Housing
Kier shares surge on trading update
Investors have issued a vote of confidence in Kier’s efforts to turn around the business with a jump in its share price.
Collaboration key to £104m development
Westminster City Council partnered with four private sector organisations to create the mixed-use development.
A landmark year for Waltham Forest
In 2019 Waltham Forest LBC became the first Mayor of London Borough of Culture - and won The MJ’s Local Authority of the Year category in the annual awards. Cllr Clare Coghill and Martin Esom talk to Michael Burton about the council's achievement.
Building thriving towns
Adur DC and Worthing BC are taking a stake in their local economies to catalyse investment in their places, based on establishing firm foundations to help local communities thrive, writes Martin Randall.
Permitted development pressure on Government grows
Pressure is growing on the Government to conclude its review of homes built under controversial permitted development rights and scrap the rules.
Demand for place based professionals dominated 2019
Ben Cox sees a continuing trend and increase in demand for Place based professionals continuing into this year, alongside an increasing demand for transformation and service re-design expertise and Organisational Development (OD) professionals.
We need a longer-term strategy on nutrient neutrality
All but a few new housing developments are getting planning permission because of the need for planning authorities in south Hampshire to demonstrate nutrient neutrality, according to Gill Kneller. She says a clear solution is needed.
Council vows to defend local plan
Sevenoaks DC has vowed not to withdraw its draft local plan despite continued pressure from the planning inspector.
Council hires Grenfell construction firm
Maidstone BC has named a construction firm involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower as its preferred bidder for a planned innovation centre.
Councils still being held back from building more homes - report
Local authorities are still being held back from providing more homes, a new report examining the future for council housing has argued.
Councils share in £4m fund to tackle rogue landlords
Councils will use the funding to launch new projects tackling inadequate and unsafe private rented housing.
Kirklees favours bringing thousands of council properties back in-house
Kirklees MBC is favouring the option of returning thousands of council homes to the management of the local authority.
We want to work with new Government 'to help deliver on our shared ambitions'
One of Boris Johnson's key priorities must be to publish the provisional Finance Settlement quickly - and the LGA agrees with the Government's position that we need to get away from ‘Whitehall knows best’, says chairman Cllr James Jamieson.
Councils take direct control of failing housing services company
Four councils yesterday dismissed the board at a housing services company and took direct control of the organisation after problems with health and safety arose.
Luton launches social letting agency
It aims to provide a route to the private rented sector for people on benefits and low incomes.
Flat profits, but strong order book growth for Balfour Beatty
Construction giant Balfour Beatty is heading for flat profits growth but has expanded its order book, according to a trading update.
Keeping up with the cost of population growth
Tracie Langley offers a three point narrative for resolving the complexity of budget management in the face of massive demand and complex local economic environments.
Bexley slashes development company housebuilding target
Bexley LBC’s wholly-owned housing company has more than halved the number of homes it plans to deliver.
Council’s homelessness service suffers ‘serious weaknesses’
A housing regulator has launched an inquiry to investigate ‘serious weaknesses’ in Glasgow City Council’s service for people who are homeless.
The private sector needs to stand alongside councils against the PWLB rate rise
Greg Hill argues that the private sector needs to join council leaders in calling for the omission of housebuilding and regeneration projects from the ‘125% interest rate rise on loans from the Public Works Loan Board’.