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Councillors could lose powers to block planning schemes
Chairman of design practice and think tank Create Streets, Nicholas Boys Smith, referenced the LGA’s response to ministers about proposals to remove powers from councillors to block all but the biggest and most contentious building schemes, under plans to speed up development. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, set to be unveiled next week, aims to liberalise building regulations and provide 1.5 million homes before the next general election while also hoping to boost overall economic growth.
Times Radio Breakfast (51.21)
Opinion: Stop relying on migration and get young Britons into jobs
Labour MP and former LGA Chair Shaun Davies writes about the current state of the welfare system, where one in eight young people are currently not working. He writes we must move away from a system which is reliant on migration to fill jobs and instead encourage young people into work.
Sunday Express: Stop relying on migration and get young Britons into jobs
Tens of thousands of vulnerable SEND pupils could miss free breakfast clubs
Tens of thousands of the country’s most vulnerable children could miss out on free school breakfasts unless the Government makes changes to one of its flagship policies, ministers are being warned. Schools, academics, and the Disabled Children’s Partnership – a coalition of more than 120 organisations representing child healthcare professionals, parents and children’s charities –say more than 140,000 disabled children could be affected and are calling for more funding so that adjustments can be made to food, transport and staffing, meaning the scheme will work for pupils with special needs in mainstream and special schools.
iNews: Tens of thousands of vulnerable SEND pupils could miss free breakfast clubs
Respect Orders
People who commit anti-social behaviour will face bans and imprisonment under a new law being voted on by MPs this week. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said new Respect Orders, to be introduced with the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, will give police and councils the power to ban persistent offenders from town centres, neighbourhoods, high streets and parks.
Sunday Mirror: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vows new law will see yobs banned from town centres
Social housing to be demolished as post-Grenfell repairs are too expensive
Social housing is being demolished or sold off as owners cannot afford repair bills to make the properties safe in the wake of the Grenfell fire disaster. Housing associations say they have no choice but to tear down buildings or evict tenants and sell their homes on the open market, as no government funding is available to help meet the cost of renovations.
iNews: Social housing to be demolished as post-Grenfell repairs are too expensive
Villages in greenbelt lose protections against excessive development
Villages in the greenbelt are to have protections against excessive development removed under the Government’s house-building drive, it is reported. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has published plans that would remove the block on “unrestricted sprawl” around rural settlements and under the proposed changes, villages would no longer be designated as “historic”, which grants them extra safeguards.
Sunday Telegraph: Labour scraps protections for villages to ramp up house building (£)
Britons among hardest hit by Covid fallout
Britain performed worse than most other developed nations in its response to the Covid pandemic, according to an analysis of international data, five years on from the first lockdown. The UK spent more money than most other countries on economic help yet still ended up with larger drops in life expectancy, more people too sick to work, huge levels of homelessness and soaring mental health problems among young people.
Observer: Five years on - Britons among hardest hit by Covid fallout
Farmland seven times the size of London could face flooding by 2050
Thirteen per cent, or 2.8 million acres, of England’s farmland could face flooding by 2050, new government projections have revealed. More than six million properties in England are currently at risk of flooding from one or more sources, with this number expected to increase to eight million – or one in four properties – by the middle of this century.
iNews: Farmland seven times the size of London could face flooding by 2050
Potholes most common complaint about neighbourhoods
Potholes are the most common complaint that British people have about their neighbourhood, given by 65 per cent of respondents, according to research by consultancy Public First. This compares to the rising level of crime (39 per cent), litter (41 per cent), dog waste (38 per cent) and bad access to healthcare (52 per cent).
Sunday Times: Forget crime and NHS waits, it’s potholes that unite us all in rage (£)
Under-performing civil servants could be incentivised to leave jobs
Under-performing civil servants could be incentivised to leave their jobs under new government plans to be set out next week, while top staff will have their pay linked to their performance. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said they will “fundamentally reshape” the service as its state is currently not “match-fit” for what the country needs.
BBC Online: Under-performing civil servants could be incentivised to leave jobs
Warmest day of the year so far as UK to be hotter than Ibiza
Saturday was the warmest day of the year so far across the UK, with temperatures topping 19.1C in Bridgefoot, England. This weekend will see “fine and sunny” skies for much of the UK, with some spots expected to be warmer than popular European holiday destinations.
BBC Online: Warmest day of the year so far as UK to be hotter than Ibiza
Sunday's national newspaper front pages
Events
Thursday 27 March, 3.00pm - 4.00pm
Focusing on the recently launched LGA Empty Homes Toolkit, this virtual event will be an opportunity to discuss the key challenges involved with tackling empty homes and to hear about the approaches that have been taken by local authorities, as well as the resources that the LGA has developed to support empty homes officers.
Friday 28 March 2025, 10.30am - 12.00pm
The third and final webinar in our early help series will build delegates understanding on collaborating with partners, in particular schools, to develop and deliver effective early help services for children, young people and families. Delegates will hear presentations from councils on their experience of delivering effective early help services, join breakout discussions to share practice and hear from Foundations and the LGA on the webinar series.
Tuesday 1 - Thursday 3 April 2025
This key annual conference in public health will offer delegates the opportunity to hear from leading expert speakers on the very latest thinking on health inequalities, as well as gaining insights from those delivering on the ground. It will again provide a much-needed opportunity for the public health community to come together, share learning, take stock and plan for the future.
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