Planning and Housing

Darlington council in £9.5m venture to build on housebuilding success

06.12.19: Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet has approved the borrowing of a further £9.5m to create another housebuilding joint venture, following the success of its current schemes. The local authority had seen its previous schemes &l...

Council tax on empty properties set to be raised by Bolton Council

04.12.19: Bolton Council have taken steps to cut down on the number of empty properties in their constituency, by raising the council tax paid on such properties by up to three times. The move comes after a consultation was launched, which was a...

Council to use civil powers to ‘crack down’ on rogue landlords

29.11.19: Private sector landlords who commit certain housing offences in Leicester will soon be dealt with my civil enforcement powers. From January 1 2020, Leicester City Council plans to issue fixed penalty notices, or fines to landlords or organi...

Nottingham City Council to house hundreds of homeless

22.11.19: Nottingham City Council is tackling homelessness in the city by working to make more homes available to them. In addition to exciting housing stock, 70 more properties will be bought following a loan agreement between the council’s Ex...

East Ayrshire Council plans for £175m investment in housing

22.11.19: East Ayrshire Council has revealed plans to invest £175m in housing over the next 5 years. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) sets out how East Ayrshire Council will spend approximately £88 million to help fulfill the...

Cumbria County Council receives national award

20.11.19: A prestigious national award was handed to Cumbria County Council at this year’s National Constructing Excellence Awards, the lead organisation for construction in the UK, for a new school building. The county council’s new stat...

Hammersmith and Fulham council to buy back Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates

19.11.19: Two estates that have been under threat of demolition since 2012 have been handed back to Hammersmith & Fulham council. Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates were sold by the then Conservative-lead council in 2012 for £105 milli...

Bellwin scheme activated by Government to support local communities hit by recent flooding

11.11.19: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has initiated the government’s emergency Bellwin scheme to compensate eligible local authorities for the qualifying immediate costs they incur as part of their response to the flood...

£4m to help councils tackle criminal landlords

04.11.19: The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced today (Nov 4th) that new funding will safeguard good landlords so they can prosper, helping councils progress new ways to recognize and stamp out poor landlords. The initiative comes on the...

£30m for construction of new Carbon Free Homes

04.11.19: Today (Nov 3rd) Housing Minister Esther McVey unveiled £30 million boost for this ‘Construction Corridor’ The government are creating a new industry that will create jobs and career opportunities for a new workforce by del...

A further £374m to be invested into infrastructure revolution

04.11.19: Five more Housing Infrastructure Fund projects were announced by Government on Friday (1 Nov) with a combined investment of more than £374m. The Housing Secretary’s announcement is part of the government’s commitment to pu...

Kidbrooke to receive hundreds of new affordable homes

01.11.19: Notting Hill Genesis and Transport for London, working together as part of the Kidbrooke Partnership LLP joint venture, have been given the go-ahead to deliver more than 600 homes, of which 50 per cent will be affordable, in Kidbrooke. This...

Right to Build Day sees launch of Self Build Education House

01.11.19: Yesterday (Oct 31st) at Graven Hill, at the launch of the Build It’s Self Education House, the National Custom and Self Build Association announced that the 30th of October, Right to Build Day, will be the yearly deadline for anyone wishin...

Government awards procurement agreement for construction

01.11.19: Public sector bodies across the industry will for the first time be able to utilise a government-led construction agreement, as the government awarded a major new procurement agreement to Crown Commercial Service (CCS). All public sector bo...

Care leavers in Leeds benefit from new DIY SOS scheme

30.10.19: An innovative pilot project has been launched during National Care Leavers’ Week, by Child Friendly Leeds ambassador ENGIE and Leeds City Council is giving Leeds care leavers a helping hand to live independently. The scheme, known as...