Title

FINANCE

Further government defeat on housing Bill

Lords have voted for a Parliamentary check before councils are forced to give the money raised from the sale of high-value council homes to government.

Lords have voted for a Parliamentary check before councils are forced to give the money raised from the sale of high-value council homes to government.

Peers voted in favour of an amendment to the controversial Housing and Planning Bill.

The Government said it was considering making several concessions to the Bill, including a like-for-like replacement of all council homes sold under Right to Buy and the protection of high-value homes in rural areas. 

Shadow housing minister John Healey said the latest defeat showed the Government's housing plans were not ‘fit for purpose'. 

He said: ‘It's become clear to peers across the House of Lords that this government has no proper plan to fix the housing pressures people face. 

‘The proposals debated will mean a severe loss of low-cost homes at a time when they've rarely been needed more.

‘Ministers have lost all credibility with this half-baked Bill. 

‘It's welcome they have backtracked on some areas, but they must now urgently come back to Parliament with improvements that safeguard affordable homes for the next generation.'

FINANCE

Government intervenes amid local plan concerns

By Joe Lepper | 12 June 2026

The Government has intervened in Torbay Council’s emerging local plan amid concerns it falls short of meeting its housing need by more than 10,000 homes.

FINANCE

EXCLUSIVE: LGA moves closer to strategic authority offer

By Paul Marinko | 11 June 2026

The Local Government Association (LGA) is getting closer to making a membership offer to strategic authorities as Bury MBC’s leader prepares to take over as ...

FINANCE

EXCLUSIVE: Cleverly calls for transparency boost

By Dan Peters | 11 June 2026

Shadow local government secretary James Cleverly has called for measures that would strengthen the sector’s ‘accountability and transparency to the press and...

FINANCE

Think-tank warning over social housing reforms

By Joe Lepper | 11 June 2026

Historically low grant funding to councils threatens to derail the Government’s social housing reforms, a think-tank has warned.

Popular articles by Laura Sharman