This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes the latest developments on local government reorganisation, including the House of Commons Library publishing maps of proposed unitary authorities in England, the relaunch of the District Councils’ Network as the Local Councils Network and new regulations on notice requirements for council tax premiums in areas undergoing reorganisation. Case analysis includes Greyhound Board of Great Britain v Welsh Ministers, in which the Administrative Court rejected a judicial review challenge to the Welsh Ministers’ law-making powers over the proposed greyhound racing ban and East Riding v Bowers, confirming that provision in an EHC plan must be driven by special educational needs, with golf and gym training falling out of scope on the facts. Case reports include the decisions in Monfared v Westminster CC, in which the High Court found a housing allocation scheme indirectly discriminated against full-time carers and G v Barking and Dagenham LBC, in which the High Court found no error in the council’s discharge of its homelessness duties. It also includes further updates on Local government reorganisation, Public procurement, Judicial review, Education, Social housing, Adult social care, Healthcare and Governance.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes expert analysis of the decisions in Coastal Housing Group v Mitchell, finding that rent is not payable by contract-holders in Wales unless and until landlords provide them with a copy of Electrical Condition Reports for their homes, Luton Landlords & Letting Agents Ltd v Luton BC, which relates to a long-running dispute over the introduction of property licensing schemes in Luton and on the Revised National Planning Policy Framework. Cases include the Court of Appeal confirming the irrevocability of adoption orders, the KBD reinstating particulars of breach of contract and duty of care in relation to the university of Cambridge’s alleged failure to implement reasonable adjustments as recommended by its Disability Resource Centre, a case concerning allegations of sexual abuse, with the court confirming abuse and establishing risk of harm to child, amongst others. This weekly highlights includes further updates on Social housing, Public procurement, Governance, Education, Children's social care, Social care, Healthcare, Planning and Local government finance.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes major developments on local government reorganisation, with the Government announcing further decisions across 14 areas in England including preferred two-, three- and four-unitary models, alongside confirmation that no final decisions have yet been made for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough or West Sussex. It also includes the latest public procurement developments, including new UK steel transparency requirements under PPN 022, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's findings on procurement failures during the pandemic and new Cabinet Office guidance on Procurement Compliance Service investigations. It also highlights key social housing developments, including the commencement date for the second phase of Awaab's Law, updates to the Regulator of Social Housing's consumer standards and tenant satisfaction requirements, the Women and Equalities Committee's report on racial inequality in homelessness services, and a new data-sharing agreement to tackle social housing fraud. Further updates include Local government reorganisation, Public procurement, Social housing, Children's social care, Adult social care, Governance, Education and Licensing.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes coverage of the new National Procurement Policy Statement. Expert analyses include the decision in TTT v Michaela School on lawfulness of the school’s policy banning pupils from prayer ritual, and SSLUHC v Caldwell where the Court of Appeal clarified the scope of the Murfitt principle. Case reports include A Local Authority v A mother and others where the court made a final care order authorising the local authority (LA) to permanently remove children to foster care; Re T (a child) (interim care order: arrangements for contact) on contested case management decisions regarding arrangements for contact with children in care; Cascioli v Nursing and Midwifery Council on dismissal of an appeal against decisions made by the Fitness to Practise Committee; and finally, dismissal of a challenge to the decision of a listing officer to exercise statutory functions in respect of council tax in Howard Gardens Manco Ltd v Lucy Formela-Osborne. This weekly highlights also includes further updates on Education, Social housing, Children's social care, Healthcare, Planning and Local government finance.

This week’s edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes: case analysis of Beacon Cymru Group Ltd v Mitchell, confirming that landlords who failed to provide electrical condition reports under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 were not required to refund rent paid during the breach period; Wigan Council v Property Alliance Group Ltd; Trafford Council v Property Alliance Group Ltd, where the High Court rejected non-domestic rates avoidance schemes and confirmed liability remained with the property owner and a news analysis: House of Lords urges urgent overhaul of Child Maintenance Service as reforms set for 2025–26. It also includes further updates on Social housing, Local government finance, Children’s social care, Governance, Judicial review, Education, Healthcare, Public procurement, Social Care, Licensing, Environmental law and climate change, Pensions, Planning and Highways.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes expert analysis of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers where it held that the Equality Act 2010 terms ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ refer to biological sex and Abbasi and another v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust relating to the public interest considerations of naming clinicians involved in treating gravely ill children after their death. It also includes the case reports of R (AB) v Bristol CC, where the court dismissed challenges to Safety Valve Agreements in SEND funding case; A Local Authority v X, where the court allowed the local authority to proceed with adoption without notifying birth father or extended family; R (Grantchester Parish Council) v Greater Cambridge Partnership, where the court dismissed a challenge to Haslingfield Greenway route through Grantchester; and Stephanie Croft v Devon CC, where the court quashed a Traffic Regulation Order due to safety concerns for pedestrians. This weekly highlights also includes updates on Public procurement, Social care, Environmental law and Climate change and Local Government Finance.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes: case analysis of Capital Housing v Ealing LBC on landlord overpayment and recovery of housing benefit; Mitterhuber v Hernandez, in which the Upper Tribunal set aside the making of a rent repayment order concerning an HMO; and Bunyan (VO) v Fridays Ltd, in which the court considered whether a free-range egg producer could take advantage of the agricultural exemption from business rates. Case reports include Adriatic Land 5 Ltd v Long Leaseholders at Hippersley Point Court, in which the court considered whether BSA 2022 prevented the appellant from recovering service charges concerning liability for safety defects under qualifying leases. It also includes coverage of updated social housing guidance in relation to lifting local connection tests for vulnerable groups, updated guidance on procurement oversight, paused Grenfell supplier debarment investigations on CPS advice, guidance on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and updated RSHE guidance following consultation. It includes further coverage of Social housing, Public procurement, Governance, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Education, Children’s social care, Social care and Healthcare.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes expert analyses on the decision in Ariyo v Richmond Upon Thames LBC where the Court of Appeal quashed planning permission for failing to consider noise. Case reports include the Supreme Court’s decision in Re an application by Noeleen McAleenon for Judicial Review in which the court held that Judicial review is directed at examining whether a public authority has acted lawfully based on the information available to it, not at definitively resolving disputed facts. This weekly highlights also includes further updates on Public procurement, Social housing, Healthcare, Planning and governance.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes the latest developments on local government reorganisation (LGR), with the LGA publishing FAQs on MHCLG's review of the LGR programme and the Surrey (Structural Changes) (Pensions etc) Order 2026, establishing the new Surrey Pensions Authority and making provision for pension functions in connection with Surrey's structural changes. Public procurement developments include the new Framework Practice Guide, updated Public Procurement Review Service referrals and case resolutions, as well as expert analysis of Bromcom Computers v Arbor Education Partners on potential liability for implied misrepresentations during a public procurement process. Further analysis includes Old Chiswick Protection Society v Hounslow LBC, in which the High Court quashed planning permission for failure to fairly report on a fallback position, and Adams v North Somerset Council, on local government procedures for setting up parking charges on council land. Case reports include TDB v Haringey LBC, where the Court of Appeal held that a capacity assessment is required before completing a Care Act needs assessment where capacity is in doubt; AM v Wokingham BC, where the UT found multiple errors of law in an FTT decision on a child's EHC plan; and Essex CC v ST, in which the High Court authorised deprivation of liberty where suitable secure accommodation was unavailable. Further updates include Planning, Highways, Education, Children's social care, Social housing, Adult social care, Governance and Licensing.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes second tranche of Procurement Act 2023 guidance from Cabinet Office; case reports include the decision in Weintraub v Hackney London Borough Council relating to when the tenancy condition is satisfied, and Luton Borough Council v R where the court was critical of the Local Authorities approach to evidence based risk assessment in safeguarding decision making. This weekly highlights also includes further updates on Public procurement, Social housing, Children's social care, Healthcare and Planning.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes: case analysis of In the matter of an application by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for Judicial Review, where the Supreme Court applied Public Interest Immunity in an inquest and overturned an order requiring disclosure of gists, as well as analysis of the government's consultation on major reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework. It includes further updates on Judicial Review, Planning, Public procurement, Education, Children’s social care, Social housing, Healthcare, Governance, Local government finance and Social care.

This week's edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes coverage of key local government announcements in the King’s Speech 2024. It also includes expert analysis on the decisions in DELTA Merseyside Ltd & Veezu Holdings Ltd v Uber Britannia on when a contract for hire of a PHV is not a contract; Care Northeast v Northumberland County Council on challenging public authority decision making under a private law contract and LIDL v EDDC in which the High Court quashed out of town retail permission for failure to consider a competing scheme. Case reports include Fertre v Vale of White Horse DC on dismissal of a French citizen’s appeal against the local authority’s decision to refuse housing assistance due to them being a ‘person from abroad’ and dismissal of an appeal against a decision revoking a premises licence for a night club in Walk Safe Security Ltd v Lewisham LBC. The weekly highlights also includes further updates on Governance, Social housing, Licensing, Social care, Public procurement, Education, Healthcare, Planning, Local government finance and Highways.