On behalf of its membership, the cross-party LGA regularly submits to Government
consultations, briefs parliamentarians and responds to a wide range of parliamentary inquiries. Our recent
responses to government consultations and parliamentary briefings can be found here.
The LGA supports the Government’s undertaking to address the abuse and exploitation of our online environment and social media through the creation of duty of care on online platforms, the creation of codes of practice, and the role of a regulator in monitoring and enforcing compliance. Whilst the internet and social media has undoubtable enriched our lives, councils have a strong interest in making our online environment safe and should be regarded as important stakeholders in the development of this policy.
The LGA believes that the New Homes Bonus (Bonus) should be separately funded and not drawn from a top slice of Revenue Support Grant or other grants. Drawing the Bonus from a top slice of RSG means that those councils who are unable to deliver homes above the baseline threshold lose out on core funding distributed on the basis of need.
In August 2020, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Planning for the Future White Paper with proposals for long-term fundamental structural changes to England’s planning system.
The LGA and ADASS welcomes the Government’s decision not to apply the Local Housing Allowance Rate to supported housing or wider social housing. The consultation is an opportunity to strengthen local commissioning and deliver a sustainable funding solution that maintains and grows supply in accordance with local need.
Loneliness is best tackled by a system wide approach involving all partners, particularly the voluntary and community sector, under the strategic leadership of a Health and Wellbeing Board.
The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced significant reforms to the support provided by councils and other agencies to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities held a consultation from 23 January to 20 February 2024 which sought views on the design and implementation of the building safety levy, which will apply to certain new residential buildings requiring building control approval in England.
The LGA, along with 29 other bodies across the sector, have written to government to urge them not to introduce the proposed Infrastructure Levy (IL). We have significant concerns that the proposed IL will result in fewer, not more, affordable homes delivered, will expose councils to excessive levels of financial risks, and be increasingly burdensome and complex for local authorities to implement and manage. The signatories propose that retention and improvement of the current developer contribution system is the most appropriate solution.
The Department for Housing, Levelling Up and Communities held a consultation from 13 February to 26 March 2024 on proposed changes to national planning policies related to brownfield land in the National Planning Policy Framework, and reviewing the threshold for referral of applications to the Mayor of London.