Land Release Fund Embraced By Councils

The DLUHC has released £57.8 million to councils in order to develop quality housing. Councils have received 80 per cent of the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF), meaning financial support has been made available to 53 councils across the nation to boost local areas through the transformation of unloved and disused sites. According to the DLUHC (formerly the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) there could be up to 17,000 jobs supported across the housing and construction sector as well as the wider economy. Read more on the ARLA website.

https://www.propertymark.co.uk/resource/land-release-fund-embraced-by-councils.html

Councils Look To Prevent High Street Resi Conversions

 Local authorities across the country have begun fighting back against the government’s attempt to allow the majority of commercial premises in their town centres to be turned into housing without the need for planning consent. The City of London Corporation and Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Richmond councils in west London are among the first to make what are known as article 4 directions, but others nationwide are following suit. Councils were only permitted to make the directions at the start of this month when the new rules came into effect. Read more on the Housing Today website.

https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/councils-look-to-prevent-high-street-resi-conversions/5113251.article

Most Councils Have Not Issued Any Penalties Against Private Landlords

Over half of local authorities in England have not issued any civil penalties against rogue or criminal landlords in the last three years according to a new survey. Since April 2017 councils across England have been able to issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for a range of housing offences. Income received can be re-invested by local authorities to help finance further enforcement against criminal operators who cause harm to tenants and give private renting a bad name. Despite this, between 2018/19 and 2020/21, only 130 local authorities in England out of 275 replying to the survey (47 per cent) had issued any civil penalties. Read more on the NRLA website.

https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/most-councils-have-not-issued-any-penalties-against-private-landlords 

Government Could Give Greater Planning Control To Councils With Good Housebuilding Records

 Councils in England with good track records of delivering new housing could be given greater planning powers under the overhauled system envisioned by government, Robert Jenrick has hinted. The housing secretary said he wants to legislate for “a planning system that genuinely trusts councils and treats councils as adults”. That could include offering some local authorities the power “to take action” against developers “impeding” their ability to deliver new homes for their areas, he suggested. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - News - Government could give greater planning control to councils with good housebuilding records, says Jenrick

More Than 80% Of Councils Now Own Housing Companies

More than 80% of local authorities in England currently own housing companies and the number of councils entering into joint ventures (JVs) is also on the rise. Researchers at University College London (UCL) have found that 83% of councils in England currently have housing companies, compared with 78% in 2019 and 58% in 2017. The report said the increase in the number of councils building outside of the Housing Revenue Account may be connected to a proliferation in JVs with private sector partners or housing associations to deliver new homes. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - News - More than 80% of councils now own housing companies, research finds

Councils Hit Out At Government’s ‘Unrealistic’ New Planning Formula

Councils across England have hit out at the government’s new planning algorithm after analysis found that cities will need to increase development collectively by more than 70% if they are to meet the revised housing need numbers. Local authorities most affected by the changes to the planning formula have said that the government’s plans are “unrealistic” and “flawed”, with some councils being expected to increase housebuilding within their boundaries by more than 200%. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/councils-hit-out-at-governments-unrealistic-new-planning-formula-69616#:~:text=Councils%20hit%20out%20at%20government's%20'unrealistic'%20new%20planning%20formula,-News24.02.21&text=Councils%20across%20England%20have%20hit,the%20revised%20housing%20need%20numbers 

English Councils Breaking Law In 'Secretly' Relocating Homeless People

Councils across England are systematically breaking the law by relocating hundreds of homeless people outside of their boroughs without notifying the authorities receiving them. An investigation found that schools are being overwhelmed, with northern cities such as Bradford having received at least 290 households from 31 different boroughs in the past two years, many of them from London, Kent and Essex. If a homeless person is moved elsewhere in the country, local authorities are legally supposed to notify the council in charge of where they are being placed so social, medical and educational support can be put in place. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/01/english-councils-breaking-law-in-secretly-relocating-homeless-people

Councils Told To House All Rough Sleepers In England By Weekend

Councils have been given 48 hours to find emergency accommodation for all rough sleepers in England following an unprecedented, but unfunded, request from the government that all homeless people should be housed by Sunday (29 March). Council officials welcomed the urgency of the request but expressed concern about the difficulty of the task, given the already acute accommodation shortages. These shortages worsened this week after a parallel government instruction to hotels to close. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils would need extra funding if they were to meet the deadline. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/councils-told-to-house-all-rough-sleepers-in-england-by-weekend

Councils Ask For Housing Discounts Following PWLB Rate Rise

Councils have asked the Treasury to offer discounts on public borrowing rates for housing after interest levels were hiked last week. The government told local authorities that it is increasing the cost of new borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) by 1%, bringing the rate to 1.8% over gilts, which sit at around 1%. The move has led to concerns in local authorities across the country that the increase could threaten planned housing and regeneration schemes. Town halls across the country have been putting in place huge borrowing programmes to build new homes after the government abolished the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) debt cap in October last year. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/councils-ask-for-housing-discounts-following-pwlb-rate-rise-63708?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Communities Get Clear Sight Of How Councils Spend Developer Cash

Councils will be required to report on the total amount of funding received from housing developers and how it was spent. A reformed Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) accounts for every pound of property developers’ cash, levied on new buildings. Builders already have to pay up for roads, schools, GP surgeries, and parkland needed when local communities expand. In 2016/17 alone they paid £6bn toward local infrastructure. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/communities-get-clear-sight-of-how-councils-spend-developer-cash/

Partner With Housing Associations To Use Borrowing Freedoms, Says LGA Chair

The outgoing leader of the Local Government Association (LGA) has said councils should partner with housing associations to make the most of new borrowing freedoms to build more homes. Lord Gary Porter, who stepped down as chair of the LGA this week after serving his four-year term, told Inside Housing there “is a serious issue” about councils having enough internal capacity and experienced staff to develop at scale. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/partner-with-housing-associations-to-use-borrowing-freedoms-says-lga-chair-62133

High Homeless Death Counts Linked To Councils Worst Affected By Cuts

Nine of the 10 councils with the highest numbers of homeless deaths in England and Wales between 2013 and 2017 have had cuts of more than three times the national average of £254 for every household. Labour has released analysis accounting for council funding cuts disproportionately hitting areas that have the highest numbers of homeless deaths among homeless people, according to a Labour party analysis. Shadow housing secretary John Healey said the stats showed the need for a future PM to acknowledge the present £30m effort to end rough sleeping as “pitiful” and back Labour’s plans to build thousands more homes. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/analysis-links-high-homeless-death-stats-to-councils-worst-hit-by-cuts/

Councils Budget For 21% Increase In Spending On Housing

Housing will this year displace highways and transport as the largest area of council capital spending – following the lifting of the housing revenue account borrowing cap. The government has released figures showing English councils are predicting an overall 13% rise in capital spending in 2019/20 (to £28.0bn) compared to last year (£24.7bn). The data show that councils are budgeting for an increase in capital spending on housing from £5.9bn to £7.1bn – a rise of 21% over the provisional outturn for last year. With highways and transport capital spending set to fall from £7.1bn last year to £6.5bn, housing will now make up the largest of all budget areas. Read more on the Room 151 website.

https://www.room151.co.uk/treasury/councils-budget-for-21-increase-in-spending-on-housing/

Two-Thirds Of Councils Say They Can’t Afford To Comply With Homelessness Law

The Homelessness Reduction Act, in operation for the past 12 months, is potentially the greatest piece of homelessness legislation for 40 years in England, according to Southwark council in south London. The Labour-run council pioneered the government’s new flagship act, and is upbeat about it. While homelessness went up in the borough last year, as it did across London, the rise was less steep than expected: 8.6% for families placed in temporary accommodation and a similarly small increase for rough sleepers. At the same time, there was also a 50% increase in the number of people the council helped to stay in their home. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/apr/10/homeless-reduction-act-one-year-on

Rising Number Of Councils Issuing Fines For Rough Sleeping

The number of councils that have obtained the power to issue £100 fines for rough sleeping, begging and “loitering” in England and Wales has increased. Local authorities have been accused of trying to “airbrush their streets” and “ban homelessness” after analysis by the Guardian found at least 60 councils with public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), up from 54 last year. Those who violate the orders are liable to a £100 fine which, if left unpaid, can result in a summary conviction and a £1,000 penalty. Councils using the orders have insisted that PSPOs are not targeted at the homeless but are instead used to crack down on antisocial behaviour. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/07/rising-number-of-councils-issuing-fines-for-rough-sleeping

New Rent Deal To Aid ‘Quality And Quantity’ Of Social Housing

MHCLG has announced a new long-term social housing rent deal – supporting “quality and quantity” by capping rent changes at a sustainable level. The new rent standard has been confirmed by housing minister Kit Malthouse. Malthouse said the standard “provides councils, housing associations and tenants with certainty”. The five-year deal comes after the Social Housing Green Paper published last year set out government commitments to work with the sector to rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords, tackle stigma and ensure that social housing can be a stable base that supports social mobility. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/new-rent-deal-to-support-quality-and-quantity-of-social-housing/

Councils Accused Of Hiding Scale Of Homelessness Crisis

Councils have been accused of deliberately hiding the scale of the rough sleeping crisis in England by changing the way they compiled figures for the 2018 official count. Official government statistics reported a 2% fall in rough sleeping in England in 2018 after seven consecutive years of rises when the figures were released last month. But critics have suggested the percentage decreased after several councils changed their counting method and does not reflect the reality on the streets. The government has described the claims as “an insult” to the volunteers and charities who help compile the official figures. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/25/english-councils-accused-of-hiding-scale-of-homelessness-crisis

Councils ‘Ripped Off’ By Private Landlords

Desperate councils are being “ripped off” as private housing providers take advantage of the growing homeless population, experts have warned, after new figures revealed that local authorities’ spending on temporary accommodation had soared to almost £1bn. Analysis by the Guardian and the housing charity Shelter found that councils across England spent £997m on temporary accommodation in 2017-18, a 71% increase on the £584m in 2012-13. Some councils are spending as much as £200 per head of their population on sheltering homeless households. Housing policy experts said that the sharp rise in homelessness coupled with increasing charges from private providers were behind the increase. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/01/councils-ripped-off-by-private-landlords-experts-warn

Councils Get Stronger Powers Over Empty Homes

Councils across England will have powers to charge even greater council tax premiums on homes left empty for many years following an amendment to a Government Bill. The amendment was made during the Third Reading of the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill in the House of Lords. Under the amendment, decisions on whether to charge a premium, and the exact rates to be charged will remain a matter for councils, taking local circumstances into account. It is anticipated that councils will be able to charge 100% premiums from April 2019, 200% premiums from April 2020 and 300% premiums from 2021. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/councils-get-stronger-powers-over-empty-homes/

Councils Call On Government To Go Further With HRA Funding Freedoms

Councils are calling on the government to go further after a senior official revealed a long-awaited £1bn fund can be combined with Right to Buy receipts and grant. Rebecca Shrubsole, a senior official in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said the new Housing Revenue Account (HRA) borrowing programme announced in the Autumn Budget will be free of the “restrictions” of the last HRA programme in 2012, which was quietly wound down after £220m was allocated to build just 3,000 of the 10,000-home target. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:M4PP_6Y8vacJ:https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/councils-call-on-government-to-go-further-with-hra-funding-freedoms-56178+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&safe=vss