The General Housing Consents 2013 published

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.