Q&As

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These Q&As seek to address briefly common questions faced when dealing with Local Government matters.

The Q&As supplement and link to other more detailed content within Lexis+® UK, but are intentionally short. It is anticipated that a brief Q&A will be most helpful when you need a quick overview of an issue and its likely impact. This might arise, for example, for lawyers needing to provide advice or training at short notice. The Q&A content on Lexis+® UK is date stamped. This date is the publish date and states the law

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Latest Local Government News

RSH issues C4 grading to Northumberland County Council for very serious failings

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has issued a C4 grading to Northumberland County Council following a planned inspection that identified very serious failings requiring substantial change. The inspection found that the council: (1) maintains up-to-date condition information for only 3% of its homes; (2) has limited evidence of accurate recording or routine monitoring of health and safety assessments; (3) does not respond to all complaints in a timely manner; (4) provides insufficient opportunities for tenants to scrutinise performance and influence services and (5) demonstrates serious shortcomings in meeting the outcomes of the tenancy standard. The council is required to urgently develop a comprehensive improvement plan. Separately, RSH has placed Aves Housing on its gradings under review list while it investigates potential serious failings in delivering the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and the consumer standards.

HCLG warns progress on Decent Homes Standard has stalled

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has reported that progress at bringing social homes up to the Decent Homes Standard has almost ground to a halt, with just under 430,000 social homes still failing to meet this basic standard. It warns that hazards such as damp, mould and overcrowding are increasing, and recommends the Government set interim targets to upgrade social homes before 2035 to prevent tenants remaining in poor quality, unsafe homes for too long.

CQC round-up—11 February 2026

A round-up of the latest news from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), including one local authority rated as requiring improvement.

DfE publishes 10-year education estates strategy for England

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a policy paper setting out a 10-year plan to improve school and college buildings in England. The policy paper, laid before Parliament on 11 February 2026, is intended for those responsible for managing school and college estates. It outlines the government’s vision for an education estate that supports opportunity for all learners, from early years through to post-16 education. At the core of the strategy is a shift towards more proactive estate management, with a focus on long-term strategic maintenance and renewal rather than reactive repairs. The government states that this approach will prioritise building condition, risk and resilience, alongside the delivery of high-quality new buildings where they are required. The DfE adds that it will continue to ensure sufficient learner places across all phases and that place creation will be more closely aligned with wider policy ambitions, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and skills.

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