Local Government

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has allocated £41 million in revenue funding and £6 million in capital funding for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund for 2026 to 2029, subject to successful grant agreements. The fund supports small and medium-sized voluntary, community and faith-sector charities in England, focusing on community-based homelessness prevention, improved day services for people experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping, and recovery support after people move into settled accommodation.

Accredited official statistics covering fires attended by fire and rescue services in England from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The release examines fire incidents, response times, fire-related fatalities and non-fatal casualties, including trends in average response times.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published the 2024 Housing Delivery Test measurement for relevant English planning authorities, covering housing delivery during 2021/22 to 2023/24. The publication includes results, a technical note and updated calculation rules, including adjustments for unmet housing need and transitional arrangements for the revised standard method. The 2024 and 2025 measurements were released together after publication delays, but the 2025 measurement is the latest assessment and supersedes the 2024 results for decision-making.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published accredited official statistics on statutory homelessness applications, duties and outcomes in England from January to March 2026. The release also covers households in temporary accommodation and introduces data on duties owed and endings for households experiencing multiple disadvantage, alongside accessible data tables and detailed local-authority information.

The Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness appointed Barry Scarr as Finance Commissioner for Spelthorne Borough Council, with formal confirmation issued in a letter from Deputy Director James Blythe. The appointment runs until the end of the intervention period on 31 May 2030.

The Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness acknowledges progress made by Woking Borough Council in response to the Commissioners’ seventh report and stresses the need to maintain momentum in delivering its commercial programme, improving housing services and ensuring adequate capacity in preparation for local government reorganisation.

A letter from the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness confirms the decision to form a single commissioner team operating across Woking and Spelthorne. The appointments include a Lead Commissioner for Woking, a Regeneration and Housing Commissioner for Woking, and a Finance Commissioner for Spelthorne, alongside the publication of the commissioners’ second report.

The report to the Secretary of State notes initial progress at Spelthorne Borough Council in improving governance, leadership capacity and delivery of its Improvement and Recovery Plan while highlighting ongoing challenges caused by financial weakness, limited capacity and the demands of preparing for transition to the planned West Surrey unitary authority.

The Secretary of State issues a direction dispensing with certain building control requirements for installing mobile communication masts on rooftops of existing higher‑risk buildings in England. The exemption applies only when specified conditions are met, including firestopping, weatherproofing, installer competence, approved materials, and written approval from relevant parties. Breaches of these conditions may result in fines. The direction takes effect from 1 September 2026 and does not apply retroactively to earlier violations.

The Housing Secretary outlines government measures aimed at reversing long-term declines in social housing by expanding grant funding, strengthening sector capacity, reforming right-to-buy, and supporting new financing models. A multistep plan includes boosting social and affordable housing supply, improving regulatory stability, reinvigorating council housebuilding, and enhancing tenant control over housing management. Significant investments, including a £39 billion programme and low-interest loans, are intended to increase homes for social rent while maintaining support for home ownership. Emphasis is placed on improving housing quality, expanding tenant rights, and fostering public‑private partnerships to deliver large-scale, sustainable development across the UK.

The guidance explains how local planning authorities in England should identify potential development sites for new local plans. Authorities should conduct a thorough audit using existing sources and a call for sites, identify a broad range of site sizes and types for housing and employment, and avoid applying development constraints until the later assessment stages. It recommends engaging developers, landowners, public bodies, councillors, community groups and the wider public, collecting standardized information on site location, ownership, use, planning history, proposed development and constraints, and protecting personal data. Authorities may publish identified sites for transparency, but must make clear that no sites have yet been assessed or selected. The identified sites then proceed to Stage 2 assessment.

Government guidance for business tenants and landlords in England and Wales explains how to renew or end an existing business tenancy, including procedures for contracting out of security of tenure. It emphasizes that tenants who contract out may lose their right to renew and should obtain legal advice. The guidance also covers prescribed notices under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and notes that, from 30 July 2026, certain disputes involving telecommunications tenancies will fall under the jurisdiction of the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal.