The General Housing Consents 2013 published
March 28, 2013
The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued the General Housing Consents 2013. The consents, which came into force on 11 March 2013:
- Set out the situations where the specific consent of the Secretary of State is not required before a local authority disposes of council housing land and associated assets.
- Extend the freedom of local authorities in relation to the granting of leases and the disposal of reversionary interests.
Given that section 44 of the Housing Act 1985 provides that a disposal of a house without consent is void (unless it is a disposal of a single house to an individual), the only remedy for such a disposal is to make the disposal again with the consent since a section 32 consent cannot be given retrospectively.