Family President issues guidance on management of short notice applications in public family law proceedings
The President of the Family Division, Sir Stephen Cobb, has published new guidance and supporting materials designed to improve the management of short notice applications in public law family proceedings.
Council warns it cannot lawfully determine planning applications from end of month as it sets new meeting to consider constitutional changes
Bolton Council has warned that it will be unable to lawfully hold planning committee meetings or determine planning applications from the end of this month after councillors refused to approve constitutional changes required under the new National Scheme of Delegation.
Government restarts reorganisation for five areas
The Government has confirmed that five areas will proceed towards local government reorganisation (LGR), following its decision to pause and review the programme in September.
Guidance issued on applying revised social value model to central government procurements
The Cabinet Office has issued guidance on its revised social value model, which will apply to central government procurements commenced on or after 1 January 2027.
Police force unlawfully disclosed home address of domestic abuse victim to alleged abuser, ICO finds
The Information Commission’s Office has issued advice for organisations handling sensitive personal information, after Staffordshire Police unlawfully disclosed a domestic abuse victim's home address to their alleged abuser.
Autumn Budget 2026: Reaction from the sector
Local Government Lawyer rounds up the reaction from the sector to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget 2026.
Autumn Budget 2026: Key measures
Local Government Lawyer rounds up some of the key announcements and policy measures in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget 2026 affecting the sector.
Council names Corporate Director of Law and Governance as Executive Director for Resources
West Northamptonshire Council has appointed Sarah Hall, its Corporate Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, as its new Executive Director for Resources.
University fails in bid to get Free Speech Union to pay costs of intervention in regulatory dispute with Office for Students
A High Court judge has declined to make a costs order against the Free Speech Union (FSU), the intervenor in a case won by the University of Sussex, finding that the FSU's approach was at all stages “proportionate and focused”.
Council agrees to prioritise legal challenge over withdrawing local plan, following warning from minister
Members at Basildon Borough Council have abandoned plans to vote on a motion that called for the withdrawal of its local plan, after the local authority received a letter from the Government warning such a decision would be unlawful.
Council to demand compensation amid paused reorganisation programme
Fareham Borough Council has passed a motion asking the Government for compensation following delays to the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme.
LGA backs standardising routine elements of section 106 agreements but warns against “one-size-fits-all” approach
Standardised section 106 templates could help curb “prolonged, repetitive legal negotiations”, but councils must still be able to recover the administrative and legal costs associated with agreements, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Regulator of Social Housing hands London borough lowest possible consumer grade after catalogue of serious failings
The London Borough of Haringey has been told it must make “fundamental changes” after the authority was handed a C4 consumer grade – the lowest possible – by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
Council rules out legal challenge to “fundamentally flawed” offshore wind transmission assets decision
Fylde Council has ruled out a legal challenge to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero's decision to grant permission for offshore wind farm transmission assets, after being advised the legal threshold was “not met”.
Select committee calls for clarity on responsibilities of MHCLG and Number 10 North
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has requested clarity from Secretary of State Angela Rayner on the responsibilities of Number 10 North and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Borough stops work on creating town council in light of pause to local government reorganisation
Ashford Borough Council has paused proposals for the creation of Ashford Town Council, in light of the Government’s review of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
Government launches Respect Orders to tackle anti-social behaviour in England & Wales
Councils and the police have been granted powers to take stronger enforcement action against repeat anti-social behaviour offenders through ‘Respect Orders’ that come into force across England and Wales today.
Closed material in Forced Marriage Protection Order proceedings should continue – for a short period – to be withheld from parents in context of care proceedings, High Court rules
The High Court has ruled that information withheld from a child’s parents in Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO) proceedings should also be withheld for a short period from the parents in the context of care proceedings.
Southwark names Morley as Director of Law and Governance
Southwark Council has appointed Justin Morley as its new Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer.
Council secures fresh hearing on liability of sole director in HMO regulations dispute
Salford City Council has secured a fresh hearing after winning an appeal over a decision by the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) not to confirm a financial penalty imposed on the director of a company that might have failed to comply with houses in multiple occupation (HMO) regulations.
Upper Tribunal allows appeal by Welsh council over decision that child has additional learning needs
The Upper Tribunal has allowed an appeal brought by Denbighshire County Council against a decision by the Education Tribunal for Wales regarding an 11-year-old's learning needs.
Minister threatens legal action as council prepares to vote on withdrawing local plan
Basildon Borough Council has been warned of potential legal action as it prepares to consider a motion calling for the withdrawal of its local plan, despite a previous Government intervention directing the authority not to take any steps to halt its progress.
Council seeking legal advice after Government issues directions over local plan
The Housing and Planning Minister has intervened in Southend-on-Sea City Council's local plan preparation amid concerns that the authority was set to remove housing sites from the document and delay moving on to the consultation stage.
High Court dismisses judicial review challenge over closure of leisure centre
The High Court has dismissed a judicial review challenge to Caerphilly County Borough Council's decision to close a leisure centre, rejecting claims that the authority breached its statutory duties and failed to consider relevant costs.
Land Registry issues practice guide on contractual control rights ahead of requirements coming into force next year
HM Land Registry has published a practice guide to help conveyancers and the wider property market understand and prepare for forthcoming requirements on contractual control agreements.
CQC observes “varying ability” of local authorities to plan for care their communities need
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has observed a “varying ability” of local authorities to plan for the care their communities need in line with a clear strategy, alongside a funding model that remains “fragile”.
Department for Education in call for evidence on school exclusion reforms
The Department for Education has issued a call for evidence on the development of the school exclusion reforms set out in the ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper.
Government extends deadline for councils to submit local plans under legacy system
The Government has extended the deadline for councils submitting a local plan under the legacy system to March 2027, after the Planning Minister said some local authorities were at risk of missing the initial deadline by “a fine margin, often for reasons beyond their control”.
Court of Appeal rejects legal challenge over faith-based oversubscription criteria
The Court of Appeal has dismissed challenges to faith-based school admission arrangements which awarded an additional point to applicants whose family’s main place of worship was a Church of England church.
LGA welcomes proposed review of review of existing equal pay claims rules of procedure
The Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed a proposed review of the existing employment tribunal equal pay rules and processes, alongside “proportionate” legislative and enforcement measures to ensure that all employers provide equal pay.
Councils take websites offline following AI-discovered cyber security flaw
At least three local authorities have temporarily taken their websites offline following the discovery of a major cyber security vulnerability, which has also disrupted dozens of central government services.
Tenant management organisations to be brought within scope of Freedom of Information Act
The Government has confirmed plans to extend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to tenant management organisations (TMOs) in England that deliver housing management services on behalf of local authority landlords.
Reorganisation pause will not impact devolution timeline, minister stresses
The Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth has this week stressed that local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution are "two distinct processes", as Nottinghamshire County Council becomes the latest authority to launch judicial review proceedings over reorganisation…
Lawyers send formal pre-action letter over Surrey SEND failings
Families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have threatened legal proceedings against Surrey County Council over concerns that essential educational provision set out in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is not being delivered.
Regulator of Social Housing calls for “strong strategic leadership” from boards and councillors amid competing priorities
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has urged social housing boards and councillors to provide “strong strategic leadership and ensure they have the information and insight needed to make difficult decisions about competing priorities”.
Council issues its first fine against landlord for illegal eviction notice following Renters' Rights Act
Gateshead Council has issued its first fine to a landlord for serving an illegal eviction notice since new renters' rights laws came into force.
Law Society publishes new guidance on Artificial Intelligence use
The Law Society has issued a practice note on how existing professional duties and regulatory obligations apply when artificial intelligence (AI) is used in legal practice.
Department for Education accepts all recommendations in review of antisemitism in schools and colleges
The Government has accepted all 27 recommendations made in an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, recognising that antisemitism is a “distinct form of racism and hatred” that requires a “clear and sustained response”.
Four London councils submit Sustainable Communities Act proposals to Government in row over funding reforms
Four London councils have formally submitted proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, in an effort to persuade the Government to reconsider its proposed funding reforms.
Solace commission sets out blueprint for tackling poor standards in local government
A Solace commission on standards has set out a series of recommendations on how to tackle increasingly poor behaviour in local government in the absence of legislative change.
NCSC urges immediate action over critical PHP flaws allowing remote code execution
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued an alert encouraging UK organisations to take immediate action to mitigate two critical security issues in PHP, the server-side scripting language that underpins a large share of the world's websites and content management systems.
Nearly half of public sector leaders not confident of meeting AI legal requirements, law firm research finds
Nearly half of public sector leaders are not confident or are unsure that their organisations can meet the legal and regulatory requirements for deploying artificial intelligence, with data governance the most cited concern about compliance and accountability, according to research by law firm TLT.
Judge finds woman is being deprived of her liberty in care home placement that “clearly feels like a prison cell” to her
A woman whose care home placement felt like “a prison cell” to her because she was being kept there against her will has been found to be deprived of her liberty, despite the arrangements being a “borderline case” under the Supreme Court’s revised approach under Article 5 of the European Convention…
Government suggests new statutory duty in consultation on whistleblower reforms
The Government has proposed a range of reforms to whistleblowing rules, including introducing a legal duty for employers to have whistleblowing procedures in place.
Four councils refuse to adopt constitutional changes required for national scheme of delegation for planning decision-making
At least four councils have refused to update their constitutions to account for the National Scheme of Delegation, which will see more planning decisions delegated to officers.
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Events
Law Enforcement Data Processing and Part 3 of the DPA 2018 - Act Now
29-10-2026 10:00 am
Online (live)
Subsidy Control in 15 – Automatically Unlawful Subsidies - Sharpe Pritchard
29-10-2026 12:00 pm
Online (live)
The General Data Protection Regulation - Act Now 
Managing Inquests: A Practical Guide for Local Authorities - Devonshires 
International Child Protection: Jurisdiction and Cross-Border Care Cases - 42BR
03-11-2026
Online (live)
Planning Law Update (October 2026) - King's Chambers
Subsidy Control in 15 – Exemptions Part 1: Minimal Financial Assistance - Sharpe Pritchard
03-11-2026 12:00 pm
Online (live)
Conducting a lawful evaluation to comply with the Procurement Act 2023 - DWF
03-11-2026 2:00 pm
Online (live)
Seminar and Book Launch: Judicial Review in Education Law - Landmark Chambers
03-11-2026 5:00 pm
London
Property Law Roadshow - Cardiff 2026 - St John's Chambers 
The Building Safety Act 2022: Understanding the New Building Safety Regime - Cornerstone Barristers
05-11-2026
Online (live)
Annual Compulsory Purchase and Compensation Seminar 2026 - Francis Taylor Building
05-11-2026
London
ParentAssess 10 Year Anniversary Conference
Subsidy Control in 15 – Exemptions Part 2: Wider Exemptions - Sharpe Pritchard
05-11-2026 12:00 pm
Online (live)
Hugh James Housing Week 2026 