taxi laws by the Local Government Association (LGA). |
A licence to let
04/07/2019 With the government’s recent focus on regulating the private rented sector, Neil Merrick explores how councils are using licensing scheme to tackle rogue landlords. |
Council accreditation scheme ‘discriminatory’, landlords say
09/05/2019 A landlord accreditation scheme in Oxford is ‘discriminatory and unlawful’, a landlord association has claimed. |
Councils failing to use powers for rent repayment orders, landords warns
28/03/2019 Councils are failing to use new powers to force bad landlords to pay back rent, the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have warned. |
'Postcode lottery' for landlord licences is revealed
21/03/2019 The most expensive landlord licencing schemes cost 21 times more than the cheapest ones, new research has revealed. |
Councils call for licensing powers to tackle ‘lawless’ shisha bars
25/02/2019 Councils have called for new powers to tackle ‘lawless’ shisha bars that flout smoking and fire regulations. |
Whitehall launches consultation on taxi licensing
12/02/2019 Local authorities could soon be required to ensure that every prospective taxi driver undergoes enhanced criminal record and background checks. |
Report sets out how to make selective licensing more effective
24/01/2019 Selective licensing schemes are helping to tackle dangerous properties but they could be more effective if the Government introduced some simple measures. |
The confusing tale of a councillor, an escort agency and a licencing committee
18/01/2019 Mark Whitehead investigates why a councillor removed from a licensing committee over his connection to an escort agency was not reinstated when cleared of any wrong-doing. |
Councils awarded £2m to tackle rogue landlords
08/11/2018 Councils are being urged to bid for new funding to to step up enforcement action against irresponsible landlords. |
Councils granted powers to punish rogue mobile home site owners
23/10/2018 Local authorities will have more powers to crack down on rogue mobile home site owners, the Government has announced. |
Councils welcome report into tougher taxi laws
25/09/2018 Local authorities have welcomed recommendations to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. |
Whitehall launches selective licensing review
20/06/2018 The Government has announced it is launching a review into selective licensing to find out how well it is working. |
Blackpool first council to be awarded self-supply water licence
20/06/2018 Blackpool Council has been granted a self-supply licence to manage and monitor its own water usage across its 120 sites. |
Council fines 'try before you buy’ sex toy shop
19/06/2018 A local authority in the north east has fined a sex doll company £10,000 for operating without a licence. |
Redbridge cracks down on ‘rogue landlords’ with licensing scheme
04/06/2018 The Government has given the go-ahead for the expansion of a new licensing scheme across Redbridge to help the council improve conditions for private renters. |
Brighton is latest council to turn down Uber licence
02/05/2018 Brighton & Hove City Council has refused to renew Uber’s licence after finding the firm is not ‘fit and proper’. |
New guide provides national benchmark for granting taxi licences
26/04/2018 A new guide to help councils decide if someone should be granted a taxi or private hire licence has been published today by the Institute of Licensing (IoL). |
Burnham proposes ‘rogue landlord’ amnesty
25/04/2018 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has proposed an amnesty for ‘rogue landlords’ in an attempt to drive them out of the private rented sector. |
Calls for councils to have power to confiscate properties from criminal landlords
19/04/2018 Local authorities should be given the power to confiscate properties from landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants, MPs have said today. |
Rogue landlord database goes live
06/04/2018 A new national database which will enable councils to share information about rogue landlords went live today as part of an effort to crackdown on illegal practices in the private rented sector. |
Nottingham gets approval for new landlord licensing scheme
14/02/2018 A new licencing scheme to help improve the condition of privately rented homes in Nottingham has been given the green light by the Government. |
Rogue landlords forced to pay back ‘racketeering’ proceeds
02/02/2018 Brent has become the first council in the country to use the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) against slum landlords for breaches of licensing conditions. |
Blackpool set to become first council to manage its own water supply
30/01/2018 Blackpool Council has applied to Ofwat for a water and sewerage licence, making it the first local authority to move towards managing its own water supply. |
Taxi licences granted to drivers with criminal convictions, campaigners warn
30/01/2018 Taxi and private hire vehicle licences are being granted to drivers with criminal convictions because there are no national minimum standards to enforce sufficient safety checks, campaigners say. |
Councils given power to tackle overcrowding in private homes
02/01/2018 Councils have been given more power to crack-down on overcrowded homes and stop landlords from renting out sub-standard properties. |
London council launches taskforce to crack down on unlawful Airbnb lettings
13/12/2017 A team of council officers is hitting the streets in Westminster to crack down on unlawful Airbnb lettings. |
Sheffield's suspends Uber's licence over 'management questions'
08/12/2017 Online taxi firm Uber has had its licence suspended by Sheffield City Council after allegedly failing to answer questions about its management. |
Uber's licence renewal refused by Transport for London
22/09/2017 Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it will not be renewing Uber’s licence to operate in the capital – with the full backing of mayor Sadiq Khan. |
Taxi laws ‘outdated’ and pose safeguarding risks, council chiefs say
25/08/2017 Council chiefs have called on the Government to reform ‘existing outdated’ taxi laws in order to strengthen safeguarding measures. |
Council prosecutes letting agent for issuing ‘sham licences’
22/08/2017 Islington Council has successfully prosecuted a letting agent for issuing ‘sham licences’ in the first prosecution of its kind. |
Council urges shopkeepers to not sell acid to youths
04/08/2017 Hackney LBC has urged shopkeepers to stop selling the dangerous products like acid and ammonia to young people after a spate of violent attacks in the capital. |
Girl, 5, fined for selling lemonade
21/07/2017 A London council has fined a five-year-old girl for selling homemade lemonade on the street without a license. |
Council wins court case to recoup £1.3m licensing costs
20/07/2017 Westminster City Council has won a long-running Supreme Court case over the licensing fee it had charged sex shops. |
Lincoln grants license for Lamborghini taxi
22/06/2017 Lincoln residents will soon be able to hire a Lamborghini as a ‘taxi with a twist’, council says. |
Enforcement regime on displaying agent fees ‘failing’, survey reveals
02/06/2017 The enforcement regime on displaying agent fees is ‘failing’, says licensing group as survey reveals the majority of councils are not issuing penalties for non-compliance. |
Council officers discover up to 40 people crammed into three-bedroom house
26/04/2017 A raid by a London council has uncovered a three-bedroom home being shared by 17 people. |
Councils hit out at 'ill-advised' calls to scrap licensing committees
04/04/2017 Local government leaders have rejected a call by to scrap licensing committees as 'unnecessary and ill-advised'. |
Council refuses zoo licence due to animal deaths
07/03/2017 Barrow BC has refused to issue a new licence to a zoo in Cumbria - where a keeper was killed in 2013 - after an inspection revealed many animals had died due to the poor conditions. |
Controversy over council decision to cut down Queen Mother’s trees
03/02/2017 Northumberland council has been criticised for cutting down trees that were planted in the Queen Mother’s honour. |
Councils to get tough on 'backstreet' puppy breeders
02/02/2017 Councils are to be given greater powers to help crack down on irresponsible puppy breeders under tough new licensing rules announced today. |
Rotherham Council handed back licensing powers
14/12/2016 Rotherham Council will be given back control of taxi services, although commissioners will oversee licensing decisions until 31 March 2019, the communities secretary has said. |
‘Worrying’ minibus licensing loophole must be closed, councils say
05/12/2016 A ‘worrying’ licensing loophole that allows people to transport members of the public in minibuses without having a criminal record check must be closed, council chiefs urge. |
Airbnb to enforce 90-day limit on rentals in London
02/12/2016 Council leaders have welcomed the announcement by Airbnb that it will ensure landlords have planning permission if they want to rent out their entire home for more than 90 days a year. |
Fabric to reopen following new agreement with council
22/11/2016 Fabric nightclub will be allowed to reopen after it reached an agreement with Islington Council, setting out tough new licensing measures. |
London council joins Kent's Licensing Partnership
16/11/2016 A London council has joined a Kent-based local authority licensing partnership in a bid to improve service delivery and save thousands of pounds. |
Whitehall’s reluctance to tackle taxi loophole ‘deeply concerning’
02/11/2016 The Government's reluctance to tackle Rotherham taxi loophole is ‘deeply concerning’, say MPs. |
Rotherham Council to regain licensing powers
20/10/2016 The communities secretary has proposed to hand the power to issue licenses to taxi drivers back to Rotherham Council. |
Councils given power to tackle overcrowded housing
19/10/2016 Councils could be given new powers to improve standards in shared homes, such as ensuring rooms do not fall below a minimum size. |
Council takes property off rogue landlord
17/10/2016 Waltham Forest Council has taken the unusual move of taking over a property due to the landlord’s ‘complete refusal to operate responsibly’. |
Councils forced to write off millions in unpaid business rates
20/09/2016 Councils are being forced to write off millions of pounds in unpaid business rates due to a legal loophole, town hall chiefs have warned today. |
Khan ‘disappointed’ with Fabric nightclub decision
08/09/2016 The mayor of London has expressed his disappointment at Islington LBC’s decision to revoked the licence for the Fabric nightclub. |
Council accepts report into taxi licensing failures
23/06/2016 South Ribble Council had failed to make the safety of taxi passengers a priority when issuing licenses, a report has concluded. |
Councils accused of 'milking' pet shops over licensing fees
23/06/2016 Councils are failing to justify large fees for licensing pet shops, report reveals. |
Report shows wild animals being kept as pets
23/05/2016 More than 100 councils have issued people with licenses to keep animals such as tigers, lemurs and crocodiles on private property, a new investigation has revealed. |
Birmingham considers clampdown on ‘chuggers’
14/04/2016 Birmingham City Council is considering proposals that would see the number of face-to-face charity fundraisers in the city centre reduced by more than 70%. |
MPs reject Sunday trading reforms
10/03/2016 The Government has been defeated in its plans to overhaul Sunday trading laws, by 31 votes. |
Minister attempts to reassure critics over changes to Sunday trading rules
07/03/2016 Local authorities will be able to ‘draw a red line’ around town centres to ensure benefits from changes to Sunday trading laws will go to high street shops rather than out-of-town stores, minister claims. |
Councils call for more powers to curb new alcohol premises
12/02/2016 Councils are calling for the power to use public health concerns to curb the number of premises selling alcohol. |
Red-light district given the go ahead in Leeds
18/01/2016 A red-light district has been made a permanent part of Leeds a few weeks after the murder of a sex worker in the area designated for legal prostitution. |
Council first to prosecute illegal scrap dealer
12/01/2016 Salford City Council has has claimed to be the first local authority to use new powers and prosecute an illegal scrap dealer. |
Councils call for new powers to tackle rogue landlords
14/12/2015 The legislative system dealing with rogue landlords is ‘unfit for purpose’ and should be replaced with a national database covering all housing-related convictions, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Councils slammed for 'tenants' tax' charges
18/11/2015 Council schemes which charge private landlords to be licenced are 'an expensive folly' and should be scrapped, according to campaigners. |
Mandatory right to work checks on taxi and private hire drivers
12/11/2015 Local authorities will have to conduct right to work checks on all taxi and private hire drivers, under new mesures in the Immigration Bill. |
Devolution of Sunday trading could 'undermine' high street warns retailers
12/10/2015 A majority of local authority chief executives would include retail parks, supermarkets and shopping centres in any relaxation of Sunday trading rules, a survey carried out by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) reveals. |
Councils crack down on illegal tattooists
17/08/2015 Town hall chiefs have warned they will take the toughest action possible against rogue tattooists in a bid to protect young people from the health risks associated with illegal tattoos. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
