Homelessness services ‘at breaking point’
More than two-thirds of council homelessness services in England spent more than they planned to on support last year.
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New building safety measures announced
The building height at which sprinklers are required and combustible materials are banned is set to be lowered, the Government has announced.
Two-thirds of leisure centres ‘outdated’
New analysis by the LGA shows that nearly two-thirds of leisure centres are outdated and need urgent new investment.
Affordable homes lost to office conversions
New LGA analysis has found that more than 13,500 affordable homes could have been lost in the past four years because of rules allowing offices to be converted into housing without planning permission
Bus journeys hit 10-year low
Local buses are travelling nearly 150 million fewer miles than they were 10 years ago, dropping to their lowest level since the mid-1980s, according to new LGA analysis.
Skills mismatch ‘costs billions’
Six million people in England risk being without a job or in work they are over-qualified for by 2030, new research for the LGA suggests.
Housing allowance freeze to end
Around 900,000 people could receive more housing benefit from April after the Government confirmed it will be lifting the four-year freeze on local housing allowance – a means-tested support for private tenants.