I've been reading Morag McDermont's recent book on the history of the housing association sector and the National Housing Federation, Governing, Independence and Expertise: The Business of Housing Associations. It's a cracking read and much recommended. It...
Its Cold In There
Bristol City Council v Aldfrod Two LLP [2011] UKUT 130 (LC) The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has recently ruled on the proper use of improvement notices under the HHSRS. When I say recent I should actually say a little while ago. You can blame the recent...
Plan for this!
R (on the application of Milton Keynes Council) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (2011) QBD (Admin) (Harrison J) 11/4/2011 We have previously posted on the saga of the rise and fall of planning permission for HMO property. The story...
Possible selective licensing case
For those of you interested in selective licensing under Part 3, Housing Act 2004, we bring you news of a possible judicial review case R (Hooper and others) v Hyndburn DC CO/2010/2184, in which Owen J (sitting in the Manchester District Registry) has just...
A (further) symbolic consultation
Readers of my previous notes of the "consultation" exercises undertaken by the coalition government will readily appreciate that I am not the best person to write about a further symbolic consultation, being lead by DCLG, on what it terms "burdens" (indeed,...
Yeah but, no but …
Vicky Pollard continues the Chief's west country theme, albeit somewhat stretched, to demonstrate the Con-Dem approach to consultation about their affordable rent tenancy regime (ie what consultation?). We now have more detail courtesy of the HCA and a...
Attaching weight to Mr Pickles
We noted round 1 of Cala Homes (South) Ltd v Secretary of State back in November (see our note here) in which the High Court found that Mr Pickles could not abolish Regional Strategies (e.g. "the south-west plan" governing the approach to, say, new-build...
Equality duty to be in force 6 April
The Government Equalities Office has announced that the Public Sector Equality Duty will be in force from 6 April 2011. The Equalities Office page has links to the following documents: Draft regulations on the specific duties; Draft order amending Schedule...
Dear Mr Shapps
My word, what a fountain of press releases you have been lately. Quite takes me back to the heady days of John Healey. But it is this press release I want to talk about, the ‘Neighbours from Hell’ one. You announce that you: will introduce a new additional...
There’s no place like HMO
A brief trip to the Emerald City, or rather Reading, where the Borough Council may have established a record for a fine for breaches of The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 and the Housing Act 2004 Section 11. An HMO at...
Carrots and sticks – travellers’ sites
News from Mr Pickles and the DCLG Item 1. The Government is to bring s.318 Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 into force, finally according travellers on authorised sites the same security as those who come under the Mobile Homes Act. Hurrah. Item 2. Planning...
HMOs and Council Tax
Goremsandu, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Harrow [2010] EWHC 1873 (Admin) As many of you will know the definition of an HMO for the purposes of Council Tax is totally different from that used in the Housing Act 2004 (and in relation to...