Tag: Housing and Communities

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 20 February 2025.

Growth in jobs, tourism and regional regeneration to be ushered in by funding for major cultural projects across the UK.

Regional growth and regeneration will get a much-needed boost as 10 major culture projects across the UK will receive more than £67 million, the government confirmed this week.

Funding will be ‘critical’ in showcasing the UK as a world-leader in culture and bring in visitors from across the globe.

Just as importantly this will help drive growth in all parts of the country – a key element of the government’s Plan for Change – by creating jobs and in some cases building new homes.

Projects receiving funding are:

• £15 million for the National Railway Museum in York, will go towards the construction of a new building, Central Hall, which will include a new entrance to the museum, a new gallery, retail, café, flexible event space and new visitor facilities. The museum is part of a wider mixed-use regeneration scheme in York to transform underused railway land into a new city quarter which could create more than 3,000 new homes, new office, retail and hospitality space, contributing to more than 6,000 new jobs and £1.6 billion in economic value to the region.
• £10 million to start the process of revamping ‘Temple Works’ in Leeds a derelict Grade 1 building, bringing it into public ownership; paving the way for it to house the British Library North in the future and unlock further regeneration of new housing and commercial development on surrounding sites.
• £10 million for the International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, to expand and maintain the museums which play a crucial role in the wider reimagining of the Liverpool Waterfront.
• £5 million for the National Poetry Centre in Leeds that will renovate a redundant Grade 2 Listed building to create a national headquarters for poetry and bolster Leeds’ reputation as a regional centre for culture and creativity.
• £5 million for City Centre Cultural Gateway in Coventry, that will support the repurposing of the former IKEA building in Coventry city centre to become a new cultural and visitor attraction.
• £2.3 million to three cultural projects in Worcester, these three projects will deliver new cultural and public spaces around the Scala arts venue:
• A new Scala Co-Working Space will be created to provide an onsite office and studio space for artistic companies to create work.
• Two mezzanine floors of the Corn Exchange building will be brought back into use through the creation of Next Level Food which will provide a new space for more events and exhibitions and modern catering facilities will be
• A new welcoming social space for younger generations will be created through the Angel Place is Your Space hub
• £10 million for Venue Cymru in Conwy, Wales, will upgrade the largest Welsh arts centre outside Cardiff and deliver a step-change in the use of the building, including the relocation of the existing library and Tourist Information Centre to create a modern and innovative cultural hub.
• £5 million for Newport Transporter Bridge, Wales, that will fund vital repair and maintenance works to Newport Transporter Bridge, which plays a crucial role in the tourism economy as a visitor attraction in South Wales.
• £2.6 million for the Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee, Scotland, that will expand and recurate the existing Scottish Design Galleries telling the story of Scottish design to create an improved destination and visitor experience.
• £2.2 million for Shore Road Skills Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that will see the redevelopment of the South Stand at the Crusaders FC into a unique state of the art community education, event and skills centre

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

Every corner of the UK has something unique to offer, and our rich creative capital must not be underestimated.

Our Plan for Change promises growth for every region and I’ve seen first-hand how these projects are igniting growth in their communities.

Through investing in these critical cultural projects we can empower both local leaders and people to really tap into their potential and celebrate everything their home town has to offer. This means more tourism, more growth and more money in people’s pockets.”

Alex Norris, Minster for Local Growth, said:

The benefits of these fantastic projects go far beyond community and county borders, they are key to unlocking a regional and nationwide celebration of UK culture and creativity as well as driving growth and regeneration.

This investment marks a huge step forward in our decade of national renewal as committed to in our Plan for Change – creating jobs and boosting tourism and regeneration in our regions is the type of long-term, sustainable growth the government is prioritising to ultimately put more money in people’s pockets.”

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said:

Everyone across the country should be able to access arts and culture in the place they call home. This support will empower our cultural organisations to continue playing an essential role in developing skills, talent and high-quality careers in every corner of the UK.”

These projects will celebrate and raise awareness of the unique social value and cultural history of the UK while also supporting crucial economic growth through creating local jobs and attracting tourism on a national scale.

Projects that are most advanced and will see benefits spread beyond regional borders and attract investment have been prioritised to maximise public spending and deliver long-term growth.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 12 February 2025.

£350 million invested to increase number of affordable and social homes, support home ownership and ease council housing pressures.

Thousands more people will be able to benefit from the security and safety of a high-quality home thanks to a £350 million injection to get Britain building, alongside plans to drive up standards and tackle rogue landlords in supported housing.

Up to 2,800 extra homes will be built through a £300 million boost to the Affordable Homes Programme, with half of these homes for social rent, and over 250 more council homes through a £50 million boost to the Local Authority Housing Fund to provide homes for those in need of better-quality temporary accommodation.

This supports plans to get Britain building and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, turning the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis in this country. A generation have been locked out of owning their own home, while there are over 123,000 households in temporary accommodation, including nearly 160,000 children, and almost 6,000 families with children are in B&B accommodation.

Further changes will also be set out imminently by the government to help the most vulnerable in society, with a crack down on exploitative behaviour by rogue and criminal supported housing landlords, who are costing the taxpayer by claiming uncapped housing benefit in return for providing squalid homes for the most vulnerable, leaving them without the care or support they need.

This will further deliver on our Plan for Change commitment to get Britain building, delivering the 1.5 million homes this country needs, while boosting living standards.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“For so many families, and their children, the security and safety of a home of their own remains firmly out of reach – and instead they have to live in temporary accommodation, including in B&Bs.

“This is unacceptable and is the result of the housing crisis we are facing head on. That’s why we’re driving forward on our plans to ensure a better future for everyone who needs a safe home, building on our plans to drive up living standards and build 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change.”

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said:

“Today’s funding announcement demonstrates that the government recognises that boosting funding for new affordable homes, particularly those for social rent, is essential to meeting its ambitious housing targets and commitment to building a generation of new social homes.

“Housing associations share the government’s housing ambitions and we welcome this top-up to the Affordable Homes Programme. The funding announced today – in addition to the funding announced in the autumn – will help maintain momentum in the delivery of much needed social and affordable housing ahead of the new Affordable Homes Programme being announced at the Spending Review.

“Housing associations are facing a number of financial challenges due to decades of funding cuts. Alongside this vital funding injection, we hope to see a package of supportive measures at the upcoming Spending Review to enable the sector to build the homes our country needs.”

Gavin Smart, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Housing, said:

“The housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing the country, and we know that increasing the supply of truly affordable homes is key to tackling homelessness, easing pressure on local authorities, and driving economic growth. This additional investment into affordable housing is therefore very welcome and will help support the delivery of much-needed affordable homes ahead of a new Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) at the forthcoming Spending Review.

“The confirmation that 50% of the additional investment in the AHP will be used to support building new homes at social rent is particularly welcome as these are the most affordable and needed. Expanding the Local Housing Fund will help local authorities respond to the huge rise in the need for temporary accommodation which has put huge pressure on council funds and made life very difficult for some of the most vulnerable. Going forward, we hope the government will use the next fiscal update to confirm sustained, long-term investment to meet the scale of demand and ensure everyone has access to a safe, secure, and affordable home.

“We also welcome confirmation of action to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. It is right that the government moves to clamp down on a small minority of exploitative supported housing landlords who are providing unacceptable poor homes to vulnerable people. We look forward to seeing more details here and to working with government, housing providers, and local authorities to ensure these commitments translate into real change on the ground.”

The boost follows on from the £500 million investment at the Budget for up to 5,000 more homes affordable homes, further backing the programme’s original £11.5 billion which is expected to result in up to 130,000 homes by 2026, and the £450 million already provided to 150 councils across the country to help ease pressure on homelessness services, reduce spending on unsuitable B&B accommodation, and provide safe and sustainable housing.

The investment will support a mix of tenures, with a focus on delivering homes for social rent.

Alongside the £50 million increase to the Local Authority Housing Fund, approximately £30 million of funding is being reallocated from previous rounds, taking the number of houses that will be delivered by the third round to more than 2,700 homes. Councils that submitted applications will be contacted in the following few days to inform them of the funding allocations.

The government will imminently set out plans to crack down on exploitative behaviour by rogue and criminal supported housing landlords who are costing the taxpayer by claiming uncapped housing benefit in return for providing squalid homes for some of the most vulnerable, leaving them without the care or support they need.

These plans respond to horrendous cases, including criminal gangs buying large properties and putting vulnerable people in mouldy rooms with just a bed, then providing no care, and other cases where rape victims have been housed with sex offenders. In areas like Blackpool, Birmingham, Blackburn and Hull whole streets have been overcome with open drug use and anti-social behaviour. A new licensing scheme, tougher standards, and the ability to stop housing benefit going to rogue landlords are all part of the plan, to be unveiled next week.

This supports wider work to improve housing for millions of working people across the country, and builds on the commitment to change the way homes are bought and sold, saving them time and money by modernising the way the system works and helping stop property transactions falling through.

To get Britain building, the government has already:

• Launched a New Homes Accelerator to unblock thousands of homes stuck in the planning system.
• Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create large-scale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.
• Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.
• Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules.
• Announced an additional £3 billion in housing guarantees to help builders apply for more accessible loans from banks and lenders.
• Extended the existing Home Building Fund for next year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, delivering an additional 12,000 new homes.
• Cutting red tape so up to 10,000 more apprentices will be able to qualify per year including in key industries like construction

Further information:

Further details of future investment beyond the current Affordable Homes Programme will be set out at the upcoming Spending Review to support greater investment in new affordable housing from social housing providers.

The Supported Housing reforms implement measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, and improve the quality in supported housing and ensure people receive the right support for them, in a good quality home.

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

Former Cabinet Secretary Dr Simon Case has been appointed independent Chair of the Barrow Delivery Board, the government announced today (Monday, Feb 10).

Dr Case brings a wealth of leadership experience to the role after a long career in the Civil Service.

The Delivery Board will deliver the Barrow Transformation Fund, a £200m government package to deepen and develop Barrow’s crucial role at the heart of UK national security and nuclear submarine-building, overseen by the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

It forms part of the Plan for Barrow, which aims to strengthen the local economy, support sustainable growth and boost opportunities for residents.

Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety Alex Norris said:

Barrow lies at the heart of our defence industry, and the nuclear submarines produced there play a crucial role in keeping Britain safe. We are committed to building on Barrow’s incredible strengths and making sure local people benefit from the town’s development.

Simon Case is ideally placed to chair the Delivery Board and oversee the delivery of £200m of funding to tackle local priorities, taking Barrow towards an exciting future. He will ensure Barrow’s place in our national Plan for Change – because what’s best for Barrow is best for the country.

Dr Case said:

I’m delighted to be appointed Chair and take on this important role. Barrow is critical to our national security; there’s nowhere else in the country with the unique set of skills and supporting infrastructure required to deliver complex nuclear submarines, so it’s vital we invest now to sustain this capability.

Barrow is a fantastic town and the Government’s long-term commitment to the UK’s submarine programme means it has an exciting future, but it’s not without its challenges. Our task is to address these, turn ambition into reality and help transform Barrow into a place where people choose to live, work and thrive.

The government is committed to growing the economy, strengthening national security and supporting our communities as part of the Plan for Change.

Barrow’s contribution to maintaining and renewing the UK’s nuclear deterrent has been built up over many years – often by multiple generations of the same families as part of a truly national endeavour. The government’s tailored Transformation Fund will build on these historic strengths and ensure the town’s full potential is realised.

Dr Case’s appointment was confirmed by Minister Norris in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament today. The Delivery Board will meet in March to make its first spending decisions. This funding will bring transformational and long-lasting change to Barrow across areas including transport, education, employment, skills, health, equity and wellbeing.

Dr Case previously acted as Chair of the Board on an interim basis, as part of his role as Cabinet Secretary.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 February 2025.

Major new plans to modernise home buying and selling to save people time and money and further measures to improve the lives of leaseholders.

Millions of people are set to benefit from improvements to the way homes are bought and sold, saving them both time and money by helping stop property transactions from falling through.

Under major new plans, the government has announced today [February 9] it will modernise the way the process works to bring down current delays of almost five months. One of the key reasons the buying and selling process can be long and frustrating is a lack of digitalisation and join up in the sector, which is why the government is opening up key property information, ensuring this data can be shared between trusted professionals more easily, and driving forward plans for digital identity services to slash transaction times.

These reforms will make home buying fit for the 21st Century and give much-needed certainty to everyone involved in property transactions, with one million taking place in the UK every year. By making information available at people’s fingertips, it will be far less likely for surprises to be encountered later on in the process. This will make it easier for people to get onto the housing ladder, reduce the requirement to share ID in-person in the long-term, and decrease the number of transactions collapsing.

Currently, fall throughs – which impact one in three transactions – cost people around £400 million a year, on top of the four million working days lost by conveyancers and estate agents alone which is equivalent to £1 billion. By bringing the process into the digital age, and learning from success stories such as Norway where transactions complete in around one month, the government is putting more money into the pockets of hardworking people and delivering on our Plan for Change to grow the economy.

Meanwhile changes to improve the lives of leaseholders – who have already achieved the dream of homeownership but found it falls short of what they were promised – will also be introduced from next week, with secondary legislation for the Right to Manage measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 being laid tomorrow – ahead of the schedule the government committed to last year.

These changes, which will come into force on 3rd March, will empower more leaseholders to take control of their buildings more easily, giving them power over how their service charges are spent, and removing the requirement for leaseholders to cover the legal fees of their freeholder when making a Right to Manage claim – potentially saving them up to £3,000 for the most costly claims, and reducing the incentive for landlords to obstruct the process.

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said:

“We are streamlining the cumbersome home buying process so that it is fit for the twenty-first century, helping homebuyers save money, gain time and reduce stress while also cutting the number of house sales that fall through.

“Our modernisation of the system sits alongside further reforms to improve the lives of leasehold homeowners across the country, allowing them to more easily and cheaply take control of the buildings they live in and clamp down on unreasonable or extortionate charges.

“These reforms build on the government’s Plan for Change to deliver higher living standards and 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament, and our ongoing efforts to protect leaseholders suffering from unfair and unreasonable practices as we work to end the feudal leasehold system for good.”

Currently, information such as building control and highways information is predominantly paper-based or recorded in non-machine-readable formats. On top of this, where data is available electronically, there are not established protocols for accessing, sharing and verifying that data which leads to more delays.

But under a fully digitalised home buying and selling process, the information key parties need – from mortgage companies to surveyors – will be within reach immediately, with the necessary identity checks carried out once. Clear information early on will mean there are no surprises late on in the transaction which might cause it to fall through, so instead the transaction is completed smoothly without unnecessary time, energy or money spent.

That’s why the department is working hand-in-hand with the property market, supported by HM Land Registry (HMLR), and is today announcing a 12-week project to identify the design and implementation of agreed rules on data for the sector, so that it can easily be shared between conveyancers, lenders and other parties involved in a transaction. HMLR will also build on its work in digitising property information and lead 10-month pilots with a number of councils to identify the best approach to opening up more of their data and making it digital, whilst the government pushes ahead with plans for digital identity verification services including in the property sector.

This will all be carried out in conjunction with the Digital Property Market Steering Group – a collection of industry and government experts committed to digitalising the home buying and selling process and delivering this change.

The government has already:

• Launched a New Homes Accelerator to unblock thousands of homes stuck in the planning system.
• Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create large-scale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.
• Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.
• Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules.
• Announced an additional £3 billion in housing guarantees to help builders apply for more accessible loans from banks and lenders.
• Extended the existing Home Building Fund for next year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, delivering an additional 12,000 new homes.

Notes to editors:

• More than 300,000 property transactions fall through in the UK every year at a cost to sellers of £400 million, according to a survey commissioned by the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA) and online homebuyer IMMO.co.uk in 2018.
• Almost a third of adults surveyed by the Homeowners Alliance in 2024, when asked how the conveyancing process could be improved, said it should be faster.
• MHCLG has recently taken over the chairing of the Digital Property Market Steering Group. The group consists of organisations that represent the various professions involved in the buying and selling process and is committed to driving digitalisation of the home buying and selling system.
• Right to Manage is the only way for leaseholders to take back control over extortionate fees and mismanagement of their homes, without being forced to buy the freehold.
• The Right to Manage Statutory Instrument will be laid in parliament on Monday, and will come in to effect from 3rd March 2025

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 7 February 2025.

The Deputy Prime Minister has met bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and written to both them and residents in the immediate community, to share her decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down to the ground.

This is a deeply personal matter for the people affected and the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this process. She recognises how difficult it is for them and her priority has been to let them know her decision first.

Listening to the community

The Deputy Prime Minister has prioritised engagement with the community since her appointment in July and has met bereaved families, survivors and residents in the immediate community.

In November last year, the Deputy Prime Minister explained to families that she would listen to their views and consider expert information before making a decision on the future of the Tower in February. From November she offered bereaved and survivors the opportunity to meet in-person in North Kensington and Whitehall, or online, at different times and individually when families felt more comfortable with this. She has also spent time with representative groups, residents’ associations, schools and faith leaders. She is grateful to everyone who shared their view – whether directly with her, with the Minister or officials – and especially to the bereaved and survivors.

The Tower was the home of the 72 innocent people who lost their lives, and of survivors whose lives were forever changed. It is clear from conversations it remains a sacred site. It is also clear that there is not a consensus about what should happen to it.

For some, Grenfell Tower is a symbol of all that they lost. The presence of the Tower helps to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten and can act as a reminder of the need for justice and accountability. Being able to see the Tower every day helps some people continue to feel close to those they lost. For others it is a painful reminder of what happened and is having a daily impact on some members of the community. Some have suggested that some floors of the Tower should be retained for the memorial, others have said that this would be too painful.

Expert advice

The Deputy Prime Minister has considered independent expert advice. Engineering advice says that the Tower is significantly damaged. It remains stable because of the measures put in place to protect it but even with installation of additional props, the condition of the building will continue to worsen over time. Engineers also advise it is not practicable to retain many of the floors of the building in place as part of a memorial that must last in perpetuity.

Taking the engineering advice into account the Deputy Prime Minister concluded that it would not be fair to keep some floors of the building that are significant to some families, whilst not being able to do so for others and knowing that, for some, this would be deeply upsetting.

How the Tower will be taken down

The government is committed to taking the next steps respectfully and carefully. There will be continued support for, and engagement with, the community throughout the process. There will be no changes to the Tower before the eighth anniversary.

In the coming months, the government will confirm the specialist contractor that will develop a detailed plan for taking the Tower down. The work will be led by technical experts with specific health and safety responsibilities and will include a methodology that includes environmental, health and safety measures and a detailed programme of work. It will likely take around two years to sensitively take down the Tower through a process of careful and sensitive progressive deconstruction that happens behind the wrapping.

We continue to support the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission as the community choose a design team to work with them on designing a memorial. The Deputy Prime Minister will ensure that materials from the site, communal areas of the Tower, or parts of the Tower can be carefully removed and returned for inclusion as part of the memorial, if the community wishes.

Continued commitment for the community

The department has regularly consulted the Metropolitan Police, HM Coroner and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to ensure decisions about the site do not interfere with their important work in pursuit of justice and accountability. The Police and HM Coroner have again recently confirmed they have everything they need.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s commitment to the community continues. She will ensure bereaved families, survivors and residents continue to have opportunities to speak with her and the Building Safety Minister on issues that matter to them most.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 6 February 2025.

• From October, social landlords will be forced to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould in set time periods, as well as repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours
• Government to introduce vital legislation in honour of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who tragically died following prolonged exposure to damp and mould
• Major step forward in mission to transform housing safety and quality

Landmark reforms to force landlords to fix dangerous homes or face the full force of the law will be introduced for the first time later this year.

As part of the government’s mission to transform the safety and quality of social housing, Awaab’s Law will come into force from October, ensuring social landlords have to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould within a set amount of time as well as repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours.  Landlords who fail to comply face being taken to court, with social tenants able to use the full powers of the law to hold them to account.

Awaab’s Law will be introduced through a phased approach to ensure it is applied as effectively as possible. This means that the protections it provides to damp and mould will be introduced quickly, which would not have been possible if the government applied the law to a wider group of hazards from the outset. This will also allow the government to test and learn so that the reforms benefit social tenants and secure the lasting legacy that Awaab Isaak’s family have fought so hard for.

The vital reforms will help drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing, supporting the government’s pledge through the Plan for Change to deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation and build 1.5 million homes.

The law is a lasting legacy to two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020. In the wake of this tragedy, Awaab’s family has fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

“We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again.

“Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.

“Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.”

From October, Awaab’s Law will force landlords to fix damp and mould as well as carry out emergency repairs. We will then take a step-by-step approach to make the law stronger over time so that landlords will be legally required to fix all dangerous hazards from 2027. These repairs will have to be delivered within set timescales to ensure that landlords are meeting their responsibilities.

However, social landlords must continue to fix dangerous issues in their homes before Awaab’s Law is fully implemented. They already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation and to remedy disrepair, and they must also ensure that their homes meet the Decent Homes Standard. Awaab’s Law will set clearer and stronger laws to ensure that tenants are living in safe homes.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said:

“Awaab Ishak’s family have tenaciously and courageously fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing.

“Awaab’s Law will help to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing, ensuring tenants are treated with fairness and respect”.

In the coming months we will bring forward further reforms designed to drive up standards across social housing and to build greater trust and transparency between landlords and tenants. This government will:

• Introduce powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. We will consult on how to apply Awaab’s Law to privately rented homes in a way that works for the sector and is fair and proportionate for tenants and landlords.
• Consult on a new Decent Homes Standard and minimum energy efficiency standards, to ensure tenant’s homes are made safe, warm, and free from disrepair.
• Legislate to require social landlords to carry out electrical safety checks at least every five years, as well as mandatory appliance inspections on all electrical appliances that are provided by the landlord.

Notes to editors

• We are intending to lay the Awaab’s Law regulations in parliament as quickly as we can to secure these protections and provide the sector with clarity and time to prepare ahead of requirements which will come into force in October of this year.
• In 2023, 7% of social rented homes had a damp problem and 4% had hazards rated at the most dangerous ‘category 1’ level.
• Our phased approach will work as follows:
• From October 2025 social landlords will have to address damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants to fixed timescales.
• From October 2025 social landlords will also have to address all emergency repairs including for damp and mould or other hazards as soon as possible and within no longer than 24 hours.
• In 2026, requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards. In addition to damp and mould, the hazards we expect to extend Awaab’s Law to in this second stage of implementation include excess cold and excess heat; falls; structural collapse; fire, electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards.
• Then in 2027, the requirements of Awaab’s Law will expand to the remaining hazards as defined by the HHSRS (excluding overcrowding). The full list of hazards can be found in schedule 1 to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing on 5 February 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister brings six areas onto the Devolution Priority Programme with Mayors to be elected by May 2026 plus four new devolved institutions created.

A major package of devolution has been announced today – with six new areas confirmed to join the government’s Devolution Priority Programme.

Delivering on the government’s commitment to widen devolution, areas will be given sweeping new powers, putting them on the fast track to deliver growth, opportunities, transport and housing for local communities.

The programme – one of the largest ever single packages of mayoral devolution in England – will support the areas to move towards devolution at pace, becoming mayor-led strategic authorities by May next year if they proceed.

Today’s measures brings another 8.8m people under mayoral devolution – or another 15.38% of the population – bringing the total population who will see the benefit from devolution to over 44 million – close to 80% of the country.

Greater devolution is key to 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.

For too long, political power has been hoarded in Whitehall. That’s why the government set out its proposals in the landmark English Devolution White Paper.

The following areas agreed to join the programme:

• Cumbria
• Cheshire & Warrington
• Norfolk & Suffolk
• Greater Essex
• Sussex & Brighton
• Hampshire & Solent

These six successful areas will now work to an ambitious devolution timetable, with full government backing, with consultations set to launch shortly.

In a further step forward for devolution being delivered at pace, today legislation comes into force to establish four new devolution institutions – as a result of devolution agreements confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister last year

This includes establishing two new mayoral authorities in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire, and the formation of combined county authorities in Devon and Torbay, and Lancashire.

The government is also focused on fixing the foundations of local government, with simpler and more effective structures and a reduction in unnecessary layers of bureaucracy. Through a national programme of ambitious local government reform, the government will cut waste and improve accountability, ensuring taxpayers get value for money from their services. To achieve this, all councils in two-tier areas and small neighbouring unitary authorities are now being formally invited to develop unitary proposals – which will bring together lower and upper tier local government services in new unitary councils.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said:

The truth is that for all the promises of levelling up, central government’s first instinct is all too often to hoard power and hold our economy back. Too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few.

We promised to achieve a devolution revolution by overseeing the greatest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation, and today’s announcement will help raise living standards, improve public services and build the homes we so desperately need.

By taking a common-sense approach to reorganisation, boosted by our reforms to give mayors a suite of vital new powers, we will make sure areas can truly deliver on our Plan for Change.

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

In December, we asked areas to come forward to be part of our Devolution Priority Programme. The response was clear—this country is ready for change.

While devolution can be hard to understand sometimes, the aims of this programme are simple: it puts more money in people’s pockets,  leads to quicker, better, cheaper transport, designed with local people in mind and puts politics back in the service of working people.

Today’s announcements come just weeks after plans were set out in the English Devolution White Paper to grant mayors control over key areas including strategic planning, housing, transport and skills.

This will equip these local leaders with the tools they need to deliver for their communities, putting England’s regions centre stage in the government’s Plan for Change missions to grow the economy, deliver 1.5 million homes, and boost opportunity across the country.

The English Devolution Bill – which is due to be brought forward later this year – will also hardwire proposed new mayoral powers into law.

In order to allow areas to deliver devolution to this ambitious timetable, the government has carefully considered requests from local councils to postpone a number of May 2025 local elections.

The bar to postpone elections has been extremely high, and the government has been clear that delays will only be agreed where there is strong justification set out by the local authority. The government has agreed to half of these requests, and will postpone elections due in May 2025 until May 2026 for nine local councils. These councils made the strongest possible case that this is strictly necessary to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe.

There is an established precedent, including in the cases of North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Somerset elections, and Buckinghamshire district councils elections, under the previous government when reorganisation happened there. The legislation to enable this  will shortly be laid, subject to Parliamentary timetables.

In North Yorkshire, unitarisation enacted in 2023 has enabled the council to manage financial pressures though structural changes and service transformation, which is expected to achieve more than £40m in savings by March 2026.

Ministers will also continue to work with Lancashire, which is in a unique position as it is establishing a non-mayoral institution and is committed to reviewing its future devolution arrangements by the autumn, including steps to deepen devolution. This review will consider all options available for the area, including aligning with the Devolution Priority Programme when it concludes.

Also, given the urgency of creating sustainable unitary local government for Surrey, we will postpone the county election for that area from May 2025 to May 2026, helping to speed up reorganisation and deliver the local ambitions for devolution with the benefits it will bring.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 5 February 2025.

Colin Byrne and Sarah Hamilton have been reappointed as Members of the Boundary Commission for England.

The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced the reappointment of Colin Byrne and Sarah Hamilton as Members of the Boundary Commission for England from 1 February 2025 to 31 March 2032.

The Boundary Commission for England is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Boundary Commission for England is required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to review the parliamentary constituencies in England every 8 years.

Biographies

Colin Byrne

Colin Byrne worked for over 30 years in the Civil Service in a number of roles.  These included Divisional Manager, Health and Safety Executive; Director, Town and Country Planning, Department of Communities and Local Government; and Director, Government Office for the South East. He was the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the South East of England in the 2018 Boundary Review. He was a governor of the Guildford College Group for eight years, and a trustee of Citizens Advice Guildford.  Currently he is a non-executive director of a local specialist housing association. Colin Byrne was appointed as a Member of the Boundary Commission for England for a five-year term from 1 July 2019.  The appointment was subsequently extended until 29 October 2024 and then to 31 January 2025.

Sarah Hamilton

Sarah Hamilton graduated from Exeter University with a BA (Hons) in Law in 1992. She was admitted as a Solicitor in 1995 and enjoyed a 20-year career in a City law firm, specialising in litigation, acting for public sector bodies. Retiring from private practice in 2016, she now has a portfolio career in the fields of healthcare, education and regulation. She chairs Fitness to Practise Committees for three healthcare regulators. She is an Assessor for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board. She is also the Independent Complaints and Standards Reviewer for the Independent Press Standards Organisation. She worked as the Lead Assistant Commissioner for the East of England in the 2018 Boundary Review.  Sarah Hamilton was appointed as a Member of the Boundary Commission for England for a five-year term from 1 July 2019.  The appointment was subsequently extended until 29 October 2024 and then to 31 January 2025.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 3 February 2025.

Final Settlement confirms over £69 billion government funding for councils, a 6.8% cash-terms increase in Core Spending Power.

More than £69 billion in funding for England’s councils has been confirmed today as the government delivers on its commitment to restore trust and stability in public services.

Following the provisional Settlement in December, today’s final Settlement provides a 6.8% in cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power compared to 2024-25. With increased demand and running costs rising, this money is a lifeline and will guarantee no council sees a decrease in their Core Spending Power.

Families across the country rely on crucial council services such as social care, which is why the government is providing up to £3.7 billion additional funding to social care authorities to deliver this. This includes an £880 million uplift to the Social Care Grant, compared to 2024-25.

A new £270 million Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant will support the national roll out of vital family help, keeping children safe and ensuring they get the best start in life as set out in the Plan for Change.

While fundamental change cannot happen overnight, the government is working at pace with the sector to deliver the ambitious reform needed to spread power, money and resources more fairly across the country.

Today, £60 million has also been confirmed to fund long-term improvements to the local government sector over the next year, including empowering mayoral areas leading the devolution revolution in delivering local priorities and supporting councils’ financial reporting with a fit and legal audit system to ensure transparency.

Rebuilding the sector from the ground up is a crucial step towards the national Plan for Change to bring better value for money, sustained economic growth and fix our country’s public services.

The government has maintained the 5% referendum principles on council tax increases – the same level set by the previous administration- to protect taxpayers from excessive increases.

Unlike previous years, this government has introduced a stricter approach to the inherited arrangements that allowed councils to request higher council tax increases if they need Exceptional Financial Support and see increases as critical to maintaining their financial sustainability.

This approach puts taxpayers at the forefront, for example by only agreeing increases where councils are amongst the lowest existing levels for tax. In fact, taxpayers in these areas are still expected to be paying less than the average council tax compared to similar councils. This approach has limited the number and scale of additional increases, with the government not agreeing where councils have asked to increase council tax by a very high amount or by high amounts in successive years.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said:

Councils deliver vital services across the country – driving growth and local economies and providing a lifeline for those that need it most.

Through our Plan for Change we are determined to fix the foundations of local government; investing where it is needed, trusting local leaders and working together to deliver growth, better health and social care services and the affordable homes people need.

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

We have been clear we will fix the foundations of local government. That means an end to short-term solutions and instead rebuilding the sector to put councils on a more stable and secure footing.

 >Local leaders play a crucial role in delivering the day-to-day services communities across the country rely on, which is why we want to work with them towards a fairer funding model that tackles regional inequality and prioritises outcomes for local people.

This final Settlement marks an important step towards a government focused on efficiency, value-for-money and a community first approach. For the first time, a new £600 million Recovery Grant will help support places most in need, which maximises public spending to ensure it delivers more meaningful outcomes.

The sector is already having its say via an open consultation on how to best streamline the outdated funding model and distribute taxpayer’s money more fairly, based on an updated assessment of need, enabling every council to deliver high quality services to their communities.

As part of handing local leaders more power and control of their funding, the government will end outdated processes and bureaucracy of bidding for different funding pots and bring forward the first multi-year settlement in a decade in 2026-27 to provide certainty and economic security to councils setting budgets.

The provisional settlement consultation was open for 4 weeks and closed on 15 January 2024.

Notes to Editors

Further details on all of the above, including allocations for individual councils can be found on the Final Local Government Finance Settlement page 2025-26 here.

See the Deputy Prime Minister’s full Written Ministerial Statement here: Written statements – Written questions, answers and statements – UK Parliament

The Final Settlement will be debated in the House of Commons on Wednesday 5th February.

The government’s consultation on funding reform from 2026-27 can be found here, and remains open until 12 February.

Two statutory reports have also been published:

• A Local Government Finance Report which outlines how core settlement funding will be distributed;
• a Council Tax Referendum Principles Report, which sets out council tax excessiveness principles – if a local authority wishes to set council tax higher than these it will need to hold a local referendum.

A record number of councils asked the government for support this year to help them set their budgets, and a record number of these councils have asked for additional council tax increases to aid their financial recovery.

For councils that require Exceptional Financial Support, the government has considered requests from councils for bespoke council tax referendum principles on a case-by-case basis and has agreed bespoke referendum principles for six local authorities. All six of the councils have been clear they will not be able to set a balanced budget without government support. The government has not agreed to all requests and has not agreed to any request in its entirety, to reduce the impact on taxpayers. In the areas where we have made the difficult decision to allow limited council tax rises,  we expect that no taxpayer will see their bills reach higher than the average compared to similar authorities.

Core Spending Power is a measure of the resources available to local authorities to fund service delivery. It sets out the money that has been made available to councils through the local government finance settlement.

The government confirmed unringfenced allocations of the £515m of funding announced at the provisional local government finance settlement to support to local government meet the increased costs of directly employed staff arising from changes to employer National Insurance Contribution (NICs).

The previous government’s referendum threshold for council tax will be maintained at 3% with 2% for the adult social care precept to protect local taxpayers.

Several grants including the Rural Services Delivery Grant and the Services Grant will be repurposed. The government will ensure the impact of rurality on the cost of service delivery and demand is reflected in the public consultation next year. Places with a significant rural population will on average receive almost a 6% increase in their Core Spending Power. No council will see a reduction.

Councils will also receive over £1 billion in total through the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packing scheme (pEPR) which will cover the existing costs they incur for managing household packaging waste, provide additional funding for new legal duties, and support much needed investment in the waste and recycling industry.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 20 January 2025.

The government is tripling the Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding from £10 million to £30 million.

More rough sleepers will be helped off the streets and provided warm beds this winter thanks to new emergency funding given to local councils today.

The Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding, a government scheme to increase the use of emergency accommodation for rough sleepers, will be tripled from £10 million to £30 million. The cash will go directly into areas with record levels of rough sleeping, ultimately saving lives and supporting thousands of vulnerable people in society facing the cold weather.

Those experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping are 8 to 12 times more likely to die prematurely, particularly from chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and those sleeping rough during winter are at even greater risk of ill health and long-term sickness.

Over 280 councils, including all London boroughs, will now have extra resources at their disposal to support frontline workers providing vital services on the ground, which will see more people sleeping rough into safe and secure accommodation with warm beds, hot meals and medical treatment.

The new funding will also continue supporting specialist programmes for vulnerable groups sleeping rough including veterans, care leavers and victims of domestic abuse. This is alongside giving lifechanging support to people who have slept rough long-term, with critical outreach staff helping to address substance abuse and provide employment opportunities.

Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali said:

“Behind every sad rough sleeping statistic, there is a person who has been let down by the system for far too long. This government is more determined than ever to turn the tide on years of failure to properly invest in our frontline services.

“That is why I am tripling the emergency funding from £10 million to £30 million for councils to help the most vulnerable into safe and secure housing with warm beds, hot meals, and specialist care.

“Through our Plan for Change we are already taking urgent action to tackle the worst housing crisis in living memory, delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation and getting us back on track to end homelessness for good.”

A sharp rise in rough sleeping in recent years represents a complete failure in the housing crisis inherited by the government, with almost 360,000 households approaching their council for help with homelessness over the last year.

Today’s emergency cash injection is just one branch of the government’s Plan for Change to raise living standards for working people and families, deliver the biggest boost in affordable and social housing in a generation, and strengthen rights and protections for tenants.

It builds on the largest-ever investment in homelessness prevention services of almost £1 billion for this year, including over £185 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, so councils can better prioritise when providing warm beds and shelter for people at risk, or experiencing, rough sleeping.

This is alongside more than £37 million for the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme that will cover ongoing costs to help rough sleepers into longer term housing and secure more specialist staff supporting their mental health and substance abuse problems.

A new dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group is also bringing together ministers to develop a long-term strategy across the healthcare, justice and education systems, as part of the government’s wider drive to tackle the root causes of rough sleeping and get the country back on track to ending homelessness for good.

One of the leading causes of homelessness, Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, will be abolished for new and existing tenancies through the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill which is now another step closer to becoming law following last week’s third reading.

Through overdue reforms to the Right to Buy scheme councils can now retain all receipts from sales to build and buy more homes as well as receiving an additional £450 million last year to secure and create homes for families at risk of homelessness.

Government investment in housing has now increased to £5 billion for this year, including an extra £500 million for the existing Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.

Further information

The government previously announced an emergency £10 million package for the Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures Funding last November.