Tag: Housing and Communities

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 17 July 2025.

Strict deadlines for landlords to fix unsafe cladding and over £1 billion allocated to make social tenants safe.

Thousands of buildings with unsafe cladding are set to be fixed faster thanks to new legislation and over £1 billion of investment in social housing remediation.

The government is today (17 July) publishing a joint plan with the social housing sector to accelerate remediation across England, as well as setting out plans for a new law as part of the second phase of the Remediation Acceleration Plan.

At the heart of the joint plan on social housing remediation is a commitment by government to invest over £1 billion to give social landlords equal access to government funding schemes as private building owners.  There is no time to waste, and today the Cladding Safety Scheme guidance has been changed so that the equal access policy can be implemented with immediate effect.

As part of this work, housing associations, local authorities and regulators are committing to accelerate work to assess and fix social housing buildings, and to improve support to social tenants before, during and after remedial works.

A new Remediation Bill is also being brought forward to make sure that landlords are held to account for fixing unsafe cladding and to tackle the slow pace of action across the sector.

The legislation – which will be brought forward as soon as parliamentary timetable allows – will require landlords of buildings 18m or more in height with unsafe cladding to complete remediation by the end of 2029, and landlords of buildings 11-18m in height to complete remediation by the end of 2031.

Those who fail to comply without reasonable excuse could face unlimited fines or imprisonment. New legislation will also give named bodies, such as Homes England and local authorities, powers to remediate buildings with unsafe cladding if the landlord fails to do so.

These reforms will help to make homes safer, reinforcing the government’s mission to restore confidence in building safety, and make sure that tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire can never happen again. They will also help the sector to build the affordable homes that the country needs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“Today we have given social landlords access to over £1 billion to remediate unsafe cladding and make residents safe. The social sector is ready to rise to the challenge and make sure that residents are safe in their homes.

“We are also today sending a clear message to those responsible for a building still wrapped in unsafe cladding: act now or face the consequences. Our Remediation Bill will include a new duty on you to make your building safe by a specified date, and new powers to impose serious penalties on those who fail to comply with the duty, and ultimately to bypass them if necessary to make the building safe.”

Building Safety and Fire Minister, Alex Norris said:

“We are determined to make buildings safe and protect residents. Since publishing our Remediation Acceleration Plan, we’ve made strong progress, and this update goes further to drive accountability and remove barriers to speed up remediation.

“There is now a clear pathway to remediate every building with unsafe cladding. We expect everyone to play their part in giving residents and leaseholders the peace of mind that they deserve.”

Additional support has also been announced for leaseholders, including long-term support to help replace Waking Watch measures and shield leaseholders from costly interim safety measures.

For the first time, government funding will also be made available to support fire-safety cladding remediation works on buildings under 11 metres, in exceptional cases where no alternative viable funding route exists.

The government has also recently laid regulations for the Building Safety Levy, delivering on a key commitment from the initial Remediation Acceleration Plan.  The levy is expected to raise £3.4 billion over the next decade to help fund remediation and will come into force from October 2026.

To maintain the viability of housing delivery, the levy has exemptions for affordable housing, supported housing and for development of fewer than ten dwellings as well as a discount for previously developed land.

Through Local Remediation Acceleration Plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities will work closely with regulators and draw on local expertise to drive progress in their areas.  These locally tailored plans will address unsafe buildings more effectively and ensure residents feel safe in their homes. The government has provided over £5 million to Metro Mayors to support them in this effort.

A new National Remediation system, now being rolled out by Homes England, will also support regulators with up-to date building safety data and help hold failing landlords to account.

Since publication of the Remediation Action Plan in December 2024, 24,000 more residents are living in homes that have been remediated.  Progress is being made, and must continue until every unsafe building is fixed.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 17 July 2025.

• Six areas receive confirmation as priority areas for English devolution
• Areas finalised will have new mayors with powers to ensure housing and transport work for their communities
• Devolution Priority Programme forms key part of government’s mission to shift power out of Whitehall and into communities as part of Plan for Change

The government’s devolution revolution has taken another step forward and all places on the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) are now set to get their own mayors with powers over housing, transport and other vital areas, as ministers confirm each area has met key legal tests to proceed.

Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Norfolk and Suffolk, Greater Essex, Sussex and Brighton, and Hampshire and the Solent joined the Programme in February. Subject to local councils’ agreement, they will now be able to move forward with the creation of Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

Mayor-led authorities represent a proven model for unlocking regional growth, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change and putting more money into working people’s pockets, while also empowering them to direct change in their communities.

The government has also published reports on the responses received to the public consultations that took place in each DPP area earlier this year.

Minister for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE MP said:

We are taking the next step in our devolution revolution, shifting power out of Whitehall and into our communities as part of our Plan for Change.

These sweeping new powers for communities will put them on the fast track to deliver growth, opportunities, transport and housing.

The six devolution priority areas are leading the way towards a new era of devolved power in England and a stronger relationship between central and local government. We stand ready to work with local leaders in realising their areas’ incredible potential.

Inaugural mayoral elections will take place in May 2026 for Norfolk and Suffolk, Greater Essex, Sussex and Brighton, and Hampshire and the Solent.

Following a request from the local authority leaders across Cumbria and Cheshire and Warrington, the government has agreed to align inaugural mayoral elections in these two areas with the vast majority of local elections in May 2027.

The government will continue to work with affected councils over the summer, including confirming funding for new authorities, with thirty-year investment funds remaining a core part of the offer. Funding will also be standardised to increase transparency and fairness.

The news follows the introduction of the new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in Parliament last week. The Bill aims to de-centralise power and ignite regional growth, helping local people take back control of their regions.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 17 July 2025.

Sixteen year olds will be given the right to vote in all UK elections as part of seismic changes to modernise UK democracy.

• Modernisation of UK democracy will see 16 and 17 year olds able to vote in next general election
• Voter ID to be extended to include bank cards to help more people exercise their democratic right
• Tougher new rules to guard against foreign political interference and abuse of campaigners

Sixteen year olds will be given the right to vote in all UK elections as part of seismic changes to modernise UK democracy, delivering a key manifesto commitment and helping to restore trust in politics through our Plan for Change.

This will mean young people, who already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military, will be given the right to vote on the issues that affect them. This will bring UK-wide elections in line with Scotland and Wales and is a major step towards meeting a manifesto commitment, ushering in the biggest change to UK democracy in a generation.

The plans, published today [17 July] in a new strategy paper, will boost democratic engagement in a changing world, and help to restore trust in UK democracy.

As part of the plans, the government is going further to make sure eligible voters are not deterred from voting, by expanding voter ID to permit the use of UK-issued bank cards as an accepted form of ID at the polling station. This is alongside harnessing more digital options to support voters and polling station staff, including allowing accepted IDs such as the Veteran Card and UK driving licence to be used at polling stations when they become available in digital format.

A new digital Voter Authority Certificate will also be created to ensure Electoral Registration Officers can meet the digital needs of voters, reduce printing costs and ensure faster delivery.

An increasingly automated voter registration system will also make it easier for people to register to vote and reduce the need to fill out their details across different government services on multiple occasions.

Major new changes will boost transparency and accountability in politics by closing loopholes that would allow foreign donors via ‘shell companies’ to influence UK political parties. Meanwhile, new requirements on unincorporated associations will mandate checks on donations over £500 to tackle foreign interference and protect UK democracy from those who attempt to undermine it.

Alongside this, the reforms will allow the Electoral Commission to take action and enforce heavier fines of up to £500,000 on those who breach political finance rules, and enable tougher sentences for those who abuse election campaigners – stabilising the foundations of UK democracy.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said:

“For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline.

“We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give sixteen year olds the right to vote.

“We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.”

Minister for Democracy, Rushanara Ali, said:

“We are modernising our democracy, so that it is fit for the 21st century. By delivering our manifesto commitment to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds, we are taking a generational step forward in restoring public trust and boosting engagement in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change.

“By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations.”

Alongside expanding the right to vote, we are going further to restore and maintain public trust by ensuring elections are as accessible as possible for legitimate voters.

That’s why the government is making common sense changes to move towards an automated electoral registration system, stripping complexities and barriers for voters to make their lives easier. Learning from countries such as Australia and Canada, which have high rates of legitimate voter registration via automated systems, the government will bring the UK’s democracy into the 21st century.

At the same time, far too many people are being deterred from voting because of voter ID rules, with the Electoral Commission finding that 4% of non-voters at the 2024 General Election saying that a lack of voter ID was a key reason they didn’t vote, equating to around three quarters of a million people across Great Britain.

Boosting participation is crucial to restoring faith in democracy, and adding the Veteran ID card last year to the accepted forms of Voter ID was just the start of this. Through the new plans, the government is going further to allow UK-issued bank cards to be used as ID when voting, making it far easier for more voters to meet the requirements.

This change will allow us to continue to protect the integrity of the UK electoral system, while allowing greater accessibility. Bank cards, which are issued after the applicant has passed necessary security checks for a bank account, will add a widely and commonly carried item to the range of documents already accepted. Research on the ownership of bank cards shows that over 96% of the UK population has a bank account, with the majority expected to also have a bank card.

These measures will strike the right balance by continuing to protect voters from the risk of impersonation, while also removing barriers to ensure legitimate voters are not prevented or discouraged from exercising their right to vote.

Another key aspect of the reforms is ensuring UK democracy is protected and all voters, candidates, campaigners and electoral staff are safe from intimidation, harassment and abuse.

This behaviour is on the rise, particularly against women and ethnic minorities – with recent Electoral Commission research showing 55% of candidates at the 2024 General Election experienced abuse. The reforms will crack down on these unacceptable practices, delivering tougher sentences for those who intimidate campaigners and stronger protections for candidates in public life by removing the requirement for their home address to be published and openly available.

This supports ongoing work including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which was given a new mandate by the Prime Minister to coordinate and drive forward government’s response to the full range of threats to UK democracy.

That includes working across government with the police, parliamentary authorities, and the Electoral Commission to actively review our levers to tackle the harassment and intimidation of elected representatives, candidates, and electoral staff.

In relation to political finance, the changes being brought by the government will effectively meet an evolving and sophisticated threat of illicit money being funnelled from abroad to political parties. Tough new rules will ensure that in the future, ‘shell companies’ will not be permitted to make political donations to UK political parties.

This will end the status quo, where a new company registered today, owned by anyone, funded from anywhere, without even a single day of trade, can donate and have influence in UK politics.

The introduction of ‘Know your Donor’ checks will increase scrutiny of donations, requiring recipients to conduct enhanced checks to decrease the risk of illegitimate donations entering our system, guarding against foreign interference. This will close loopholes, reinforce our democracy and protect our citizens from those who seek to undermine and harm our society.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 11 July 2025.

Motorists protected as plans to raise standards across the private parking industry unveiled  through a new strengthened Private Parking Code of Practice .

Motorists, families, and private parking operators are set to benefit from improved standards, as a consultation on a new Private Parking Code of Practice is launched today.

Over 35 million people across the UK rely on their cars for everyday life – from commuting to caring responsibilities – but the fear of being hit with unfair parking charges has eroded trust between drivers and some operators.

The strengthened Code aims to create a fairer, more transparent private parking system that supports local economies, high streets, and businesses – delivering on commitments in the government’s Plan for Change.

To better support drivers in vulnerable or stressful situations, such as attending hospital appointments, a new rule is being considered that would uphold appeals where motorists had no reasonable choice but to breach parking terms.

Proposals will ensure fair treatment for motorists and introduce common-sense standards across the industry, including clear signage and mandatory grace periods. These measures will help prevent charges caused by issues like payment machine errors, accidental typos, or poor mobile signal.

Local Growth Minister Alex Norris said: 

From shopping on your local high street to visiting a loved one in hospital, parking is part of everyday life. But too many people are being unfairly penalised.

That’s why our Code will tackle misleading tactics and confusing processes, bringing vital oversight and transparency to raise standards across the board. This is another example of how we are fixing the things that really impact people’s day-to-day lives, as part of the Plan for Change.”

The number of parking charges issued is at a record high –12.8 million vehicle keeper requests were made last year, a 673% increase since 2012. While this partly reflects more parking spaces, the current system lacks independent oversight and sufficient transparency.

At present, operators can avoid sanctions for poor practice, leaving motorists vulnerable to unfair or incorrect charges. The new compliance framework will ensure accountability. Under proposals, operators who breach the Code may lose access to DVLA data required to issue parking charges.

The Code will strike a balance—protecting motorists while enabling compliant operators to run efficient, value-for-money car parks.

It marks another step the government is taking to repair Britain’s transport and save people time and money, following the allocation of £1.6 billion funding this year to help local authorities resurface roads and fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes, with an additional £24 billion set aside to build new roads and keep drivers moving over the next five years.

The eight-week consultation also seeks views on:

• Appropriate caps for parking charges and debt recovery fees
• Improvements to second-stage appeals
• Requirements for operators to share data with government to inform future updates to the Code

The consultation is open for eight weeks and available here.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 10 July 2025.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill delivers on manifesto commitment to de-centralise power and ignite regional growth with powers for mayors.

Ambition for all regions to take the reins in driving growth receives its biggest boost as the landmark English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is introduced to Parliament today [Thursday 10th July].

Local people will take back control of their regions, from bolstered rights to save cherished community assets, to a bigger voice in neighbourhood governance and increased powers to their directly elected leaders and mayors so they can unlock housing, transport and jobs in their regions through Local Growth Plans.

The Bill will deliver on the government’s manifesto commitment to unlock a generational shift in power from Westminster to those with skin in the game, and rebalance prosperity, deliver economic growth and a decade of national renewal across the nation as part of the Plan for Change.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

We were elected on a promise of change, not just for a few areas cherry-picked by a Whitehall spreadsheet, but for the entire country. It was never going to be easy to deliver the growth our country desperately needed with the inheritance we were dumped with.

But that’s why we are opting to devolve not dictate and delivering a Bill that will rebalance decade old divides and empower communities. We’re ushering in a new dawn of regional power and bringing decision making to a local level so that no single street or household is left behind and every community thrives from our Plan for Change.”

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP said:

For too long power and opportunity has been concentrated in Westminster and Whitehall while the local councils millions rely on have been frustrated and diminished. This failed approach has held back growth across our country for far too long. Local people see this in the job market, on the high street and in their own household security and prosperity.

Devolution begins the work of fixing that, with this Bill delivering freedom to local leaders to make decisions for their local areas in partnership with local communities, unleashing more growth and more opportunities for people as part of our Plan for Change.”

England has fallen behind from the rest of the globe in modernising how decisions are made, but devolution prioritises people and partnership over paperwork and politics. This Bill will deliver changes including

• Making more local ownership of pubs, shops and social hubs  easier through a new Community Right to Buy meaning communities will have the first opportunity to purchase local assets when they are put up for sale, and be given an extended 12-month period to raise funding. And more local sports grounds will be saved by introducing a new ‘Sporting’ category protection of local assets preserving local character, boosting tourism and keeping community spirit alive.
• Banning Upward Only Rent Reviews (UORR) clauses in commercial leases, which pit landlords against businesses and can make rents unaffordable and cause shops to shut. This will help keep small businesses running, boost local economies and job opportunities and help end the blight of vacant high streets and the unacceptable anti-social behaviour that comes with them.
• A stronger voice for communities with a new requirement for local authorities to put in place effective neighbourhood governance to give residents more of a say in shaping their local areas.
• Quicker action on the changes local people want to see with more rights for Mayors, elected by their communities, to take back control of delivering for their voters’, from new licensing powers for rental e-bikes to new planning powers to set the direction of growth across their areas.
• Boosting economic growth with mayors working across the country to turbocharge the national missions by developing tailor made Local Growth Plans to kickstart local economies and ultimately getting more money in people’s pockets.
• Streamlined powers for Mayors across England to speed up the development of new homes and infrastructure in their areas. This will include a new power to institute Mayoral Development Orders, as well as a streamlined process to establish Mayoral Development Corporations, so that we can replicate the success of projects such as the Olympic Park legacy and attract inward investment right across the country.
• Fixing the cracks in local government through rebuilding the sector from the ground up to be more efficient, local people will get the daily services they deserve and rely on from their Council, like bin collection, whilst also enabling areas to work together over larger areas to deliver the big changes, like integrated transport networks. This will be done through the creation of new ‘Strategic Authorities’ that will boost connectivity and collaboration between Councils.
• Restoring taxpayers’ trust in councils’ spending through fixing the local audit system with the establishment of the Local Audit Office, which will increase transparency, simplify and streamline the system.

Deepening devolution across the country is what delivers the change to the day-to-day services and opportunities on every region’s doorstep. From the new Anglia Ruskin University in Peterborough, to ticket caps for commuters on the Bee Network in Manchester and budding film and TV creatives flocking to Liverpool’s Littlewoods over Hollywood – devolution is what will bring this regeneration to all regions.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 10 July 2025.

New changes to remove a local connection requirement for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors comes into effect today.

More young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors can now have greater access to social housing, thanks to new changes removing a local connection requirement coming into effect today.

Last month the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the government is rewriting the rules for vulnerable groups who have faced barriers to social housing when they do not have a connection to the local area, meaning they can no longer be unfairly penalised. The move has been largely welcomed by charities across the sector including Become and Centrepoint.

Many domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under the age of 25 face unique challenges, such as fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety or adjusting to life outside of the care system, so may be forced to move from area to area without having a local connection.

Government guidance for councils across England, nearly 90% of which currently use local connection tests, sets out their obligations to prioritise vulnerable people applying for social housing. This has now been updated to confirm young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors must be exempt from any local connection tests.

It comes as the government recently published its five-point plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing and pave the way for the biggest boost in a generation. This includes the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to build around 300,000 new homes over the next decade, with at least 60% for social rent.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“I’m immensely proud this government is delivering real change for some of our most vulnerable in society, making sure more young people and families can have a safe and secure roof over their head.

“It’s only right we remove local connection tests for these groups and from today they will no longer face such barriers – it’s a promise we made and a promise we’ve kept.

“This builds on our Plan for Change to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, turning the tide on the crisis we’ve inherited and building hundreds of thousands of new homes to bring down housing waiting lists for good.”

Today’s changes follow the rules overhauled last year to remove local connection tests for all former UK Regular Armed Forces Veterans, regardless of when they last served, as pledged by the Prime Minister.

The government remains fully committed to supporting more vulnerable groups and veterans into social housing but also recognises the challenges faced by councils dealing with unprecedented pressures on housing supply as well as depleted housing stocks.

That’s why the government has now set out ambitions to ramp up housing delivery for this Parliament and beyond, equipping councils and providers with greater tools to invest in existing and new social homes. This includes:

• Bringing forward long-overdue reforms to Right to Buy, including a 35-year exemption for newly built social homes, to protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing.
• Extending the flexibilities on spending Right to Buy receipts introduced last year, as well as allowing councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts and from next year combine receipts with grant funding for affordable housing, which will further accelerate the delivery of new homes to replace those sold.
• Introducing a new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents to provide the sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in new housing stock.

New funding for a £12 million Council Housebuilding Skills & Capacity Programme has also been announced, which will upskill and expand council workforces to get more spades in the ground for a new era of council housebuilding.

Centrepoint’s Director of Policy and Prevention, Balbir Kaur Chatrik said:

“It wasn’t right that young care leavers were subjected to local connection tests – particularly at a point in their lives where they should be able to move on and thrive.

“Removing this barrier is a huge step in protecting some of the country’s most vulnerable young people and should help in reducing youth homelessness more broadly.”

A care-experienced young person, Tia Shillito-Radicic said:

“The passing of this new legislation is nothing short of life-changing for many care-experienced young people and especially for me.

“This legislation gives me the opportunity to live somewhere safer, closer to my support network, and within reach of my career in the Civil Service. It’s not just about having a roof over my head – it’s about having a foundation to build a future. It’s about independence, security, and dignity.

“Too often, young people in care are uprooted from their communities and placed far from home due to foster care shortages or safeguarding concerns. When we age out of care, we’re then expected to return to the original council that placed us – sometimes hundreds of miles from where we’ve built our lives. That system leaves many of us isolated, detached from the people and places we trust most.

“This legislation changes that. And with it, comes hope. Hope that young people won’t have to start over, again and again. Hope that we can remain close to the support systems we’ve fought to create. And hope that we’ll finally be seen not just as care leavers, but as individuals with dreams, careers, and futures.

“To everyone who worked tirelessly to make this happen: thank you. You haven’t just changed a policy – you’ve helped us hold onto something many of us lose far too often: a sense of home, of belonging, and of hope.”

Further information

Last month the government published a written ministerial statement confirming new changes for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. The regulations were laid on 19 June and come into force today.

While the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.

On 24 September, the Prime Minister set out his ambition to improve access to social housing for former UK Armed Forces Veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors.

The government recently set out its long-term plan – Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing – which includes a commitment to support more vulnerable groups and veterans having access to social housing.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 4 July 2025.

Leaseholders to be better protected and more able to challenge excessive service charges to address cost of living concerns.

Millions of leaseholders will receive stronger rights, powers and protections to better challenge extortionate service charges thanks to major reforms to the feudal leasehold system.

Leaseholders are required to pay a service charge to cover the upkeep of shared areas in their building, however in too many cases they are left facing very unclear and unaffordable fees.

By switching on measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, almost five million leaseholders in England and Wales will receive the transparency they need to hold their landlords to account and easily challenge these costs.

Leaseholders will receive standardised service charge documentation, which will spell out clear and detailed information about how their service charges are calculated and spent.

This will make it easier for them to challenge unreasonable bills and potentially save money where expenses are unjustified, with further reforms to stop them having to automatically pay for landlords’ litigation costs even where they have won their case.

Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said:

“The cost of living remains a pressing concern for leaseholders and many are struggling financially as a result of high and rising service charges, and other opaque and excessive leasehold costs.

“This bold package of reforms will arm leaseholders with greater rights and protections and empower them to challenge poor practice and unreasonable charges and fees – driving up leaseholder living standards as we work to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end as part of our Plan for Change.”

RICS Chief Executive, Justin Young, said:

“Today’s announcement is an important step forward in raising standards and improving transparency in the leasehold sector. Accountability and professionalism in property management is essential to give leaseholders confidence.

“Mandatory qualifications for managing agents will help to achieve this.

“We fully support the Government’s ambition to deliver meaningful, proportionate reform that has lasting benefit for consumers. The consultation recognises that professional bodies play a critical role in delivering trust and confidence. RICS’ work seeks to ensure the highest level of professionalism across our membership – and around 30% of leasehold properties are managed by an RICS Regulated Firm.

“Qualifications alone, however, are only part of the solution. RICS looks forward to working with MHCLG to achieve their vision, drawing on our deep regulatory experience and existing infrastructure.”

The Property Institute Chief Executive, Andrew Bulmer, said:

“We welcome this wide-reaching consultation which seeks to improve the lives of residents in shared buildings.

“Measures to improve the transparency of service charges will empower residents with useful information on costs, while mandatory qualifications for property managers are vital to improve standards and ensure residents get the level of service they deserve.

“The Property Institute looks forward to playing our part in this essential mission towards a fairer, better and more transparent residential property sector.”

Demands for service charges are currently only required by law to include a limited amount of details, which can leave leaseholders in the dark over what services or works make up their bill.

This can leave leaseholders at risk of being overcharged for poor quality work, or out of pocket for work that has not been carried out in some of the worst cases, on top of existing cost of living pressures.

The government is today (Friday) pushing ahead to implement these reforms and is consulting over the best way forward to ensure they are robust, workable and protect leaseholders effectively.

Queries about service charges accounted for one in three of all enquiries to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) last year, showing the need for the government to act and drive-up transparency.

Further reforms – in addition to measures in the Act – will see the Section 20 ‘major works’ process improved to ensure leaseholders are not hit by one-off, unexpected and very large bills with little or no notice as is the case currently. LEASE will shortly be publishing an insight report into the challenges currently experienced by leaseholders going through this process.

Other measures will give leaseholders the power to demand a switch or veto a landlord’s choice of managing agent and introduce mandatory qualifications for the role to stamp out bad practice in line with Lord Best’s 2019 recommendations. This reform will ensure all managing agents have the knowledge and skills they need to do their jobs effectively, and put an end to leaseholders and residential freeholders suffering abuse and poor service.

These reforms will help drive up living standards in our Plan for Change and complement work to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end and make commonhold the default for new flats, ahead of publication of a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill later this year.

Key points being consulted on:

• Better service charge transparency, including new standardised service charge demand forms, annual reports, service charge accounts and administration charges
• Improving buildings insurance transparency, including what information should be provided to leaseholders, so they have assurance they are getting fair value and are better able to challenge any unreasonable insurance charges
• Rebalancing the litigation costs regime and removing barriers for leaseholders to challenge their landlord
• Reforming the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure that leaseholders must go through when they face large bills for such works
• Considering the case for greater protections for leaseholders paying fixed service charges, protections for client money, or improvements to the process for appointing a manager in cases of serious management failure
• Opportunities to encourage the provision of information and services digitally to be more accessible and reduce costs, but also ensuring safeguards so that all leaseholders receive the information they need
• Introducing mandatory qualifications for managing agents to ensure that all agents have the knowledge and skills they need to provide a good service for leaseholders.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2 July 2025.

Government sets out ambitions for a social rent revolution through the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Hundreds of thousands of social and affordable homes, including 60 per cent for social rent, will be built and standards will be driven up under plans by the Deputy Prime Minister to usher in a decade of housing renewal across the country.

This significant package of renewal will help deliver on our Plan for Change, unlock new jobs and turn the tide of the entrenched housing crisis, which has seen families and over 165,000 children stuck in temporary accommodation without the safe, secure and stable home they deserve.

That’s why the government is today setting an ambition to deliver around 300,000 new social and affordable homes, through the unprecedented £39 billion new Social and Affordable Homes Programme announced at the Spending Review. Through this, we are setting an ambitious target that at least 60% of homes will be for social rent which is linked to local incomes – achieving this would mean delivering around 180,000 homes for social rent. That is six times more than the decade up to 2024.

Alongside this, a long-term plan – Delivering a Decade of Renewal for Social and Affordable Housing – is being published today (Wednesday) to set out how the government will deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, alongside driving up the safety and quality of homes.

Living standards for millions of social housing tenants will also be driven up under new plans to update and modernise the Decent Homes Standard, which will be extended to privately rented homes for the first time, and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards will be implemented for the first time in the social housing sector.

Further measures set out in the plan includes transformative changes to Right to Buy and other measures to protect vital council housing stock, unlocking investment in new and existing social housing, and increasing overall standards alongside a rallying call for the sector to step up and deliver.

This significant package is the latest action the government is taking to deliver on the Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and drive-up living standards, which includes reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the recent announcement of a new publicly-owned National Housing Bank. This will further help to turn the tide on the housing crisis which has left over 165,000 children in temporary accommodation and locked a generation out of a secure home.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“We are seizing this golden opportunity with both hands to transform this country by building the social and affordable homes we need, so we create a brighter future where families aren’t trapped in temporary accommodation and young people are no longer locked out of a secure home.

“With investment and reform, this government is delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, unleashing a social rent revolution, and embarking on a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing in this country.

“That’s why I am urging everyone in the social housing sector to step forward with us now to make this vision a reality, to work together to turn the tide on the housing crisis together and deliver the homes and living standards people deserve through our Plan for Change.”

Since coming into office, the government has listened carefully to social housing providers and tenants. The new plan, published by the government today, reflects this engagement and builds on the investment strategy laid out at the Spending Review.

The five steps form the government’s plan to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, alongside a lasting change in the safety and quality of homes.

Each step builds on work already undertaken to bring stability to the sector, but the Plan also publicly signals to developers, councils, investors and to the public the government’s serious intent and ambition for social and affordable housing. It also gives providers the stability and certainty they need to be able to borrow and invest in both new and existing homes knowing the government has a comprehensive plan for the sector.

The five steps are to:

1. Deliver the biggest boost to grant funding in a generation
2. Rebuild the sector’s capacity to borrow and invest in new and existing supply
3. Establish an effective and stable regulatory regime
4. Reinvigorate council housebuilding
5. Forge a renewed partnership with the sector to build at scale

To deliver the housing the country needs, the government confirmed at the Spending Review a new 10-year £39 billion programme to kickstart building at scale.

Homes England – the government’s housing and regeneration agency – will be responsible for delivering the majority of the funding, with up to 30% of funding  – up to £11.7bn over the 10 years – being used to support housing delivery from the Greater London Authority in the capital.

The long-term nature of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme will also offer more certainty for developers to invest and effectively plan housebuilding for the future, compared to the previous five-year £12.3bn 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme.

The last five year 2021-26 programme averaged £2.3 billion per year – this means the government will be spending almost double this on affordable housing investment by the end of this Parliament (£4bn in 2029/30).

To achieve the ambition of delivering more social and affordable housing, the government is issuing a ‘call to arms’ to everyone with a role in social and affordable housing to prove they can deliver at scale and at pace. And as part of this effort, we will work with the sector in the coming months to agree a joint overall target on how many social and affordable homes can be delivered overall.

A new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents will be introduced from April 2026 to provide the social housing sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in existing and new housing stock.

The government is also publishing a consultation on how to implement a convergence measure, with options for this being capped at £1 or £2 per week– with a final decision to follow at this year’s Autumn Budget.

Further views will be sought on a new Decent Homes Standard which will modernise the standard, with proposals that hold tenant safety at their core but remain proportionate and affordable for providers to deliver. Views will also be sought on updating standards to make sure homes are warm and efficient through a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard for the social rented sector. This is all alongside our work to implement Awaab’s Law – this government is prioritising safety as a first step.

The government has also set out a package of wider reforms to the Right to Buy scheme to protect vital housing stock and to enable councils to ramp up delivery of new homes. This follows the reduction in maximum cash discounts that was implemented in November 2024.

This package complements work already taking place to get Britain building including through the updated National Planning Policy Framework, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill and a new National Housing Bank to get more spades in the ground.

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:

“Everyone deserves to live in a warm, secure and affordable home, which is why we are setting out bold plans today to transform housing over the next decade.

“This includes proposals to introduce an energy efficiency standard for social housing for the first time ever, helping tenants benefit from cheaper energy bills and more efficient homes.”

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 25 June 2025.

More planning appeals will be processed via a faster, simplified procedure under new regulations.

Simplified planning appeal procedures will be rolled out to the majority of planning appeals decided via written representations following a Ministerial decision to change regulation.

Expected to begin by the end of 2025, the reform is about streamlining processes to ensure planning appeal decisions can be made more quickly, benefiting developers, local authorities and communities alike.

Under the new process the majority of written representation appeals will accept only the evidence put before the local planning authority during application. This will not only speed up appeals but will also importantly, encourage a full body of evidence to be provided at application stage, giving local planning authorities the information they need to make decisions – aligning with universal planning principles of keeping decisions local.

Paul Morrison, Planning Inspectorate CEO, explains:

Every delayed planning decision represents potential delays to development and uncertainty for local communities. This change is a common-sense approach to planning that benefits us all by removing unnecessary administrative burdens and focusing on what matters: well-informed, timely decisions based on high-quality applications from the start.

The simplified appeals process will deliver:

• A faster, more efficient planning appeals process that benefits everyone
• Keeping planning decisions local and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy
• Submit once, submit right – providing the complete picture at application stage

Initial estimates anticipate changes to regulation being made by the end of the year. From this date, applications to local planning authorities become eligible for the simplified appeals process.

More detail on the changes is available via dedicated guidance. We will update our procedural guide once we receive a final draft of the changed regulations.

The Planning Inspectorate remains committed to maintaining a fair planning system where all appeals are carefully considered against local and national planning policies.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 19 June 2025.

New changes to remove local connection rules for young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.