MPs are urging the government to let councils use unspent Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts to repair roads and reduce the backlog of carriageway maintenance. The APPG for Better Roads argues that existing and future CIL funds could be directed more transparently and effectively towards highway resurfacing and pothole prevention.
The government’s impact assessment for extending Awaab’s Law to private rented tenancies forecasts continued growth in England’s private rental sector, rising from 4.827 million households in 2026 to an estimated 5.378 million by 2035. It also notes uncertainty around landlord numbers due to limited recent data, while suggesting the sector may consolidate to support remediation work at scale.
Landlord Trends research cited in the article shows a rise in the use of letting agents, with 66% of rental properties now using an agent for some or all of the letting process and 25% using full management services. The increase is attributed to growing regulatory complexity in the private rented sector, including the implementation of the Renters Rights Act and wider compliance pressures.
The article reports criticism of Labour’s proposed changes to Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which would allow councils to intervene in empty homes after six months rather than two years. A property investor argues the policy is unlikely to work without funding for substantial repairs, particularly where homes are uninhabitable, and suggests grants may be a more practical approach.
The article argues that residential property transactions remain too slow and prone to fall-throughs, with delays driven by avoidable friction between agents, conveyancers, lenders and other parties. It introduces the Conveyancing Improvement Collective (CIC) as a collaborative forum aimed at identifying practical process improvements rather than assigning blame.
The Environment Agency has reviewed and extended Regulatory Position Statement RPS 91, which covers the use of waste clay in constructing slurry lagoons or water storage reservoirs, until 14 October 2027. The statement has also been updated to the latest template, while confirming that it does not remove the need for an environmental permit where one is otherwise required.
The government and Flood Re are piloting Flood Performance Certificates (FPCs) to provide standardised information on a property’s flood risk and resilience, with a view to creating a trusted source similar to Energy Performance Certificates. Flood Re is also developing BeFloodReady into a national flood resilience platform, while the government has announced a wider flood and drought resilience taskforce and a new online flood information hub.
The Environment Agency says a further arrest has been made as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal waste dumping at multiple sites in the North East, including Callerton, Peterlee and Hartlepool. The agency says the sites involved thousands of tonnes of waste and have now been shut down or cleared, with enforcement action continuing under its waste crime crackdown.
The Prosper UK Housing Commission, chaired by Gavin Barwell, has called for a three-year pause on new regulation affecting developers, alongside a commitment to rule out rent controls. Its report argues that housing delivery is being constrained by both buyer affordability and developer viability, and proposes measures spanning planning, demand support, and build-to-rent investment.
The Housing Ombudsman has reported a third-party IT security incident affecting its case management system. The incident has been contained, and the organisation is working with its supplier to determine the extent of any data impact and whether personal information has been affected.
The Environment Agency has updated its policy guidance on how it assesses and scores compliance with environmental permits and licences across several activity types, including waste, water, radioactive substances, abstraction and impounding. The changes clarify compliance assessment outcomes, appeal timeframes, publication of CAR forms, and how certain non-compliances are recorded.
A Cambridge college development has been approved again after the original planning consent was quashed through judicial review. The case arose from concerns about the scheme’s impact on heritage assets.
