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This article clarifies common misconceptions about the RICS Valuer Registration Scheme (VRS) for local authority valuers, explaining how councils can register as Sponsoring Non-Regulated Organisations (SPONROs) and the obligations for both the authority and individual Registered Valuers.

Jemma Shorrock argues that achieving the government's ambitious housing targets requires a stronger partnership between public and private sectors and increased capacity within local authorities. She highlights the critical shortage of planning officers and the need for renewed investment in the front line to prevent housing applications from stalling.

Iain Mulvey explores a German local authority's proactive approach to residential development, where a public development company directly builds housing, captures developer profits, and borrows private sector money. He examines whether this model, which prioritizes community needs and sustainability, could offer solutions to the UK's housing challenges.