May 17, 2024

Borough council to consult residents over name change

Councillors at Tewkesbury Borough Council are "minded to" back a change of name for the local authority, subject to the outcome of a consultation.

May 17, 2024

Tenancy fraud team at major social landlord recovers 143 homes in 2023/24

Social landlord L&Q has revealed that its tenancy fraud team recovered 143 homes from April 2023 to March 2024.

May 16, 2024

New high street rental auctions regime to come into effect this summer, Government says

Local authorities will from this summer gain a power to require landlords to rent out persistently vacant shops and other commercial properties as part of attempts to reinvigorate high streets, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has confirmed.

May 16, 2024

Half of all urban councils impacted by proposed brownfield planning reform raise concern

Reading Borough Council has joined nine urban councils in questioning Government proposals on brownfield reform after raising concerns that the changes could override local planning policies.

May 16, 2024

Family President issues guidance on urgent and out of hours applications to High Court Family Division

The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has issued practice guidance on urgent applications, out of hours applications and bundles in the Family Division of the High Court.

May 16, 2024

Government secures remediation order against freeholder in first use of Building Safety Act powers

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has issued a remediation order requiring a freeholder to resolve building safety issues with a 16-storey tower block in Stevenage.

May 16, 2024

High Court judge finds decision by planning inspector that appeal was not properly made was wrong 

An inspector failed to properly consider the position of a company that had entered liquidation while pursuing a planning appeal, the High Court has found.

May 16, 2024

Councils demand urgent attention for adult social care on tenth anniversary of Care Act

Governments should stop treating adult social care as a political football and make a substantial long-term investment in it to mark the tenth anniversary of the Care Act 2014.

May 16, 2024

High Court gives go-ahead to legal challenge of Gove decision to approve towering Southbank development

The High Court has agreed to hear a statutory review claim challenging the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove's decision to allow the construction of a 100-metre tall office building on London's Southbank.

May 16, 2024

Welsh language campaigner loses court battle over parking fine

There is no obligation to serve parking fine notices in Welsh in Wales, a judge has ruled in the case of a language activist who refuses to pay a fine notified in English.

May 15, 2024

Court of Appeal upholds decision by planning inspector to allow crematorium to be built on Green Belt

A crematorium can be built on Green Belt land with contravening the Cremation Act 1902 or environmental protections, the Court of Appeal has found.

May 15, 2024

Ombudsman decides London borough did not do enough to help family facing homelessness

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has found that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets did not do enough to help a family who were about to be evicted by their landlord.

May 15, 2024

Unitary council self-refers to housing regulator following post-launch review

North Yorkshire Council has self-referred to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) after a review undertaken after the unitary’s establishment found that work needs to be done to meet all elements of the Social Housing (Regulations) Act 2023.

May 15, 2024

Make devolution legal right and extend it to 85% of England: Institute for Government

The next government should extend devolution to at least 85% of England's population in order to complete a "job half done", the Institute for Government (IfG) has said.

May 15, 2024

Competition watchdog to investigate leading education software provider

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced an investigation into whether ESS (Education Software Solutions Ltd) has broken the law by taking action to prevent schools from switching to a new management information system provider ahead of contract renewal dates.

May 15, 2024

‘Agent of change’ principles should be enshrined in law, select committee says

MPs have said the 'agent of change' principle should be put on a statutory footing "at the earliest opportunity" as part of efforts to help support the UK's faltering grassroots music industry.

May 15, 2024

City council facing judicial review over decision to demolish brutalist office block

Birmingham City Council has been threatened with a judicial review of its decision to approve the demolition of an iconic brutalist building in the city centre, amid claims the local authority misinterpreted local policy concerning the carbon impact of demolishing a building.

May 15, 2024

Ministers to amend Criminal Justice Bill in bid to address concerns over ‘nuisance rough sleeping’ provisions

The Government has tabled amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill tightening the definition of ‘nuisance rough sleeping’ after MPs expressed concerns about the breadth of the legislation’s provisions.

May 15, 2024

Department for Education hits North West council with improvement notice over SEND services

The Department for Education (DfE) has issued Wirral Council with an improvement notice as a result of “poor progress” across the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) sector in the borough.

May 15, 2024

Councils hit out at Government proposals to "performance manage" local planning authorities with accelerated system

Government plans to accelerate the planning system by reforming extensions of time agreements, appeals, and by introducing a sped-up planning route for major commercial applications have been strongly opposed by the Local Government Association (LGA).

May 14, 2024

Children's trust issued with reprimand after it inappropriately disclosed personal information on child to another family

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to Birmingham Children's Trust Community Interest Company after the personal information of a child was “inappropriately disclosed” to another family.

May 14, 2024

Government issues National Procurement Policy Statement setting out strategic priorities

The Government Commercial Function has published a National Procurement Policy Statement setting out the strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities can support their delivery.

May 14, 2024

Nightclub brings High Court challenge after licence revoked at remote hearing

The High Court will this week (15 May) hear a challenge being brought by a nightclub in south-east London to a licensing authority’s use of remote hearings.

May 14, 2024

Former Director of Legal appointed permanent chief executive at London borough

Dawn Carter-McDonald is set to be confirmed as the chief executive of the London Borough of Hackney on a permanent basis, following a competitive recruitment process.

May 13, 2024

Councils cry foul after Oflog data used for Times article on ‘worst-performing councils’

The Local Government Association has written to the Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, to express concerns about how data held by the Office for Local Government (Oflog) was used by The Times to compile a league table of what the newspaper claimed were England’s ‘worst-performing councils’.

May 13, 2024

Whistleblowing allegations at council relating to £13m contract overspend went unheard, report suggests

Whistleblowing allegations relating to contracts signed by Guildford Borough Council were not taken to members, according to an independent review conducted by SOLACE.

May 10, 2024

MoJ tables amendment stripping child rapists of parental responsibilities when sentenced

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that will see child rapists lose their parental responsibilities when they are sentenced.

May 10, 2024

Schools watchdog to display sub-judgements alongside overall grade on reports website

Ofsted is to display each of the sub-judgements awarded to an individual school, alongside its overall grade, at the top of its inspection report web page.

May 10, 2024

Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute appoints law firm to £1m contract

The Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI) has awarded a £1m contract to law firm Dentons.

May 10, 2024

Equalities watchdog expresses concern at its limited ability to respond to risks of AI because of budget issues

Strong regulation of artificial intelligence systems is essential to preventing any repetition of the Post Office’s Horizon scandal, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

May 10, 2024

Judicial review threatened over planning permission for tower block neighbouring British Museum

A campaigner threatening Camden Council with a judicial review has claimed the local authority ignored its own planning policies when giving planning permission for a new 74-metre tower block in central London.

May 10, 2024

Ombudsman appoints ‘Resident Panel’ of 1,500 people to provide insight into social housing

The Housing Ombudsman has appointed its new Resident Panel, comprising 1,500 residents from across the country to share their views on complaints within social housing and how all of the sector, including the Ombudsman itself, can make improvements.

May 10, 2024

Council defeats High Court challenge to making of traffic regulation order

The High Court has found that Staffordshire County Council properly made a traffic order to which local farmers objected and that neither predetermination nor misinterpretation of a scheme of delegation were involved.

May 10, 2024

Council accuses Levelling Up Secretary of undermining local democratic planning process, makes statutory review bid

Reading Borough Council has applied for a statutory review of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' decision to grant planning permission to a 600-home development scheme.

May 09, 2024

Court of Appeal rejects challenge over enforcement notice and application of Murfitt principle

A planning inspector misdirected himself in a dispute over the construction of house in Beaconsfield and misunderstood case law, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

May 09, 2024

Best value inspector to examine North West unitary saddled with £1.8bn in debt

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced a best value inspection at Warrington Borough Council to investigate the circumstances that have seen the local authority's debt rise to almost £2bn.

May 09, 2024

Best value inspection ordered for district council over £1bn debt

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has appointed a best value inspector for Spelthorne District Council in light of the council's “extremely high levels” of debt and borrowing.

May 09, 2024

Government issues second best value notice to local authority over four-day week trial

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has issued South Cambridgeshire District Council with another best value notice as the row over the local authority’s trial of a four-day week continues.

May 09, 2024

High Court rejects bid by council to strike out all of statutory claim over road closure

Cambridgeshire County Council has scored only a partial success in a High Court bid to have a statutory claim struck out in a dispute over a road closure.

May 09, 2024

Council apologises to tenant, withdraws claim company supplies military equipment to Israeli Defence Forces

Somerset Council has apologised to one of its commercial property tenants for stating that the company supplied weapons used by the Israeli armed forces in Gaza.

May 09, 2024

Assurance and Improvement Board to replace Commissioners at Liverpool

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has proposed reducing the level of intervention at Liverpool City Council by moving from a commissioner-led model to a statutory Assurance and Improvement Board.

May 09, 2024

“Sarcastic and condescending” district judge issued with formal warning for misconduct in family proceedings

A judge has been issued with a formal warning by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), after it was found she had shouted at and interrupted a legal representative during a hearing.

May 08, 2024

Give local leaders more control over regeneration, says think tank

The next government must give local leaders greater economic powers and financial control over regeneration to boost housebuilding and long-term local economic growth, the Localis think tank has said.

May 08, 2024

Government issues statutory guidance on best value standards and interventions

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has issued statutory guidance on best value standards and interventions under section 26 of the Local Government Act 1999, aimed at providing greater clarity to the sector in England on how to fulfil the best value duty.

May 08, 2024

Council wins Supreme Court appeal in landmark Japanese knotweed case

The Supreme Court has allowed a Welsh council's appeal in a dispute over the diminution in value of land arising from the encroachment of Japanese knotweed.

May 08, 2024

MPs demand greater government investment in social housing as competing financial pressures on providers exacerbate “chronic” shortage

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee has repeated its call for the Government to invest further “to build the social homes the country needs”, warning that the sector is under “serious financial pressure, although it remains resilient for the time being”.

May 08, 2024

Councils owning 1,000+ homes to begin paying fees for regulation as Regulator of Social Housing confirms start date for new fee regime

The new fee regime of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), which will see social landlords pay for the full cost of their regulation, is to come into effect on 1 July 2024.

May 08, 2024

Government outlines three-step approach to reducing number of care leavers found intentionally homeless

The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, have written to local authorities setting out a three-step approach to reducing the number of care leavers found intentionally homeless.

May 07, 2024

Government launches consultation on lifting 50% cap on faith school places

The Government has this month (1 May) launched a consultation on lifting the 50% cap on faith school places alongside proposals on opening special faith-based academies.

May 07, 2024

Audit Wales report highlights governance concerns for national park authorities

National Park Authorities (NPAs) in Wales should improve on a number of areas including member officer relations, as well as the appointment and the diversity of members, Audit Wales has said.

May 07, 2024

Headteachers call for union executive to “explore all routes” - including legal - to secure changes to Ofsted inspection system

NAHT, the school leader’s union, has instructed its National Executive to explore all campaign, legal and industrial routes to secure “necessary changes” to inspections by Ofsted.

May 07, 2024

Council agrees out of court settlement over abuse at children’s home

A woman who was sexually abused while living in a council-run children’s home is to receive an undisclosed out of court settlement.

May 07, 2024

Council and Guardian win appeal over whether fact-finding hearing was unnecessary

The Court of Appeal has allowed appeals brought by a local authority and a children’s guardian against a judge's decision in care proceedings that a fact-finding hearing was unnecessary.

May 07, 2024

Chief executive named acting Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Rebecca Hilsenrath has been confirmed as the acting Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), from 18 April 2024.

May 07, 2024

Councils have spent £45m on planning appeals in three years, data shows

Councils and the Planning Inspectorate have spent more than £50m combined on planning appeals over the past three years, new figures have shown.

May 07, 2024

Call for evidence launched as part of review of civil unrest in Leicester in September 2022

A call for evidence has been issued as part of the independent review into the civil unrest that occurred in Leicester in September 2022

May 07, 2024

High Court judge adjourns hearing on appointment of intermediary in family law proceedings

A High Court judge has adjourned an application made on behalf of a mother for an intermediary assessment within care proceedings, noting that intermediaries are only to be used when their use is “necessary”.

May 07, 2024

Judge authorises deprivation of liberty of woman with anorexia at new placement but only while she resides there willingly

A woman who suffers from anorexia cannot be forced to stay in accommodation which she has consented to occupy if she changes her mind, a Deputy High Court judge has ruled on authorising her deprivation of liberty at the new placement.

May 07, 2024

City council secures four-year banning order but letting agent vows to appeal

Liverpool City Council has secured a four-year banning order against a letting agent for operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

May 03, 2024

High Court finds Government carbon reduction plan to be unlawful for second time

The Government acted irrationally and unlawfully, breaching the Climate Change Act 2008, when it adopted its Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, the High Court has found.

May 03, 2024

North West landlord to procure £10m legal services framework

North West social landlord Regenda is to procure a legal services framework estimated to be worth up to £10m over four years.

May 03, 2024

Cabinet Office hit with judicial review over claim that Rwanda bill could force civil servants to breach international law

A trade union representing civil servants has launched a judicial review challenge relating to an alleged conflict between the Civil Service Code and the UK government's Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.

May 03, 2024

Council facing legal threat over temporary refugee accommodation

A local resident is threatening legal action against the Vale of Glamorgan Council over the construction of a complex of modular homes to house Ukrainian refugees.

May 03, 2024

Five councils shortlisted for Legal Team of the Year in LLG Awards 2024

Five local authority departments are in the running for Legal Team of the Year at the LLG Awards 2024.

May 03, 2024

Council fails in application for security of costs as ex-recruitment contractor brings ‘poaching’ claim

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council has failed in a security of costs application to the High Court over a dispute with a former recruitment contractor.

May 03, 2024

Councils secure final injunctive relief over unauthorised development

Chelmsford City Council and Braintree District Council have secured a High Court injunction over unauthorised development and waste dumping at a site crossed by their boundary.

May 03, 2024

Court of Appeal rules on power to vary abatement notice

Powers to vary an abatement notice issued by a local authority against a statutory nuisance under s.80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 rest with magistrates, not the local authority, the Court of Appeal has found.

May 03, 2024

Mother loses appeal over discharge as personal welfare deputy

The Court of Protection has dismissed an appeal brought by the mother of a disabled young man LL against her removal as his deputy for personal welfare.

May 02, 2024

Council mulls shutting down wholly-owned company that cannot service debts

Reading Borough Council is poised to close its wholly-owned company, Homes for Reading, over issues around loan repayments.

May 02, 2024

Council hit with improvement notice following SEND inspection

The London Borough of Bexley has been issued with an improvement notice by the Department for Education (DfE) following an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Area SEND Inspection.

May 02, 2024

Court of Appeal finds judge fell into errors of principle when making finding of ‘inflicted injuries’

The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal against a judge’s findings that fractures to both the tibias of a 10 month old girl had been inflicted either deliberately or recklessly by either her mother or father.

May 02, 2024

District fails in challenge to decision of inspector to allow appeal by developer over non-determination of application

Mid Suffolk District Council has lost an attempt to persuade the High Court to overturn a planning inspector’s decision in favour of a developer over the non-determination of its application.

May 02, 2024

Stronger safeguards for child strip search proposed by Government

The Government has proposed a number of measures to strengthen protections in place for children and vulnerable people subject to a strip search by police, including the requirement for parents and guardians to be informed.

May 02, 2024

Level of annual changes in holders of post of Director of Children’s Services among “highest on record”

This year has seen one of the highest levels of Director of Children’s Services (DCS) postholder changes at local authorities since the role was established.

May 02, 2024

Bevan Brittan promotes five lawyers to partner in bumper promotions round

Law firm Bevan Brittan has promoted five lawyers to partner and one to legal director as part of a record promotions round that has seen 38 individuals promoted across its network of offices.

May 02, 2024

Supreme Court to issue landmark ruling next week on Japanese knotweed and residual diminution of value of property

The Supreme Court will next week (8 May) hand down its ruling on a Welsh council’s appeal in a dispute over whether residual diminution in value of a property in a Japanese knotweed case is pure economic loss and irrecoverable.

May 01, 2024

Browne Jacobson makes 15 partner and legal director promotions for 2024

Law firm Browne Jacobson has promoted 14 of its lawyers to partner and one to legal director, with effect from today (1 May 2024).

May 01, 2024

Government sets out new heat network regulations in consultation response

New regulations on consumer protections for homes served by heat networks will provide fairer pricing, clearer billing, and boost compensation where customers lose access to heating, a Government consultation response has promised.

May 01, 2024

Councils can apply to remove ‘hope value’ in CPOs

Councils using compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) can now apply to remove 'hope value' costs, under reforms that came into force on Tuesday (30 April).

May 01, 2024

Lady Chief Justice sets up Transparency and Open Justice Board

The Lady Chief Justice, Dame Sue Carr, has created a Transparency and Open Justice Board, which will “lead and coordinate the promotion of transparency and open justice across the courts and tribunals of England & Wales”.

May 01, 2024

Government sets out terms of reference for review of causes of legal challenges within NSIP regime

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has this week published the terms of reference for the review of the causes of legal challenges brought against the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime.

May 01, 2024

Planning Inspectorate inquiry into Crooked House demolition delayed

South Staffordshire Council has reported that the Planning Inspectorate has chosen to delay its inquiry relating to an enforcement notice issued over the demolition of the Crooked House pub.

May 01, 2024

Bevan Brittan hires Bowles to head information law team

Bevan Brittan has hired Vicki Bowles as partner to lead the firm's Information Law and Privacy team.

May 01, 2024

Major social landlord to procure replacement legal services framework

Affordable housing provider The Riverside Group (TRGL), which manages more than 75,000 homes across 175 local authorities in England and Scoltand, is to procure a replacement legal services framework worth up to £11m.

Apr 30, 2024

DfE launches Market Interventions Advisory Group on children’s social care ‘profiteering’

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a new advisory group on the profiteering of private companies from children’s social care, amid concerns about the rising cost of procuring residential accommodation from private providers.

Apr 30, 2024

Guidance on explaining family court decisions to children published by Welsh Government

The Welsh Government and Cafcass Cymru have published guidance to help support parents and other carers when they are explaining decisions made in the Family Court to children.

Apr 30, 2024

Committee calls for further investigation into Teesworks finances

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has rebuffed a parliamentary committee’s call to instruct the National Audit Office to investigate the Teesside Freeport, Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) and the South Tees Development Corporation.

Apr 30, 2024

Social worker awarded damages of £58k from council and professional regulatory body Social Work England

A social worker has been awarded over £58,000 in damages from Westminster City Council and Social Work England (SWE) for discrimination relating to her “gender critical beliefs”, the first time a Regulator has been ordered to pay exemplary damages because of the manner in which it has carried out…

Apr 29, 2024

Renters Reform Bill passes third reading in Commons despite delay to abolition of no fault evictions

The Renters Reform bill has passed its third reading in the House of Commons, despite it including an indefinite delay to the end of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

Apr 29, 2024

Court of Appeal puts end to challenge concerning deregistration of village green

An appeal challenging a High Court decision over the deregistration of part of a village green by housebuilder Laing Homes has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Apr 29, 2024

Father had “no right” to expect council to place particular weight on religiously-motivated choice of school when providing accommodation, Court of Appeal rules

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a father’s appeal regarding the suitability of accommodation offered by the London Borough of Waltham Forest, which was distant from his child’s private faith school.

Apr 26, 2024

Calls made for civility at upcoming elections, amid rise in abuse aimed at councillors

The Local Government Association (LGA), the Electoral Commission and the Jo Cox Foundation have made a joint call for no abuse towards candidates during the upcoming local elections.

Apr 26, 2024

Council secures strike-preventing injunction over flawed ballot

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Legal has secured an injunction preventing school staff from striking after arguing the strike ballot failed to comply with the Trade Union & Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Apr 26, 2024

High Court sets limit on local authority’s power to order clean up of watercourse

A local authority can only require an actual blockage to a watercourse to be removed, and cannot order the removal of related material from a wider area, the High Court has said.

Apr 26, 2024

Council criticised for failing to ensure that notices and penalty demand were received by landlord

Manchester City Council should have made greater efforts to ensure that an improvement notice and subsequent penalty demand reached a landlord, the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has said, upholding an appeal against a decision of the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)

Apr 26, 2024

Council secures court victory over unpaid business rates

Middlesbrough Council has won a magistrates’ court case over unpaid business rates totalling almost £300,000.

Apr 26, 2024

Council mulls legal options for evicting Israeli arms manufacturer

Somerset Council has agreed to explore its legal options for evicting an Israeli-owned weapons manufacturer from an office building the local authority owns after receiving legal advice from a KC on behalf of a pro-Palestinian pressure group.

Apr 26, 2024

Council to pay over £8k after failing to educate girl for 18 months

Suffolk County Council failed to provide a young girl with alternative education provision for 18 months after she could no longer attend school, an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

Apr 25, 2024

City college loses JR over Ofsted 'good' rather than 'outstanding' rating

The High Court has rejected a judicial review claim brought by a City Technology College, which challenged a decision by Ofsted to rate the leadership and management at the school as 'good', rather than 'outstanding'.

Apr 25, 2024

Civic group claims officers mislead councillors in planning legal challenge

Bristol City Council's decision to grant permission for a 28-storey development was the result of "misleading" advice from officers, a pre-action protocol letter has claimed.

Apr 25, 2024

High Court issues ruling on ‘suitability’ of B&B accommodation for homeless family

His Honour Judge Tindal has heard a High Court case concerning homelessness on which be could find no direct authority.

Apr 25, 2024

Landlord wins Upper Tribunal appeal over penalty imposed for failure to comply with improvement notice relating to her tenanted property

Manchester City Council should have made greater efforts to ensure that an improvement notice and subsequent penalty demand reached a landlord, the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has said, upholding an appeal against a decision of the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

Apr 25, 2024

Independent review ordered by Housing Ombudsman makes 15 recommendations to social landlord to tackle damp and mould failings

An independent review ordered by Housing Ombudsman into how Orbit Group has handled damp and mould has made 15 recommendations to the landlord.

Apr 24, 2024

Welsh Government to revise guidance on exemptions to 20 mph speed limit

The Welsh Government has signalled a partial climb down from its controversial imposition of a 20mph traffic speed limit.

Apr 24, 2024

Unregistered placements for vulnerable young people “highly unsatisfactory”, senior judge tells MPs

There is “legitimate public concern” as to the accommodation where vulnerable young people are being placed, the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has warned MPs.

Apr 24, 2024

Council to ask DEFRA for permission to seek legal action in landfill odour dispute

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is set to ask permission from the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to take legal action against a landfill operator over odours emanating from the site.

Apr 24, 2024

Court of Protection orders mother for present time to leave home owned by disabled son

A Court of Protection judge has ordered a mother to leave the home owned by her disabled adult son, finding it was not in his best interests for her to live in the same house “at the present time”.

Apr 24, 2024

Auditors call for improved member-officer relations at council for second year running

External auditors have told Teignbridge District Council for the second year running that it needs to improve relationships between its members and officers.

Apr 24, 2024

High Court to hear legal challenge brought by school over ‘inadequate’ rating that followed second Ofsted inspection

The High Court is this week (24-25 April) hearing a school’s legal challenge over an inspection report issued by Ofsted following two separate inspections.

Apr 24, 2024

Welsh watchdog eyes return to pre-pandemic timescales for audit work

Audit Wales has unveiled plans to improve the timeliness of its performance audit work at NHS and local government bodies and to restore the auditing of accounts of the 800 public bodies across Wales to pre-pandemic timescales over the next few years.

Apr 23, 2024

Judge makes best interest decision on end of life treatment for young child without relying on parental consent

A High Court judge has allowed a local authority’s application for leave to invoke the inherent jurisdiction in relation to the withdrawal of medical treatment and the provision of end of life care for a young child.

Apr 23, 2024

Council hires barrister to conduct review of assessment process for Education, Health and Care plans

Hertfordshire County Council has instructed a barrister to carry out an independent review on the effectiveness of its Education Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment process.

Apr 23, 2024

Judge remits FOI case after finding First-Tier Tribunal was wrong to strike out proceedings, amid doubts over reliability of previous evidence from council

A decision by the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) in 2022 to strike out proceedings concerning a freedom of information (FOI) request submitted to Northumberland County Council involved an error in a point of law and should be remitted for a rehearing, an Upper Tribunal judge has decided.

Apr 23, 2024

Public want to know more about council decision making, survey suggests

More than a quarter of the public (26%) wish to have more of a say in how decisions are taken in their local areas, a survey from the LGiU has suggested.

Apr 23, 2024

Households have approached councils more than 80,000 times for homelessness support due to Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notices since Government vowed to bring in ban: research

Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions have led to households being forced to approach their local authority for homelessness support after receiving a notice more than 80,000 times since the Government announced it would ban the practice, research by Homeless Link has suggested.

Apr 22, 2024

Cabinet Office confirms planned ‘go-live’ date of 28 October 2024 for new procurement regime

The Cabinet Office has confirmed that it is working towards a ‘go-live’ date for the new procurement regime of Monday 28 October 2024.

Apr 22, 2024

Government issues updated statutory guidance on overview and scrutiny

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has issued updated statutory guidance on overview and scrutiny, to “take account of deeper devolution and the creation of combined county authorities through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023”.

Apr 22, 2024

Judge allows urgent application by council for judicial review after it published incorrect versions of neighbourhood plans ahead of referendum

A borough council was forced to apply to the High Court for judicial review after discovering that the versions of two proposed neighbourhood plans it published ahead of referendums were materially incorrect, it has emerged.

Apr 22, 2024

Landlady hit by second confiscation order over sub-division of property and failure to comply with enforcement notices

Barking and Dagenham Council has obtained a second confiscation order against a landlady who illegally converted her property into two separate flats and continued to ignore enforcement notices.

Apr 22, 2024

Government reveals guidelines for new council ‘productivity plans’

The guidelines for productivity plans, which the Government asked councils to produce when it announced the Local Government Finance Settlement, have been revealed.