Housing

Thursday, July 2, 2026 andyburnham labour busfares costofliving devolution publictransport housing economicpolicy ukpolitics welfare sport

Andy Burnham, the newly elected Labour MP for Makerfield and current Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been called on to implement a nationwide £2 bus fare cap if he becomes Prime Minister. This move aims to ease the financial … Read More

Thursday, July 2, 2026 burnham freemeals universalcredit costofliving housing economicpolicy labour no10north education taxreform

Andy Burnham is being encouraged to take a bold, economically inclusive stance on the Cost of Living crisis by expanding free school meals to all primary-age children from households receiving Universal Credit. Beginning with … Read More

Thursday, July 2, 2026 planning solihull childcare millsonswood housing permission development ofsted law application

A proposal to convert a residential house in Millsons Wood, Solihull, into a children’s care home has been rejected at the first stage due to planning permission issues. Jason Hewitt, the applicant, sought a certificate of … Read More

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 walsall greenbelt housing development planning council taylorwimpey infrastructure community environmentalimpact

Proposals for a new housing estate in Walsall have emerged through an Environmental Impact Assessment application recently submitted to the council. Developer Taylor Wimpey aims to build up to 600 homes on agricultural land … Read More

Sunday, June 28, 2026 homelessness vagrancy decriminalisation birmingham support government housing roughsleeping repeal policy

Starting Monday, rough sleepers in Birmingham and across England and Wales will no longer face criminal penalties for their circumstances, marking a significant policy shift as the 1824 Vagrancy Act is repealed. The Vagrancy … Read More

Friday, June 26, 2026 kingshurst housing planning development solihull access councillors approval construction legalities

A proposal for a mini housing estate in Kingshurst has been granted planning permission by Solihull councillors, despite ongoing concerns about site access. The land, located at the rear of Cooks Lane, had prior consent for … Read More

Friday, June 26, 2026 benefits fraud dwp sentencing scam housing universalcredit court rehabilitation crime

Casey Webb, a 45-year-old mother of three from Terling, has been spared prison despite admitting to scamming over £120,000 in Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits. Webb claimed Housing Benefit and Universal Credit … Read More

Friday, June 26, 2026 walsall whg parking fines residents enforcement southstreet housing appeals bailiffs

Residents on South Street in Walsall are facing hefty fines totaling thousands of pounds after the Walsall Housing Group (WHG) began enforcing parking restrictions in its South Street Gardens car park. The enforcement took … Read More

Thursday, June 25, 2026 sandwell housing flats metro tipton affordable homes development council shortage

Sandwell Council has granted approval for a new housing development opposite the forthcoming Horseley Road metro station in Tipton, part of the long-delayed Midlands Metro extension from Wednesbury to Dudley. The joint … Read More

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 walsall deprivation housing property westmidlands inequality postcode broadway ons palfrey

New data highlights a striking economic divide within a 1.5-mile stretch of the A4148 in Walsall, West Midlands. This short road, encompassing Broadway West and Broadway, sharply separates some of the area’s most deprived … Read More

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 willenhall hmo walsall planning community privacy petition development oversaturation housing

Walsall Council’s planning committee has rejected plans to convert a former Willenhall DIY shop into a 12-bedroom House of Multiple Occupation (HMO). The proposed development at 116-118 Lower Lichfield Street, previously Roy … Read More

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 marketharborough midlands housing realestate community affordable leicestershire bestplaces countryside schools

Market Harborough, a picturesque market town in Leicestershire, has been named one of the best places to live in the Midlands by the Sunday Times. What makes it especially appealing to prospective residents is its house … Read More

Monday, June 22, 2026 funding homelessness westmidlands birmingham coventry housing roughsleeping support accommodation socialservices

The West Midlands is set to receive more than £18 million in funding aimed at addressing homelessness and rough sleeping across Birmingham and Coventry. This significant investment will focus on providing safe accommodation … Read More

Sunday, June 21, 2026 blackcountry sandwell pub demolition retail planning appeal housing development council

An empty pub in Old Hill, Black Country, could be demolished to make way for a new shop despite Sandwell Council’s earlier rejection of the plans. Sham Singh, the applicant, initially proposed to replace the former … Read More

Saturday, June 20, 2026 dudley housing prices affordability homeownership property economy realestate statistics westmidlands

Recent statistics from the Office of National Statistics highlight a significant disparity in house prices across Dudley borough, emphasizing the growing economic divide within the community. In the New Dock and Eve Hill … Read More

Saturday, June 20, 2026 cradleyheath glazing howells sandwell industrial development housing businessclosure localeconomy urbanplanning

The future of Howells Patent Glazing, a longstanding glazing company in Cradley Heath, is under threat after Sandwell Council granted permission to build almost 100 new homes on the industrial site it currently occupies. The … Read More

Friday, June 19, 2026 housing reforms uk homebuying sellers savings property firsttimebuyers market government

The Labour Party government has introduced a series of new rules designed to streamline the home buying and selling process in the UK. These reforms aim to save families and first-time buyers time, money, and stress by … Read More

Friday, June 19, 2026 glazing sandwell cradleyheath housing manufacturing business workforce development planning economy

A 30-year-old glazing company in Cradley Heath fears it could be forced to close due to plans to build nearly 100 new homes on its current site. The former F. & L. Smout & Sons site on Woods Lane is set to be … Read More

Thursday, June 18, 2026 balsallcommon housing development planning greenbelt residential sustainability solihull construction agriculture

Plans have been submitted to construct a new five-bedroom house on land behind the Ye Olde Saracens Head pub in Balsall Common, Solihull. The application, lodged by Daniel Thwaites, proposes developing 0.6 hectares at the … Read More

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 dudley brierleyhill hmo conservation planning victorian architecture housing council development

Dudley Council planners have rejected a contentious proposal to convert a vacant office building in Brierley Hill into an 18-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO). The site, located between High Street and Albion Street, … Read More

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 birmingham houseprices propertymarket suttoncoldfield edgbaston realestate housing affluent markettrends prices

Recent figures indicate a noticeable decrease in house prices in several of Birmingham’s most desirable and expensive districts. Areas such as Sutton Coldfield, Edgbaston, and other prestigious neighborhoods have experienced … Read More

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 housing benefits socialhousing london tenancy subsidy dwp homeswapper rents policy

In London, spacious social housing properties are being advertised at surprisingly low rents, as little as £744 per month, prompting calls for reforms in housing benefits. HomeSwapper, a platform facilitating tenancy … Read More

Monday, June 15, 2026 dudley council localplan housing development planning funding government infrastructure legislation

Dudley Council has incurred expenses exceeding £600,000 for a local plan designed to guide housing and development until 2041—only for the plan to become outdated as soon as it is adopted. At a cabinet meeting on June 11, … Read More

Sunday, June 14, 2026 willenhall hmo planning walsall conservation petition housing development community heritage

The future of the former Roy Birch hardware shop at 116-118 Lower Lichfield Street in Willenhall is set to be decided by Walsall Council’s planning committee next week. After serving the community for over 50 years, Roy Birch … Read More