The growth of housing in Sussex over the next 20 years has been discussed by Mid Sussex District Council’s better environmental advisory group today.
An emerging South East Plan, commissioned by central government, requires the local authority to provide an increased number of houses, numbering up to 15,000 by 2026.
Through the council core strategy document it [...]

Gordon Brown has asserted his commitment to closely involving local authorities in future housing policy planning.
Making his Labour Party leadership acceptance speech on Sunday, Mr Brown identified housing as one of the key priorities in the year ahead.
“Because we need to build new homes not just to own but to rent, we will bring together [...]

A new strategy to enhance housing-related support has been unveiled by the minister for local government, Phil Woolas.
The Supporting People Strategy plans to improve the delivery of housing-related support services through further engagement with both the third sector and tenants.
The strategy outlines the role of the third sector and asks them to help in shaping [...]

A new set of housing rules being introduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government is set to boost rights for social housing tenants.
An independent housing watchdog will be made available for complaints from tenants who consistently endure a poor service.
The watchdog will have the power to impose a wide range of penalties and [...]

The new government department Communities England will deliver more affordable housing and regenerate the country’s most deprived areas, communities secretary Ruth Kelly has announced.
Combining the work of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and elements of Communities and Local Government, the new body will oversee the delivery of £1 billion in new infrastructure, community facilities and [...]

The London Borough of Southwark will be boosted by an additional £500,000 in affordable housing, it has been announced.
Ken Livingstone, the capital’s mayor, had specifically written to Southwark council urging it to refuse planning permission for a principally commercial development in the borough earlier this year.
He claimed the proposed new construction contravened policies laid down [...]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to launch a feasibility study evaluating a funding increase for affordable rural housing in England.
Led by the Housing Corporation and funded by Defra, the research will weigh up the pros and cons of a new time-limited funding programme to aid local organisations in the provision [...]

A fund of £500,000 was awarded yesterday to innovative schemes that deal with youth homelessness.
Crash pads for teenagers, supported lodgings and a text message service offering housing options were among some of the schemes to win support.
Partnerships in 27 local authorities are receiving a share of the money.
Housing minister Yvette Cooper said: “Children and young [...]

Lancaster city council is seeking the views of the public on its new gender equality scheme.
The scheme, which can be viewed in full on the Lancaster city council website, has been developed to ensure the council promotes gender equality in its work.
Gender equality should be considered in planning, policy making, service delivery, regulation, enforcement and [...]

Sixteen areas across England that are currently being considered for unitary status will be ranked in order of priority should too many bids emerge as eligible, it was announced yesterday.
Local government minister Phil Woolas said that the move would be made to ensure that any local government restructuring that does go ahead will benefit the [...]