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  • East Hampshire To Double Council Tax On Long-Term Empty Homes

East Hampshire To Double Council Tax On Long-Term Empty Homes

Plus: Several families offered payouts over SEND failings

Author

Avinash Duggempudi
August 21, 2025

Local Government

Here's what's happening this week in the world of local government:

  • East Hampshire to double council tax on long-term empty homes

  • Two Wirral families offered payouts over SEND failings

  • GDS tests population movement data for service planning.

  • Green light to transform former GP surgery into Special Educational Needs school

  • Food waste rollout funding uncertainty risks 2025 readiness.

⏱️THE MINUTE READ

We have just learnt that Northumberland County Council is the latest local authority to adopt the Agilisys EHCP tool. We have been tracking AI’s use in SEND and we are intrigued to see more councils using AI in critical parts of the SEND process! ​

By integrating GenAI into their EHCP drafting process, Northumberland is joining a growing network of forward-thinking councils focused on improving quality, reducing time pressures, and enabling teams to prioritise children and families.​

Want to learn more, explore Agilisys’s EHCP tool here - Agilisys EHCP Tool | Agilisys

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

East Hampshire District Council will cut the trigger for empty homes premiums from two years to one from 1 April 2026, applying a 100% premium for 1–5 years, 200% for 5+ and 300% for 10+. The move tightens incentives to bring properties back into use while boosting revenues. Revenues, legal and housing teams should prep for data matching, exemptions management and communications with owners.

Leeds has approved a 40-place SEND school at the former Sunfield Medical Centre, capping staff at 14 to address transport and parking constraints. The decision shows how estate repurposing can add targeted capacity, though infrastructure limits shape scale and operations. Commissioners and planners should note the balance struck between local need, traffic impact and deliverability.

The Ombudsman ordered Wirral Council to pay nearly £8,000 after delays in issuing an EHCP and securing provision, citing staffing gaps and poor communication. Beyond immediate redress, the cases spotlight legal exposure and reputational risk from process failures and capacity shortages. Leaders should consider strengthened casework resourcing, EP availability and proactive communications to mitigate repeat findings.

GDS reports findings from an Innovation Sandbox with 18 public bodies showing how anonymised mobility data can improve service targeting and place planning, while highlighting market issues around validation, bias, pricing and procurement fit. This creates a pathway to operationalise PMD via dashboards and APIs, provided teams invest in data skills, governance and supplier transparency. Digital, data and place leaders should assess PMD for events, parks, transport and economic development use cases.

⚡QUICK READS

Councils Bite Back At Food Waste Recycling Rollout Plan: Government will not confirm funding allocations until months before rollout, creating procurement and readiness risks for 2025 food waste services.(More)

Village Scores New Sports Facilities Thanks To Six-Figure Investment Boost: North Lincolnshire Council’s £126k grant for Messingham changing rooms signals continued community sport investment, with ongoing maintenance and operating cost implications.(More)

Ministerial Visit Highlights Progress Of Dunfermline New City Assembly: Scottish Government backs a citizens’ assembly pilot in Dunfermline, with sessions planned for Jan–Feb 2026, testing scalable participatory models for local decisions.(More)