Andy Burnham urged to prioritise construction skills shortages to plug huge gap needed for housing target

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham has been urged to prioritise skill shortage areas as part of his technical education revolution to help deal with the housing crisis

The local leaders will be able to overrule councils to green light significant building projects - or block them.

NewsUK NewsHousingIt would represent a major shift in how things are done08:36, 23 Aug 2026Updated 08:39, 23 Aug 2026Prime Minister Andy Burnham(Image: Carl Court/PA)Andy Burnham is set to give mayors new powers to take control of local planning decisions and greenlight large-scale developments in proposals to be unvei

Andy Burnham has announced a major new package of measures11:30, 21 Aug 2026'High-performing' civil servants will be shipped into mayoral offices - including Greater Manchester's - with Andy Burnham's government declaring 'the days of Westminster hoarding power are over'.‌Whitehall officials will be posted into mayors'

Sinn Féin fails to push through social housing on enviromentally protected land in West Belfast v.1

Andy Burnham is to give mayors across the country new responsibilities for cracking down on illegal toxic waste dumps which are currently costing the taxpayer an estimated £1bn a year.