Briefings and responses

The LGA does not support the proposal for a permitted development right for shale gas exploration. This will bypass the locally democratic planning system.

We support the principle of biodiversity net gain and the broader ambitions of the 25 Year Environment Plan to be the first generation to leave our natural environment in a better state than we found it.

The Local Government Association is supportive of proposals to widen access to the national rogue landlord database to tenants and prospective tenants. We are also supportive of expanding the scope of offences leading to entries on the database.

The LGA’s view is that the best way to increase housing security is to address the unaffordability of housing, which is a key reason why many people lose their tenancy and become homeless.

Proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system - July 2019. The fire at Grenfell Tower exposed systemic failures in the building regulation system. It is right that we seek to correct these failures, to prevent a fire like the one at Grenfell tower from ever occurring again.

We welcome the steps that have been taken to date to address dangerous cladding and other fire safety issues, including the ban on combustible cladding. However, the Government needs to act with urgency to deliver protections for residents in dangerous buildings as quickly as possible.

The private rented sector has more than doubled in size since 2002. To accompany the rise in the number of private renters, councils have stepped up their engagement with landlords.

Local government supports the collective national ambition to build one million new homes by 2020, but house building is currently well below the levels required for an efficient and fully functioning housing market.

Local government shares the Government's ambition to increase housing supply. Councils want to play a lead role in building new homes and support measures that will enable councils to capture the value from increased land prices on land they acquire for development.

House of Commons, Public Bill Committee, Tuesday 25 October 2016 Key messages