English Heritage’s future
English Heritage has been reviewing its structure and has developed a series of proposals that will allow the charity to meet the opportunities and challenges of the next few years from a position of strength. The document explains the challenges and likely actions.
Home energy ratings
There is a consultation to 26Feb2025 on reforming the Energy Performance of Buildings regime to provide a system which provides homeowners and tenants with accurate information about the energy performance of their homes to allow them to make informed investment and purchase decisions. Also, to reducing carbon emissions, tackling fuel poverty, improving decency and the Warm Homes Plan.
Chief Planner’s newsletter Feb2025
Joanna Averley, the DHCLG Chief Planner, issued a newsletter on 11th February 2025. It covers a survey of local authority capacity and capability, corrections to the NPPF, the Land Use Framework consultation, fast-food outlets, compulsory purchase process and land compensation consultation, the duty to consult on felling of street trees and noise from new development.
Website and communications improvements
Since volunteering to take on management of London Forum’s website and email communications in November, having become a Trustee at the 2024 AGM, I’ve been making a few improvements, with a few more in the pipeline.
Using land value for new transport
The capital’s leading business campaign group BusinessLDN has produced a report on this subject here. It recommends building on the tax increment financing (TIF) model which allows borrowing against future increases in tax revenue resulting from infrastructure projects in order to finance transport schemes and calls on the Government to empower the GLA to do so.
Planning officers overwhelmed
An article by John Walker (ex planning Director at Westminster City Council) was published by New London Architecture (NLA) explaining how borough planning officers are overwhelmed by the complex planning system and the additional environmental factors to be considered for each application. They are under-resourced and lack the expertise for the new Government imposed obligations.
Putting up the national planning fees will not solve the resource problem in planning departments. [more…]
Connecting with nature
There is a short survey on Talk London asking what you think about London’s network of rivers, canals, docks, reservoirs, lakes and green and natural spaces. It will take about 10 minutes to complete and it will close on Sunday 16 February 2025.
You can sign up with Talk London here for opportunities to make input to GLA activities and discussions.
A Cap The Towers victory at Friary Park
Campaigners in LB Ealing have opposed a tall and over powering development of many buildings on Friary Park. This video shows their persistence may be successful but ‘Who are these tower block homes meant for?’. There are issues about how Councils devise and uphold policies on context and building heights and identify where tall buildings should be, as in London Plan policies D1 and D9.… Read more...
Assembly Tall Buildings scrutiny
The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee is investigating homes in London’s tall buildings and their effect, with a call for evidence until 4th March 2025 to which societies could respond.
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Design Planning Practice Guidance
Cost-of-living crisis
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Low cost solar panels
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🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in the news and in business these days – we even used it to generate the image for this event. How can it help your civic society ? Do you need to be an expert? (No!) Civic societies are often under-resourced, and at this event we’ll show that with a little knowledge, illustrated with examples, AI can bolster your resources in several useful ways, without necessarily spending a penny. Please book here ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/using-ai-in-your-civic-society#booking ). Agenda Firstly by way of introduction, we’ll look at some novel…
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Member Services Committee meeting
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🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)