William Eichler
MPs call for councils to be given more powers to tackle ‘land banking’
Local authorities should be granted more powers to act where developers are too slow in completing sites with planning permission, MPs have said.
Bristol apologises for ‘distress’ caused by mishandling of complaints
Bristol City Council has apologised after being criticised for failing to provide evidence it had completed Ombudsman recommendations in two separate complaints.
Government announces £50m boost for care leavers
The Government today announced a £51m funding boost to help councils support care leavers and have launched a consultation on improving the quality of housing for those leaving care.
Shared ownership reforms could lead to loss of affordable homes, providers warn
Proposed reforms of the shared ownership regime may result in a loss of affordable homes due to the increased administration and costs for social housing providers and local authorities.
Council ‘outraged’ by Unite decision to continue bin strike
Thurrock BC has said it is ‘outraged’ workers in its waste and recycling department have decided to continue to strike.
Lack of social care plans could ‘destabilise’ reforms
Local authority leaders have warned that the absence of a long-term, fully funded plan for social care could destabilise other health and care reforms.
COVID passports have ‘significant implications’ for councils
Local authority leaders have called on the Government to work closely with councils on the COVID-19 status certification proposals because of the impact they will have on local enforcement and other areas.
Pre-paid card firms supplying councils acted ‘as a cartel,’ regulator says
Three out of five firms that issue councils with pre-paid cards have admitted breaching competition rules and agreed to pay penalties totalling more than £32m.
Councils taking ‘too long’ to pay support grants to businesses
The Government has written to the leaders of 314 councils in England urging them to pay out grants money to businesses more quickly.
Councils speak out over controversial planning laws
Councils have stressed they continue to need to have a voice in the planning process as new laws came into force.
More cash as Troubled Families rebranded
The Government has rebranded its Troubled Families programme and pledged £165m.
COSLA pay offer ‘slap in the face,’ says union
Trade union Unison has accused the body representing local authorities in Scotland of making a pay offer that ‘falls far short’ of what workers deserve.
COVID exposed true extent of rough sleeping crisis, says PAC
MPs have raised serious questions about the Government’s homelessness strategy after the pandemic exposed the number of people sleeping rough was much higher than Whitehall estimates.
BUDGET 2021: £1bn confirmed for town deals
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed more than £1bn will be made available for a further 45 town deals across England as part of efforts to tackle regional inequality.
BUDGET 2021: Chancellor confirms £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund
Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the first round of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund will be available to local areas to help tackle regional inequalities.
MPs accuse government of lacking clear flood resilience targets
MPs have urged the Government to provide councils with the resources they need to protect vulnerable communities from flooding.
COVID-19 reveals scale of rough sleeping ‘far exceeds’ previous estimates
The scale of the rough sleeping population in England ‘far exceeds’ the Government’s previous estimates and has been made clear during the pandemic.
Council leaders welcome £4.6bn lockdown grants to support businesses
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to support them during the lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
Jenrick announces delayed £830m high street investment
The Government has finally announced the 72 areas that will benefit from millions of pounds of funding as part of the effort to help high streets recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Jenrick announces revised plan for housing algorithm
The Government has announced a raft of new measures in an attempt to provide much-needed homes in urban areas and on brownfield sites.
