Prime Minister announces a General Election on 4th July
On Wednesday (22 May), Rishi Sunak announced there will be a General Election on 4th July. This came after a rare piece of good news for the Conservative Government that morning, with inflation dropping to 2.3%, its lowest since July 2021. This has been one of Sunak’s main objectives over his tenure so far, and it offers up the possibility that the Bank of England will drop interest rates in August, another potential win for him. The decision to call an election is a huge gamble from the Prime Minister, with the Conservatives still a long way behind in opinion polls.
Parliament will be prorogued tomorrow and dissolved at the end of next week. The Renters (Reform) Bill will not be passed, and the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is likely to become law today. Any bills not passed today will fall.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announce new planning rules to convert unused farm buildings
On Tuesday (21 May), the Departments for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announced they are making it easier for farms to convert unused buildings into new homes, shops or gyms. This aims to give farms the ability to more easily diversify their businesses and reduce time spent in the planning system processing applications. These new rules for farmers are an extension of permitted development rights which give more freedoms to develop without applying for planning permission.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announces new rights for tenants to access information about their homes
On Monday (20 May), the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced social housing tenants will be able to access information about their homes in an effort to make landlords more accountable and in doing so better the quality of the homes and services they provide. These include:
- Damp and mould: tenants experiencing damp and mould could request information on how many other homes in their building have the same problem and what action the landlord has taken to repair, giving them the tools they need to take further action if they choose.
- Health and safety: including any information landlords hold about breaches in their properties and outcomes of any inspections. Tenants could take further action through the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord isn’t making the repairs they need to make by law.
- Repair times: under new rules brought in by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act landlords must fix emergency repairs within 24 hours, tenants will be able to see how often their landlord is meeting this target and challenge them through the courts or take them to the Housing Ombudsman if they don’t.
Housing associations will also be forced to publish information about their performance.
Principles before particulars secures project success, say NIC design experts
The National Infrastructure Commission’s Design Group has published guidance on developing and implementing design principles for major infrastructure projects.
Building on the Group’s high level design principles – climate, people, places and value – the new guidance sets out a structured process for applying tailored principles at every stage of a project life cycle. Principles before particulars secures project success, say NIC design experts – NIC
IN THE NEWS
Labour vows to break ‘inertia’ of UK infrastructure delivery (ft.com)
Construction reacts to PM’s general election call – Construction Management
Architects now upbeat after 10-months of work gloom | Construction Enquirer News
