News

Mar 06, 2026

Councils accused of “letting rogue landlords off the hook” with low fine collection rates

Local authorities have been accused of “letting rogue landlords off the hook” after research by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) suggested that councils have collected just a quarter of the total fines issued.

Mar 06, 2026

Plans to help councils struggling to finance SEND support fail to take into account “burgeoning” home-to-school transport costs: MPs

A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned that new plans designed to help local authorities struggling to finance support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) fail to take into account “burgeoning” home-to-school transport costs.

Mar 06, 2026

Adult social care system held together with “add-ons and work arounds, sticking plasters and glue”: Baroness Casey

The chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, Baroness Casey, has warned that social care has never had its own “creation moment”, and highlighted the need for a national conversation and six “immediate actions” from Government.

Mar 06, 2026

High Court quashes low traffic neighbourhood schemes made permanent by London borough

Traffic schemes brought in by the London Borough of Croydon were unlawful in that they were introduced for the illegitimate purpose of raising revenue, a High Court judge has ruled.

Mar 06, 2026

LLG holds elections for Deputy Vice President and Junior National Lead

LLG (Lawyers in Local Government) has launched elections for the roles of Deputy Vice President and Junior National Lead.

Mar 06, 2026

LGA calls for “urgent review” of fly-tipping sentencing guidelines, claiming court fines “undercut council penalties”

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government and the Sentencing Council to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping urgently, after new figures show that offenders prosecuted through the courts are often fined less than the penalties councils can issue directly.

Mar 06, 2026

Council fails in statutory review challenge over grant of planning permission by inspector on land at airfield

Wiltshire Council has lost a High Court challenge over a planning dispute at Old Sarum Airfield, where a listed building due to be renovated was damaged by an unexplained fire.

Mar 06, 2026

Minister signs into law regulations for commencement of new plan-making system

The Government has hailed “a major milestone for local plan-making in England” after the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, this week signed into law the regulations to commence the new plan-making system, provided for by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Mar 05, 2026

Government launches independent antisemitism review into schools and colleges in England

The Government has this week (4 March) launched an independent review into how schools and colleges in England identify, respond to and prevent antisemitism.

Mar 05, 2026

Court of Appeal dismisses appeal by council in SEN case on basis it was “academic”

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a London borough concerning specialist educational provision for a disabled young person, ruling that the case was “academic”.

Mar 05, 2026

Minister orders external review at Slough after Commissioners suggest council is “plateauing”

The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern, has ordered an external review at Slough Borough Council amid claims that previous progress at the local authority has not been sustained.

Mar 05, 2026

Development of social homes by housing associations “fairly stable” despite ongoing pressures, says regulator

The development of new social homes “remains fairly stable” despite housing associations having to make trade-offs in their investment decisions, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has said.

Mar 05, 2026

Brothers with special educational needs left without speech and language therapy for more than a year due to council failings: Ombudsman

Brothers with special educational needs were left without the speech and language therapy they were legally entitled to for more than a year, because Buckinghamshire Council failed to make sure it was in place, an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

Mar 05, 2026

Judge gives permission for challenge to dismissal by inspector of appeal over advertising discontinuance notice issued by council

Mrs Justice Lang has granted permission for judicial review on all grounds tabled against an inspector’s decision to dismiss an appeal concerning a discontinuance notice issued by Manchester City Council relating to multiple advertisement displays on a single site.

Mar 05, 2026

Report on planning in Wales calls for regional footprint of specialist legal teams

Wales’ four corporate joint committees (CJC) - regional bodies comprising local authorities - should assist large scale infrastructure projects on legal services, ecology, landscape and transport and explore the potential for standardised section 106 agreements.

Mar 05, 2026

Test challenge over ‘move-on’ period to see large numbers of refugees avoid street homelessness, says claimant legal team

A successful test challenge to Home Office policies and practices on the move-on period will see large numbers of newly recognised refugees avoid street homelessness.

Mar 04, 2026

Welsh Language Commissioner calls for compulsory Welsh language training for teachers, strengthened promotional standards that create duties for local authorities

The Welsh Language Commissioner has called on the next Welsh Government to act “intentionally and ambitiously” if it wants efforts to create more Welsh speakers and double the daily use of the language to succeed.

Mar 04, 2026

MPs warn of impact of local government reorganisation on transparency of government finances

The reliability of the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) continues to be undermined by missing and unaudited data, principally from English local government bodies – and the Government’s reorganisation programme could hinder any progress, the Public Accounts Committee has warned.

Mar 04, 2026

High Court issues temporary injunction blocking sale by council of property where Hindu temple is based: report

A Hindu community has secured an injunction against Peterborough City Council over the local authority’s proposed sale of its freehold interest in the property where its temple is based, it has been reported.

Mar 04, 2026

Court of Appeal to hear challenge to transfer of care homes by council to private sector

The Court of Appeal will tomorrow (5 March) hear an appeal over the High Court’s rejection of a legal challenge against a decision by Kirklees Council to transfer the ownership of two specialist dementia care homes to a private provider.

Mar 04, 2026

High Court rejects local authority plan to remove three-year-old from long term foster carers to place for adoption alongside half-sister

The High Court has granted an adoption order in favour of long-term foster carers, rejecting a local authority’s plan to remove a three-year-old child (T) from the family she has known in order to place her for adoption alongside her half-sister.

Mar 04, 2026

District rules out further legal action after refusal of permission for challenge to housing of asylum seekers at army camp

Wealden District Council has decided not to pursue or support further legal action after the High Court’s recent refusal of permission for a judicial review over the Government’s plans to accommodate asylum seekers at Crowborough Army Camp.

Mar 03, 2026

High Court agrees car cruising injunctions should remain in Black Country and Birmingham

The High Court has backed the continuation of separate ‘car cruising’ injunctions covering Birmingham and most of the Black Country.

Mar 03, 2026

Court of Appeal to hear bid by council for permission to appeal ruling over use of hotel to accommodate asylum seekers

The Court of Appeal will this week (5 March) hear Epping Forest District Council’s bid for permission to appeal the High Court’s refusal to grant a final injunction that would block the Home Office from accommodating asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel in Epping.

Mar 03, 2026

Judges hear appeal over High Court ruling that Harrogate traffic regulation orders made by council were valid

The Court of Appeal is this week (3-4 March) hearing an appeal from a local property firm over a High Court ruling that four traffic regulation orders (TROs) made by North Yorkshire Council for Harrogate were valid.

Mar 03, 2026

Council to use public space protection orders to tackle car cruising rather than rely on Black Country-wide High Court injunctions

Dudley Council is to rely on a borough-wide public space protection order (PSPO) to tackle car cruising, and will no longer be part of the group of local authorities in the Black Country that apply for High Court injunctions.

Mar 03, 2026

Revised guidance on dealing with littering put on statutory footing

Government guidance on tackling littering has been revised and put on a statutory footing, “meaning local authorities now have a legal duty to follow it”, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced.

Mar 03, 2026

Combined authority to select single legal adviser for £1m+ contract supporting waste service

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is to appoint a single legal adviser to provide multi-disciplinary and ongoing legal support to its Waste and Resources Service.

Mar 03, 2026

Grooming gangs whistleblower pursues judicial review over failure by government to implement recommendations of independent inquiry

The High Court is this week (5 February) to hear an application brought by a charity, the Maggie Oliver Foundation, for permission to bring a judicial review against the Government over its “failure to implement” the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Mar 03, 2026

Law Society criticises failure of statutory guidance to drive consistent progress on EDI in legal sector

Current statutory guidance has not driven consistent progress on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and wellbeing across the legal sector, the Law Society has said in its consultation response to the Legal Services Board (LSB)’s draft statement of policy on diversity in the profession.

Mar 02, 2026

Updated guide issued for Litigants in Person on preparing court bundles for family proceedings

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has published an updated guide for litigants in person on preparing court bundles for family proceedings.

Mar 02, 2026

Research suggests £9 billion in developer contributions remain unspent by councils

Local authorities in England and Wales are “sitting on” more than £9bn in developer contributions, it has been claimed.

Mar 02, 2026

LGA and Solace publish Senior Leadership Development Framework for sector leaders at second tier

The Local Government Association (LGA) and Solace have published a Local Government Senior Leadership Development Framework, which is designed to support senior leaders at second tier within local government “typically directors, assistant directors and equivalent system leadership roles who are…

Mar 02, 2026

Growing cost and demand pressures continue to push councils to “financial brink”, LGA warns

The Spring Statement is an opportunity to provide extra resources and long-term reform for councils being pushed to the “financial brink”, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

Mar 02, 2026

Tribunal “erred in law” exercising powers to order that Section F of EHC plan be amended to include golf and gym provision

The Upper Tribunal has ruled that the First-tier Tribunal erred in law in exercising its powers to order that Section F of a young person’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan be amended to include golf and gym provision.

Mar 02, 2026

Social Work England launches procurement of legal advisers for ‘Fitness to Practise’ cases

Social Work England (SWE) is seeking to appoint two suppliers to a £40.9m contract to handle ‘Fitness to Practise’ cases as part of plans to eliminate a backlog.

Mar 02, 2026

Government threatened with legal challenge over “unfair and irrational” SEND reform consultation

The Department for Education has been sent a letter before claim on behalf of a child with complex special educational needs over its SEND reform consultation, on the basis it is “unfair and irrational”.

Mar 02, 2026

High Court refuses permission for legal challenge to plans to house asylum seekers at army training camp

A High Court judge has refused consent for a judicial review of the Government’s plans to accommodate more than 500 asylum seekers at Crowborough Army Camp.

Feb 27, 2026

Government launches pilot of seven new “Kinship Zones” across England providing additional financial support

The Department for Education has launched a pilot in seven local authority area ‘Kinship Zones’ - with kinship carers to be provided with funding per child, equivalent to what foster carers receive.

Feb 27, 2026

High Court grants relief to by-election candidate over 81,000 leaflets missing imprint

The Reform UK candidate and his election agent were granted relief by the High Court ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election after more than 80,000 by-election leaflets were distributed without the required imprint.

Feb 27, 2026

Approach in parental alienation case was “fundamentally flawed” and every agency was at fault, Family President rules

The President of the Family Division has set aside findings made by a judge in 2019 that two children had been alienated from their father as a result of the mother's “highly negative attitude” towards him - finding that the approach, which included the instruction of an unregulated expert, was…

Feb 27, 2026

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