News

Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of private renters in England never expect to buy their own property because they won’t be able to afford one, as councils warn of the nation's growing "home-owning hopelessness".

The average house price in England is now almost eight times the average wage, sparking a call from councils to be allowed to invest significantly in house building.

"We are pleased the Government has acted on our call for an extension of the time given to commence planning permissions that would otherwise lapse."

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.

The LGA said councils want to work with the Government to tackle the housing shortage and ensure new housing meets the needs of communities. As part of this, it is calling on permitted development rules to be scrapped and local communities to be allowed to have a vital say on new developments in their area.

“This independent report rightly backs our long-standing concerns over the detrimental impact on local communities of rules allowing home conversions without planning permission. It provides further evidence on why it is more vital than ever that planning should remain local."

“The proposals announced today do reflect many of the calls we have made, but there is still work to do to drive these reforms forward and this must happen as soon as possible"

“Councils are committed to ensuring new homes are built and communities have quality places to live."

Local Government Association Chairman, Lord Porter, responds to the Government’s consultation on strengthening fire testing for cladding systems on residential buildings.

“It is good that government has brought forward measures to ensure that planning departments can continue to operate effectively within current public health guidelines."