Latest news with #MinistryOfHousing
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's civil servants launch 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot WFH
Civil servants in 's department are launching a 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot work from home. Staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin the industrial action next week. It follows a dispute over the closure of six offices, the scrapping of 'location-neutral' contracts, and the enforcement of 'rigid' office attendance policies. Members of the Public and Commecial Services (PCS) union, which represents civil servants, will begin action short of a strike on Monday. This will see MHCLG staff who are PCS members work to contract, remove goodwill, and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes. Civil servants in Ms Rayner's department are said to feel particularly frustrated as the Deputy PM is spearheading Labour's reforms to workers' rights. The Employment Rights Bill includes a right to request flexible working, including working from home, and measures to boost trade unions' powers. The legislation will increase the burden of justificaion on bosses so that they must accept a flexible working request unless it is 'not reasonably feasible'. The Bill also seeks to give trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers. Martin Cavanagh, the PCS president, said: 'From removing staff from an office before the lease expires to spuriously challenging lawful notices of industrial action, the employer seems intent to avoid proper consultation, disregard fair process and alienate its staff. 'Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate.' A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have engaged with unions and staff about a number of proposals – including plans to expand four offices outside of London and close six offices over the next two years, as leases come to an end. 'The department will continue to have offices in every English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles.'
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Self-service platform for issuing property title deeds launched
Muscat: In a major stride towards enhancing digital governance and streamlining public services, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has officially launched a new self-service platform for issuing digital property title deeds. The service allows beneficiaries to obtain their title deeds instantly and electronically, eliminating the need for in-person visits to service halls. This initiative marks a significant shift in simplifying procedures. By enabling immediate issuance of ownership documents online, the ministry anticipates reducing the time spent on such services by over 70 per cent and cutting in-person visits by 60 per cent in the first year alone. In addition to efficiency and speed, the initiative aligns with the ministry's sustainability goals. It complements a broader digital transition strategy that includes internal communications, external documentation and now the issuance of secure digital title deeds. Each document is embedded with an electronic verification code, ensuring both accuracy and authenticity. Users can access the traditional version of their property deed through the 'Amlak' platform. Dr Moamen bin Abdullah al Busaidy, Adviser to the Minister for Smart Cities, emphasised the significance of the launch, stating: 'This is a critical step towards a fully digital ownership system. Our ambition is for the majority of the public to adopt electronic title deeds by the end of next year. It will save both time and effort for users, who previously had to physically visit various service locations.' Dr Al Busaidy added that the ministry is currently developing smart services designed to anticipate citizens' needs and deliver information and entitlements proactively — without requiring formal requests. Future enhancements will also enable mobile access to services and real-time interactions with intelligent data systems, further reducing the need to contact support staff directly. Dr Rashid bin Mohammed al Ghilani, CEO of the Oman National Engineering and Investment Company (Oneic), which is partnering with the ministry on the project, commented: 'This strategic collaboration marks a transformative milestone in Oman's digital journey. We are committed to delivering secure and efficient technological solutions that enhance citizen experience and drive public sector innovation. We are proud of the trust placed in us by the ministry and look forward to further partnerships in line with Oman Vision 2040. To maximise accessibility and inclusivity, the new service will gradually be rolled out across more than 300 locations. These include all ministry service halls, Oneic branches and self-service kiosks operating around the clock in all governorates. This expansive rollout is expected to improve operational efficiency and raise customer satisfaction levels to 95 per cent.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Young people in the East of England struggle to buy a first home
The government wants 1.5 million new homes to be built in England by 2029 but, with the average house in the East costing £332,000, about nine times the average salary, what chance do young people have of getting on the housing ladder?Lauren Finch, 29, told BBC Politics East a mortgage broker advised her to ask for a pay rise, get a new job or find a partner to move in with her 28-year-old sister at her parent's home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, she often finds herself house-sitting for friends as a way to get some said her £24,000 salary at a GP surgery meant she could only afford a £90,000 home and would struggle to find a property in the area where she would feel safe."I feel frustrated that I'm at this age and living at home and it is a little bit soul-destroying," she is an option she hopes to avoid: "People I know who rent, struggle to save any money for a (mortgage) deposit." Former Miss Cromer Charlotte Spendlove rents a room in a friend's house and said she received similar advice on getting on the housing ladder."They tell you you have to do x, y and z. They've said I need to get an extra job. At one time I had three jobs. But it's not a way of life," she 26-year-old believes people with second homes are driving up house prices and wants the government to look into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it inherited a "devastating housing crisis" and was providing support for first-time buyers. Average house prices vary across the East of England, according to the Office for National Statistics:Cambridge: £521,000Colchester: £302,000Northampton: £258,000Norwich: £232,000Ipswich: £228,000The average annual rent in the East of England is approximately £15,660, based on an average monthly rent of £1,305, a 4.2% increase on the previous year. Environmentalist and archaeologist Helen Geake, a former Green councillor from Suffolk, said: "We have a surplus of homes but they are being used in the wrong way, being used for second homes, or short-term lets, or empty."Also, private rentals are a very inefficient use of a house. We have got to see more homes with owner-occupiers and socially rented."James Palmer, chair of regional business champion the Eastern Powerhouse, has called for better infrastructure to be built to support new at a BBC Politics East special at the Big Sky Living development at Cringleford, on the outskirts of Norwich, he said: "The public transport in the East is appalling."We need a long-term infrastructure plan to then deliver the homes." A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokeswoman said: "We have inherited a devastating housing crisis."As set out in our plan for change, we will build 1.5 million new homes and give working people the stability and security of a home they deserve."We're committed to supporting first-time buyers with a new permanent mortgage guarantee scheme, helping them take their first crucial step on the ladder with a small deposit." BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 22 June at 10:00 BST on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Proof UK cares more about asylum seekers than its own citizens? Shock figures show councils are housing up to 10 times more asylum seekers than homeless people
Seventeen councils are accommodating up to 10 times more asylum seekers than homeless people, analysis suggests. The biggest disparity was seemingly in Pendle, a borough inside Reform's newly-gained Lancashire authority. Latest Government data shows 453 asylum seekers are being housed in Pendle. In contrast, only nine homeless households are in temporary accommodation. Critics of Britain's immigration policy have seized upon the figures as proof we are ran by people who 'care more about illegal migrants than its own citizens'. However, officials criticised MailOnline's 'misleading' analysis and argued that they could not control where homeless people choose to live. The full results of our investigation can be viewed in our interactive map, which lays bare the true situation in every council. Home Office data shows 89,000 asylum seekers – the equivalent of a town the size of Stevenage, Hastings or Southport – were being housed across England as of the end of March. By comparison, 128,000 homeless 'households' were in temporary accommodation heading into 2025. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which keeps track of the number of homeless 'households', says their overall estimate equates to around 295,000 people. Because it does not list specific figures for each council, the only way of comparing the two is by posting homeless households against the number of asylum seekers. Ten councils did not publish figures on homeless households, meaning they were excluded from our analysis. In total, more than a third of England's councils currently house asylum seekers at double the rate of homeless households. Behind Pendle came Stockton-on-Tees (797 asylum seekers vs 26 homeless households) and Wyre (375 asylum seekers vs 14 homeless households). Robert Bates, of the Centre for Migration Control thinktank, said: 'Those who were born here and have contributed to the economy have been abandoned, and left on the streets, in favour of undocumented young men towards whom we should have no moral or legal obligation. 'Thousands of British veterans and families are facing real hardship but are denied even a fraction of the generosity extended to asylum seekers. 'Scattering these people across the country places further strain on communities suffering with a dysfunctional housing market, increasing rents and making it harder for young people to own a home. What is an asylum seeker? Asylum is protection given by a country to someone fleeing from persecution in their own country. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for asylum and is awaiting a decision on whether they will be granted refugee status. An asylum applicant who does not qualify for refugee status may still be granted leave to remain in the UK for humanitarian or other reasons. An asylum seeker whose application is refused at initial decision may appeal the decision through an appeal process and, if successful, may be granted leave to remain. 'Anyone entering the country illegally should be detained and swiftly deported - it is only then that we can hope this madness will end.' While an asylum seeker is waiting to hear the outcome of their claim, the Home Office is legally obligated to provide them housing if they need it. If they are successful they become recognised as refugees – entitled to work and receive full state benefits. From that point on, councils have statutory responsibility to look after housing, if the refugees are unable to. But councils do not provide accommodation to everyone and instead use a priority system, which takes into account children and other vulnerability factors, to decide who gets a home. It means that some refugees may also fall under the homeless category in official statistics. Fuelled by an explosion in small boat crossings, the cost of accommodating asylum seekers has tripled to £4.2million a day. Around 30,000 are currently kept in hotels, where they are usually provided meals along with £8.86 per week. The Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised last week to end the housing of asylum seekers in hotels over the next four years. The handout amount rises to £49.18 per week if no meals are provided. Extra money is also provided to pregnant mothers and young children. As well as getting free accommodation, asylum seekers are also entitled to taxpayer-funded NHS healthcare, prescriptions, dental care and children under 18 are required to go to school, where they may be able to get free meals. Homeless people in temporary accommodation are offered full state benefits such as Universal Credit, and some hostels provide food that is paid through a service charge. Those living in temporary accommodation make up the vast majority of homeless people, with only around 3,900 sleeping rough on any given night, according to the charity Shelter. Critics claim that many homeless people have paid council tax and contributed for years to British tax and society, unlike asylum seekers. Around four in five of those assessed as needing homeless relief of some kind were British nationals, according to the latest data. Some of those left out in the cold are even veterans and ex-service personnel who have fought for the country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Concerns have been raised that they may have to make do with a concrete pillow in a shop doorway, while they look up to see asylum seekers getting a cosy hotel bed on the same street. Life on the streets is often dangerous, with rates of drinking and drug abuse high, leading to high rates of poor mental health and death compared to those who have a bed. Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK, said: 'Over 100,000 people applied for asylum in 2024, including main applicants and their dependants. There will be just as many seeking asylum this year. 'If they're not in hotels, they will have to be housed elsewhere. 'Then there's the 430,000 net migration added to the population last year. 'Well over half a half a million people needing a roof over their heads, roofs that won't be available to British citizens. 'When will the Government see sense and end this madness? Get a grip, Sir Keir!' The public has been expressing their discontentment with the apparent unfairness of the situation for some time. A recent survey by IPSOS found 68 per cent of the public deem the numbers coming to the UK to seek refugee status or asylum too high. And in March when MailOnline visited Coventry, the local authority with the fifth-highest number of supported asylum seekers in Britain, locals expressed their frustration with the process. Louse and Dee said they were living in temporary accommodation and claimed the increasing numbers of asylum seekers in the area was making the housing shortage worse. Louise, 37, said: 'I'm currently homeless. The houses go to the asylum seekers rather than the actual homeless. 'I'm in a shared accommodation and I am technically homeless. 'I think the Government should be looking after their own before helping other people. 'I don't think the city can handle the amount of people coming in.' Dee, 38, said she had to live separately from her husband just to find a bed to sleep in and blasted the Government. 'I think it's ridiculous that asylum seekers can come over here and get housed but my husband, who has paid taxes his whole life, is on the street. 'I'm homeless too, we've had to separate so that one of us can get somewhere to sleep. 'I don't think we can handle the numbers, we can't house the people who are from this city. 'If they come over here and work and pay into the system, fair play to them. I know diverse people who I call my family. But the fact is, we need to help our own.' In Manchester in November 2024, protesters against asylum seekers being housed locally held up signs which said 'House Our Homeless First'. There have been some recent cases of local authorities block-booking entire hotels for homeless people, in the same way the Home Office does for asylum seekers. Last year Milton Keynes council signed a deal to use all 140 rooms of Harben House Hotel for five years, which it will use to house homeless people. A report in August revealed that the council was spending around £20m a year on temporary accommodation mainly in the private rented sector and it needed to find lower cost spaces. In the battle for scarce accommodation, councils have lost out on renting hotels due to Home Office contractors seeking space for asylum seekers outbidding them. Furthermore, many asylum seekers become homeless once they are granted refugee status and have to find their own accommodation. They are given 56 days to move on from asylum accommodation following the issue of their decision, which was extended from 28 days in December, but some campaigners complain it is still not enough time. The No Accommodation Network (Naccom), an umbrella organisation for 140 frontline groups working with asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants across the UK, said homelessness among refugees has doubled in the last year. In data shared with the Guardian in November, it said 1,941 refugees had now found themselves without accommodation – the highest number they had ever dealt with. A Government spokesperson said: 'This analysis is incorrect and misleading as it compares the number of individual asylum seekers with homeless households, which can contain more than one person. 'We've taken immediate action to fix the broken asylum system this Government inherited, by increasing asylum decision making by 52 per cent and removing 30,000 people with no right to be here. We have already made asylum savings of half a billion. 'We are also taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, fix the foundations of local Government and drive forward our Plan for Change by providing £1bn for crucial homelessness services this year so councils can support families faster.'
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
New natural park to be developed in the Bausher Sands area of Muscat Governorate
Muscat: In a significant move towards sustainable urban growth, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has issued a Royal Decree No. 55/2025, officially designating a new public benefit project in the heart of the capital. The natural park will be developed in the Bausher Sands area of Muscat Governorate. The project, announced in coordination with the Muscat Municipality and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, aims to preserve and transform one of Muscat's rare natural landscapes into a sustainable, eco-conscious urban space. According to the decree, the initiative will play a critical role in activating the national urban development strategy by aligning environmental stewardship with long-term urban planning. The key highlights of the project include: - Advancing the National Strategy for Urban Development through focused management of the natural environment and cultural heritage. - Repurposing the natural topography of Bausher Sands into a driver of sustainable growth and recreation. - Safeguarding a unique ecological asset nestled in the capital city. According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning: 'The Bausher Sands Park project is part of Oman's national urban development strategy under the theme "Natural Environment and Heritage Management." Its purpose is to safeguard the unique sandy terrain as a natural landmark, protect the site's environmental identity, ensure harmony between urban planning and nature, and link city landmarks through eco-friendly pathways. The ministry added: 'the Bousher Sands Park Project reflect the vision of 'Greater Muscat' through 'Vital Muscat' and 'Productive Muscat' by Recreational activities and public spaces enhance Vital Muscat, Domestic tourism and economic opportunities support Productive Muscat, Licensing leveraged for innovative environmental activities, and Balanced development embodies the concept of sustainable development. In this regard, the Muscat Municipality has completed its design phase of Bausher Sands Development Project which is set to transform over 300,000 square metres of area in the Bausher Sands area of Muscat. The plan features a range of architectural elements, including a visitor center, food and beverage outlets, car-related facilities, and multi-level parking. With sustainability as a core goal, the project aspires to achieve LEED certification for its buildings, reflecting a commitment to eco-conscious urban expansion while enhancing the site's appeal as a recreational and tourism hub.
