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The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.

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Double council tax on empty homes - councils urge Lords to back new powers

Thousands of empty properties across England could be brought back into use if councils are allowed to double the rate of extra council tax on empty homes, local government leaders say today.

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Eight in 10 say it is important to have a say on all housing in their local area

A survey by the LGA, which represents councils, found 82 per cent of respondents felt it was important to be able to comment on individual plans for all housing developments in their local area.

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Empty homes in England rise by nearly 10 per cent in five years

The number of long-term empty homes has increased nationally by nearly 10 per cent over the past five years, the equivalent of just over one per cent of the country’s housing stock, a new report commissioned by the Local Government Association reveals today. 

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Exploiting social housing has detrimental impact on people’s lives – LGA responds to NAO report on supported housing

“We share councils’ concern about the minority of unscrupulous landlords who exploit the supported housing system."

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Funding boosts for local authorities to transform local communities and release land for new homes

The Government has today launched a £54 million package to transform local communities and release land for thousands of new homes. This comes as part of a new cross-government partnership to make smarter use of government-owned property.

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Government awards councils new funding

The Government has announced today that 90 per cent of councils are now part of a programme that will create 44,000 new jobs and release land for 25,000 new homes.

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Housing backlog – more than a million homes with planning permission not yet built

​​​​​​​More than a million homes granted planning permission in the past decade have not yet been built, according to new analysis by the Local Government Association.

View allHousing and planning articles
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Housing crisis: Over 4,500 classrooms worth of children stuck in temporary accommodation over summer holidays

As pupils have broken up from school, 119,830 children in England will be living in temporary accommodation during the end-of-year break, according to latest government figures.

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Housing shortage forces councils to spend £2 million a day on temporary accommodation

A chronic shortage of affordable housing is forcing cash-strapped councils to spend more than £2 million a day on temporary accommodation for homeless families, analysis by the Local Government Association reveals today.

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Housing waiting lists could double next year with one in 10 stuck in queue for more than 5 years – new research

The LGA is calling on the Chancellor to use this month’s Spending Review to give councils the powers and funding to build 100,000 social homes for rent each year, which would not only achieve a third of the Government’s annual housing target but improve the public finances over 30 years by £24.5 billion.