Local Authority round-up 29/11/19

Brexit

EU warns UK to accept free movement

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michael Barnier, has warned Boris Johnson to accept free movement of people as part of Brexit otherwise the UK will be forced to deal with tough trade barriers once it has left the EU.  Mr Barnier has said that Mr Johnson’s timetable for a free-trade agreement by December 2020 is “too short” and will not be met and that the movement of goods and people will be the “toughest question” in the next round of talks.  Mr Barnier told MEPs he will demand measures as, without taking precautions, he was worried that the UK government will be able to manipulate standards to make the country more competitive adding that any future trade deal could not replicate EU agreements with the likes of Japan and South Korea because of Britain’s geographical proximity.

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An independent Scotland could rejoin the EU

Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said that Scotland would be “seeking a way back in” to the EU if Brexit goes ahead and said that an independent Scotland could rejoin the EU on a “relatively quick” timescale.  Ms Sturgeon is calling for a new referendum on Scottish independence to be held in 2020 and has said that SNP MPs could potentially help to make Jeremy Corbyn the next Prime Minister in the event of a hung parliament, but she said that he must first accept the “fundamental principle” that an independence referendum should be “in Scotland’s hands.”  She said “Scotland faces right now the uncertainty of being ripped out of the EU against our own will. It’s not of our making. And we need to plot the best way forward for our country where we are in charge of the decision that we make.”

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No deal Brexit will impact car production

Analysis commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) predicts that an entire year’s worth of UK car production, amounting to 1.5 million vehicles, will be lost if the UK is unable to secure a trade deal after leaving the EU.  SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said falling back on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules would add £3.2 billion a year to car making costs which the industry would not be able to absorb without price rises and production cuts.  He said “A close trading relationship is essential to unlock investment so we can deliver our goals: cleaner air, zero carbon emissions, and the ability to go on building our products and marketing them globally.  Rather than producing two million cars a year by 2020, a no trade deal, WTO tariff worst case scenario could see us making just a million.”

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Commercial

Council buys town centre

Knowsley Council have acquired 87 shops and 12 acres of land as part of a £43.8 million property deal which is expected to create 500 new jobs and £650,000 per year in business rates income.  The investment will be paid back using rental income generated and the future sale of some of the land.  Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Graham Morgan, said “This is the single biggest property investment which the council has ever made and we hope that it sends a strong message to our communities that we are behind them and will do everything we can to deliver the positive changes they want.”

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£100 million boost for Sunderland city centre

Legal & General have announced that they have backed an extensive masterplan for the regeneration of Sunderland’s city centre as part of a deal with Sunderland City Council having identified the “vast potential” it saw in the council’s plans for the area.   Plans which have been released show the development on the riverside which will include commercial and housing developments as well as the new Sunderland City Hall.  Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, Patrick Melia said “Make no mistake, today’s announcement is the single most significant investment story to come out of Sunderland for decades.”

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Regulatory

Council obtains rouge landlord banning order

Camden Council is reported to have obtained London’s first rouge landlord banning order. It has banned a landlord for four years from letting any housing in England or engaging in any letting agency or property management work after he repeatedly put tenants lives at risk through letting unsafe housing.  A raid on one flat found that there were fire safety issues and general disrepair and investigators found he was involved in the letting of several unlicensed houses with another investigation finding multiple breaches of the Housing Act 2004.  The ban takes effect from 8 March 2020, if breached penalties can include up to 51 weeks imprisonment or a court fine (or both) or a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000.

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Planning and housing

£450,000 investment from Housing First Fund

Homeless Link have announced a funding boost of £450,000 to five existing Housing First providers across the UK to help them introduce new approaches and build capacity within services.  Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link said “Our funding programme will ensure that organisations have the opportunity to build on the enthusiasm, commitment and expertise that already exists in Housing First teams in order to extend and improve Housing First services at the local level, which will then inform our national network – Housing First England – contributing to ending homelessness for hundreds of people.”  The programme aims to improve the support offered to people who are experiencing homelessness.

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Partnership aims to deliver 2,000 new homes

LiveWest and Bovis Homes have announced a partnership to build 2,000 new homes across the South West which forms part of LiveWest’s plans to deliver 16,000 new homes over the next 10 years.  The plan is to build 678 new homes in Exeter, 398 in Tavistock and 831 new homes built in Taunton over the next 15 years with the first of these expected to be complete by August 2021.  LiveWest’s Executive Director of Development, Russell Baldwinson, said “Livewest is continually looking at innovative ways to provide new homes, and being involved in commercial ventures such as this enables us to generate profits that we can reinvest into building more affordable homes in areas where there is a significant need.”

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WISH fund aims to help vulnerable women

The Women In Safe Homes (WISH) fund has been set up to help vulnerable women to find and secure suitable homes by buying and refurbishing properties and renting them out to vulnerable women and their children who often struggle to find suitable accommodation.  It aims to help women who are homeless, ex-offenders and domestic abuse survivors and has a target to supply about 750 affordable homes, with its first partnership in place with Preston Road Women’s Centre.  Big Society Capital developed the initial fund proposal, and has already agreed in principal, a commitment of £10 million and property investor Patron Capital and social impact investment company Resonance have collaborated to create and manage the new fund, with a target fund size of £100 million.

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If you have any questions about the issues raised in this update, please do not hesitate to get in touch.