Court of Appeal to hear appeal by council over order to issue fresh Housing Needs Assessment and Personal Housing Plan

In AA, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Waltham Forest [2025] EWHC 1625 (Admin) Deputy High Court Judge Susie Alegre found against the council on one of four grounds argued by claimant AA – a 28-year old woman from Yemen, who was granted refugee status in November 2023 – in a judicial review challenge concerning the plan.

The judge found it had been unreasonable for Waltham Forest to fail to include steps to support AA in her application for social housing under the plan. The deputy judge also criticised aspects of the council’s conduct of its case.

She did though dismiss claims that there was no suitable alternative remedy to challenge the plan under s.189A of the Housing Act 1996; an alleged failure to consider an email from the Single Homeless Prevention (SHP) service in the housing needs assessment and an alleged failure to discharge the Tameside duty of inquiry.

The Court of Appeal hearing will be livestreamed.