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Planning reform to accelerate housing delivery - at what cost?

Chrisa Tsompani examines how the Government’s sweeping planning reforms could reshape every layer of the building sector – from local authorities to small-medium builders, and considers the critical implications for environmental policies. Read more

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June 04, 2025

Who inspects the inspectors?

Richard Dewsbery and Holly Sims explore why housing condition claims see the involvement of one or more (often two) experts.
June 04, 2025

Expert witness functions in the housing disrepair sector

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recently issued a practice alert after receiving reports condemning the quality of expert witness functions being performed in the housing disrepair sector by its members. Bethan Jones examines the issue.
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May 19, 2025

North West council failed man made homeless due to domestic abuse: Ombudsman

A borough council did not do enough to help a man who asked for help when he became homeless because of domestic abuse, electing instead to close his case without telling him why or giving him the chance to appeal the decision, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has found.
May 06, 2025

Reform UK signals legal challenges against asylum hotel use

Reform UK's chairman has vowed to use "every instrument of power available" - including judicial review, injunctions and planning laws - to stop asylum hotels in the local authority areas in which they won control at last week's local elections.

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June 04, 2025

The importance of vacant possession

Stephen Postlethwaite considers a recent county court case which highlighted the importance of ensuring the property a registered provider or local authority is purchasing has vacant possession.
June 04, 2025

Housing case law update: May 2025

Karen Smith, Emily Howe and Sumi Begum round up the latest housing law cases of interest to housing associations and local authorities.
May 22, 2025

Disability discrimination and proportionality in housing management

The High Court recently upheld a possession order against a tenant who is a hoarder, rejecting a submission that the first instance judge's conclusion that the social landlord had acted proportionately was wrong. John Murray sets out the lessons from the case.
May 14, 2025

Standardising HMO regulation

Astrid Stanley looks at how standardisation of the regulatory regime for houses in multiple occupation could encourage investment in the sector.
April 30, 2025

Implementing rent increases

What are the legal constraints when it comes to rent increases? Victoria Knight and Marie Constantine explain.
April 30, 2025

Closure orders and the need for fairness

The Administrative Court recently quashed a closure order under section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, holding that the refusal to grant an adjournment was unfair and irrational. Ramby de Mello and Susana Ferrin analyse the ruling.
April 30, 2025

Managing the homes of vulnerable adults

Antonia Ford reports on securing an award of damages following a personal injury claim brought by a community nurse carrying out a visit to a vulnerable adult’s recently-fumigated home, in a case where the existence of a duty of care was in dispute.
April 25, 2025

Housing case law update: March/April 2025

Gavinder Ryait, Sarah Christy and Ian Larkins round up the latest housing law judgments of interest to local authorities and housing associations.
April 23, 2025

Honouring the Armed Forces Covenant

Geoff Wild examines the purpose of the Armed Forces Covenant and offers suggestions as to how local authorities can put it into practice.
April 09, 2025

Charging newly built housing stock – key considerations

Residential schemes are increasing in size and complexity, and this presents challenges for registered providers of social housing ("RPs") when raising finance against newly built properties. Hannah Jackson explores the risks and provides recommendations for RPs preparing for charging exercises where developments have been recently completed or are still ongoing.
April 09, 2025

Heat networks: What’s next

Ben Sheppard provides an update for commercial and industrial developers and heat users on heat network zoning in England, and takes a look at what’s next for heat network policy.
April 02, 2025

Closure orders and Article 6 ECHR

Conor Monighan considers the consequences of a significant High Court judgment that considered Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and closure orders.
April 02, 2025

Disability, duality, reasonable to occupy

What is the correct route to challenge a decision of the local authority that you consider amounts to disability discrimination? This was the question recently tackled by Fordham J in the High Court. Catherine Rowlands examines the outcome.