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The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust wants to find about five people to staff the historic Port Lockroy base from November

The regulator is looking into expanding the sample size from which it collects the data, which currently only comes from the largest fundraising charities

The Charity Commission says it is looking into concerns around governance, debt levels, financial reporting and mismanagement at the Abu Bakr Trust

Integrated Security Fund Launch event at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Released 27th February 2024.

Devon County Council has agreed to look into how it calculated allowances to nearly 300 families who look after children as special guardians, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

During a complaint from a woman who was looking after her grandchild under a Special Guardianship Order, the Ombudsman found the council was wrongly taking into account benefits payments when calculating the allowances it would pay, contrary to the Ombudsman’s long-held position on this topic and government recommendations.

The council wrongly had a blanket policy of deducting child benefit from all special guardians receiving Universal Credit. The council agreed to change this policy with effect from January 2024.

It also confirmed there were 170 other special guardians in the county on means tested benefits who may have been impacted by its calculations, and a further 125 where the council had no information.

Amerdeep Somal, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: ‘It is disappointing that the council cannot provide us with any evidence that it considered the individual circumstances of special guardians receiving means-tested benefits before making the deductions and instead applied its policy to everyone without justification.

‘In addition to this, it relied on its own policy to make these calculations – not national guidance – but its policy was based on its misunderstanding of our decisions in other cases.

‘I am pleased the council has now agreed to amend its policy and revisit the calculations it has made to others in its area, but it should not have taken several complaints by this grandmother and our investigation for it to realise that its own policy was wrong.’

The council agreed to apologise to the grandmother and recalculate her Special Guardianship Allowance (SGA) following government guidance, and pay her a sum equivalent to the deductions it has made since January 2022.

It will also pay her £600 for the delays caused by its complaints process and for the lack of support and information following her Special Guardianship Order.

Devon County Council has also agreed to recalculate the SGAs it has paid to the other 170 special guardians using correct guidance and pay them a sum equivalent to any deductions it has wrongly made.

For the 125 carers about whom it has no information, it has agreed to invite them to provide information to enable it to review their financial circumstances and, where appropriate, recalculate their SGAs, backdating any amount due.

The council will also review its complaints system to ensure statutory timescales are being met.

Image: Sam Healey

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Five out of the ten MPs in England with the biggest landlord portfolios are involved in efforts to water down the Renters (Reform) Bill.

An analysis of the Register of Members’ Financial Interests conducted by the Renters’ Reform Coalition found that Nick Fletcher (ten privately rented properties), Marco Longhi (ten), Bob Blackman (six), James Gray (four) and Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown (five) are all among a group of 40 Conservative backbenchers who have signed amendments that campaigners warn will ‘gut’ the legislation.

The amendments, tabled by Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, include proposals to allow ‘hearsay’ evidence to be used in evictions over antisocial behaviour, delay the bill’s implementation indefinitely, require renters to live in a property for a minimum of six months before they can leave, and abolish council licensing schemes intended to drive up standards.

The Renters’ Reform Coalition highlighted an amendment that would allow fixed term tenancies – the current tenancy regime – to be retained where there is “mutual agreement” between tenant and landlord. Campaigners warned that in practice, landlords have so much power in tenancy negotiations that this would lead to widespread retention of the current system.

The Bill’s development and passage has already seen concessions made to pro-landlord groups, including a delay to the end of section 21 until the courts are reformed, changes to make it easier for landlords to accuse tenants of anti-social behaviour then evict them, and a weakening of the process for challenging rent increases designed to act as disincentive to tenants.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove recently made the latest government promise to ban no-fault evictions, going further than he previously had by saying they would be ‘outlawed’ before the General Election.

At present, a total of 12 of the 40 MPs who have signed the amendments are themselves landlords of properties in England. This is significantly higher than the overall proportion of English MPs who are landlords. The total number of properties being let out by MPs who have signed the amendments is 48.

The Bill is currently still awaiting its Report Stage in the House of Commons, despite having been first introduced to Parliament last May. Meanwhile section 21 evictions continue to rise, with no-fault evictions by bailiffs increasing by almost 50 percent in 2023.

Tom Darling, campaign manager of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: ‘Of course, being a landlord doesn’t mean you can’t be an MP. But we think those who personally profit from England’s broken rental market have a particular duty to their constituents to deliver reforms to the private rented sector. Indeed, they all stood on manifestos to do just that in 2019.

‘It is therefore extremely concerning to see these MPs signing up to amendments that would render significant parts of the legislation pointless. What’s more, the government have now invested so much politically in this issue that we are concerned they might be looking to make concessions to these rebels to pass the bill quickly and say they have abolished no-fault evictions – despite in reality introducing a system that won’t be much better.’

‘The truth is the Bill, as written, is not going to be a silver bullet. In reality we need reform that goes much further than the legislation as it stands – with longer tenancies, more time for renters to find a new home when evictions do happen, higher penalties for unscrupulous landlords, and a cap on rent increases to prevent unaffordable rent hikes becoming, in effect, no-fault evictions.

‘The government will be sorely mistaken if it thinks it can pass a toothless Bill written by landlords and then get a pat on the back.’

Image: Ethan Wilkinson

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Over £21m is set to be poured into the transport service over the next 12 months to ensure it remains safe and reliable.

The Bee Network committee have approved new funding for Manchester’s Metrolink, the UK’s largest light rail service which has 99 stops across 64 miles of track – more than 700 million journeys have been made on the trams since opening in 1992.

New funds for the rail service, which have been set at £21.4m, will come from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), and have been earmarked as part of a planned £147m package to maintain, upgrade and improve the network up to 2027.

Immediate priorities for this summer include track replacement in several parts of the city centre, including Piccadilly Gardens and London Road, and on parts of the Altrincham and Bury Lines. In addition, plans also include a programme of modifications to the trams themselves, which include sensors in the middle of double trams and speed warning devices. These new additions are being added to help keep passengers safe.

Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: ‘Metrolink is an integral part of the Bee Network, and it’s really important that we invest in it so that we can continue to provide a safe, reliable and positive experience for the thousands of people who travel with us every day.’

‘This is a coordinated package of planned works to maintain, renew and improve the network and help to keep Greater Manchester moving, and while we understand any disruption can be frustrating, we’ll be doing everything we can to keep it to a minimum,’ Danny said. ‘We will make sure passengers know what’s happening well in advance and I’d ask people to please bear with us while the works are carried out, as the benefits will be there to be enjoyed for years to come.’

The work will temporarily cause some disruption, which will be managed to prevent passengers from being too affected.

As well as equipping the trams with better passenger safety measures and replacing tracks in Piccadilly Gardens and London Road, plans also include installing electrical substations along parts of the Bury Line, providing additional power so that more double trams run in the future.

The Metrolink is also replacing much of the communications network critical to the operation of its signalling and control systems. 

Image: Hala AlGhanim

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Members of Kirklees Council have expressed their elation over 30 new affordable homes being built on a brownfield site in a sustainable location.

Following the demolition of the Stile Common Infant and Nursey School, which occurred in 2011, Kirklees Council, Homes England and West Yorkshire Combined Authority joined forces to deliver 30 new, affordable homes in Huddersfield.

Cedric Boston, chief executive of Unity Homes and Enterprise

The new homes will be comprised of two and three-bedroomed properties which will be delivered by BME Housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise. Unity was formed in 1987 with the objective of building a strong, BME-led, community housing association to address the needs of black and minority ethnic communities in Leeds. 

Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise chief executive, said: ‘We are excited to be expanding our presence in Kirklees with works getting underway on the Plane Street development.

‘The country continues to endure a national housing crisis which will only be eased with the construction of many more affordable homes.’

‘Unity is committed to playing our part to build high-quality properties for local communities that need them,’ Cedric said. ‘We welcome the strong support of Kirklees Council, Homes England and West Yorkshire Combined Authority in delivering this scheme.’

Now leading on two affordable housing schemes in Huddersfield and one in Cleckheaton, Unity owns and manages 1,386 properties for tenants from all communities and ethnic backgrounds in West Yorkshire.

In addition, Cllr Graham Turner has also voiced his gratitude for being able to help deliver must needed affordable housing to the market town.

Cllr Turner, cabinet member for finance and regeneration said: ‘It is fantastic that the council has used its land to create the opportunity for 30 affordable homes to be built on a brownfield site in a sustainable location.

‘I would like to thank council officers and partners at Unity Housing, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England in getting this project off the ground, using derelict land to help address our shortage of affordable homes to ensure that a high-quality scheme can be built.

‘I am pleased to see that 100 per cent of the housing on this site will be allocated for affordable homes to meet current and future needs.’

News of this new housing scheme taking off coincides with central government announcing that every council in England must prioritise brownfield developments – a site that is built on where a structure already exists. This is to ensure developers get permission to build on derelict patches in England’s 20 biggest towns and cities.

Images: Cedric Boston and EJ Yao

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Charlotte Hutchinson, from Carter Jonas, points out development delays often can’t be blamed on developers themselves. However, she suggests that if such a problem arises, experts could implement some short-term uses. 

Despite the Letwin Independent Review of Build Out largely exonerating the development industry of ‘landbanking’, developers are all too often criticised for leaving prime sites dormant behind hoardings.

But as those reading this will know, delay in progressing a development is rarely the choice of the developer: it is the unfortunate result of a range of issues. Letwin identified market absorption as the main reason for delay and other issues, then and now, have concerned planning hold-ups, a construction industry staff shortage and a difficulty of obtaining building materials. More recently the problem has been exacerbated by planning moratoriums on nutrient neutrality and electrical capacity, and local planning authorities stalling on decision-making due to political uncertainty.

If the gap between the developer’s commitment to a site and the first spade in the ground has grown, it is rarely at the behest of the developer, whose raison d’être is to develop.

And this is demonstrated by Carter Jonas’ clients up and down the country who are compensating for unavoidable delays in the most positive way possible – creating worthwhile ‘meanwhile uses’ on development sites.

The Evolution of meanwhile uses

Charlotte Hutchinson, in Carter Jonas’ London office, explains the evolution of meanwhile uses: ‘A meanwhile use is the short-term use of a temporarily empty building or site which is awaiting redevelopment or has a permission in place which is yet to be implemented. In London, meanwhile uses have been utilised for over ten years – from Flat Iron Square, Bankside’s popular food, drink and event destination, to King’s Cross’ iconic art installation and natural swimming pond Of Soil and Water.

At Elephant and Castle, Charlotte explains, ‘Lendlease introduced its highly successful Mercato Metropolitano at a disused paper factory. It gave new food and beverage businesses the opportunity to ‘incubate’ in a purposely designed new business hub. This concept proves highly successful and can be seen in cities across the country, allowing owners to test the market for their business ideas without committing to the ongoing cost of rent and business rates as is usually necessary. Ultimately those who may not have done so otherwise are given the opportunity to start a business. The social value of such spaces is now being recognised. Say, for example, someone who enjoys cooking for their family and friends and sees a gap in the market for their food. They may wonder if they could turn their interest into a viable business. Initially they may take on market stall, moving into a semi-permanent space within a dedicated meanwhile space with other vendors. This would attract footfall and then, with the reassurance that the food is popular, they may open a restaurant. It’s a good news story all round!’

Meanwhile uses in Cambridge

On the outskirts of Cambridge, Richard Seamark is working with, U+I on the regeneration of a former water treatment works. The 47-hectare site, part of the wider Cambridge Northern Fringe East will eventually host over 5,000 homes, office/ lab and employment space and a new district centre which will include a mix of retail, hotel, community and leisure, education and public spaces.

U+I’s vision for the area is to ‘draw on the innovative Cambridge environment and create a socially and economically inclusive, thriving, and low-carbon place for living and working’ and to ‘create a distinctive new part of Cambridge that will offer an amazing quality of life and respond to many of the challenges of the 21st century’.

 

In line with this philosophy, U+I is looking to fully embrace the concept of using meanwhile uses. The benefits are wide-ranging as Richard explains: ‘The size and complexity of the project will require development in phases, offering the opportunity to bring forward meanwhile uses that help provide early activation. The site lies adjacent to two of the more deprived wards in Cambridgeshire, and the use of meanwhile uses that offer social value can provide support to those areas of need.’ Foodbanks, charity shops and workspaces for arts groups have all benefitted in this way.

Separately, Richard’s team has worked with homelessness charity It Takes a City to address the growing problem of homelessness in Cambridge, specifically in providing emergency accommodation during the pandemic. Carter Jonas provided its planning services to enable the consent of six modular homes which were built off-site by social enterprise partner New Meaning Foundation and installed on an under-utilised parcel of land on Newmarket Road in Cambridge. While consent is temporary, it provides and important solution to a very significant housing challenge in the area until a longer-term, permanent solution can be found. As Richard explains, ‘Landowners and developers of large consented or allocated strategic sites are invariably pleased to provide an interim solution where land reserved for later phases of development could be made available on a shorter-term basis until that development phase is ready to commence. The same is true of Green Belt sites, where a landowner might have longer-term ambitions for Green Belt release or a Local Plan allocation, but the reality of delivering development for the intended purpose might be still many years away.

Meanwhile uses and social value

The social value of such initiatives is plain to see. ‘Beyond that,’ says Charlotte, ‘The development benefits in many other ways. The establishment of a new business hub or market which enables local residents to experiment with business ideas can result in the final scheme providing the spaces that those businesses need as they grow. Similarly, by providing a community arts or sports facility, a market or food hall, the developer is effectively ‘testing the water’ for a permanent use of this type – a very effective form of market research. Furthermore, simply maintaining a presence locally and engaging with the local community can help foster a good relationship with the local community, providing positive start to a public consultation exercise.’

Whatever the reasons for permanent structures to be delivered, there are many better ways to use a potential development site than hide it behind hoardings – with benefits to the community and developer alike.

Images: Stock

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