Councils are being given back their central role as housing providers in a series of measures to increase the number of available homes. As a first step four Local Housing Companies have been announced and will see local authorities working with the private sector.
The four Companies will be in Barking and Dagenham, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Manchester. 

Carbon emissions from schools will be included in a carbon trading scheme for local authorities from the Spring of 2010. The move means that energy use in schools buildings will be counted in councils’ total emissions under the mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment set up to encourage local authorities to reduce emissions.
Councils will now be expected to provide help and advice to schools cutting both their energy bills and their carbon footprints. 

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