News
VAT on land for social housing
10+ hour, 45+ min ago (427+ words) Lucy Vannet and Ben Halsey analyse a welcome new consultation and explain why it matters to social housing providers. The Government has launched a'consultation'that could meaningfully change how social housing development is structured and financed. Published on 23 June 2026 and open…...
New guidance sets out key steps for licensing teams during local government reorganisation
1+ day, 10+ hour ago (305+ words) The Institute of Licensing (Io L) has published local government reorganisation (LGR) guidance, which includes sections on'the legal transfer of functions and the steps needed to maintain safe, lawful service delivery. The professional body for licensing practitioners said the new guidance…...
Council pension fund faces judicial review over climate risk assessment
1+ day, 18+ hour ago (362+ words) The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is facing a judicial review challenge that contends the council failed to meet minimum public law standards when assessing and explaining climate-related financial risk in its pension fund. Client Earth's claim " which has also…...
Repeal of "archaic" 200-year-old law sees end to criminalisation of rough sleeping
2+ day, 44+ min ago (252+ words) The Government has this week (29 June) repealed the 1824 Vagrancy Act, a move it said would end the criminalisation of rough sleeping and begging. The 1824 Act " introduced in response to rising homelessness following the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution " was…...
Council failed to act with a sense of urgency in managed move for resident exposed to gang involvement: Ombudsman
2+ day, 9+ hour ago (689+ words) A council has been found at fault by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) after failing to act urgently while managing a move for a resident who was offered a property twice but saw the offer withdrawn on…...
Developer launches judicial review over planning inspectorate refusal of 850-home scheme
2+ day, 4+ hour ago (245+ words) Housing developer Berkeley has launched a judicial review of the Planning Inspectorate's decision to refuse planning permission for the redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre in Peckham. Berkeley Group applied for permission to build the 850-home development in 2024. But Southwark left…...
Government considering three new ex-military sites to replace asylum hotels
2+ day, 10+ hour ago (346+ words) The Home Office has announced plans to end the use of asylum hotels and replace them with ex-military sites. Making a statement in the House of Commons, Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said: "We are…...
Subsidy Control Assessments: Key SAU recommendations
2+ day, 20+ hour ago (386+ words) The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) is the reporting function of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for the purpose of reporting on subsidy control assessments that have been referred to the SAU. Jennifer Andrews summarises the guidance within recent reports,…...
Directors of Children's Services urge greater clarity in information sharing duty statutory guidance
3+ day, 7+ hour ago (388+ words) The Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) has issued its response to draft statutory guidance on the information sharing duty introduced in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act. Earlier this month (2 June), the Government launched a consultation seeking views…...
City council facing equal pay claims worth "hundreds of millions"
3+ day, 4+ hour ago (374+ words) More than 4, 000 women have joined an equal pay claim against Leeds City Council, according to GMB Union. The union said the claims could see the city council pay "hundreds of millions of pounds" in compensation, due to alleged structural pay…...