Action on extreme heat
The GLA has issued a Heat Ready London report.
The Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee has pushed the Government on action to tackle the “silent killer” of extreme heat.
In a letter he asks the Government how it plans to tackle overheating in hospitals, care homes, schools and prisons, as well as measures such as establishing maximum workplace temperatures, prescribing active cooling such as air conditioning, changing school timetables and ensuring new housing is resilient to future heat. Details are in this article June [more…]
How Effective is Planning Enforcement? Meeting Record & Video
Last week we held a well-attended talk on the subject of Planning Enforcement, chaired by Brian Keane of PE&T, which we recorded.
Our two guest speakers were both subject matter experts, each with decades of experience: Roald Piper of Westminster, and Tim Rolt of Brent both managing their respective council’s enforcement teams. The thoroughly engaged audience enjoyed the often amusing anecdotes, and posed incisive questions in Q&A sessions following each speaker – included in the recording.
Using a transcript, we’ve created a 1000 word summary record of the meeting [more…]
Consultation on Heathrow expansion
A Draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) consultation has been published with a deadline for responses by 1st September 2026.
London Forum has prepared a briefing note for its members and asks you to feed your views back to us on the consultation questions in it by 7th August if possible; so that the London Forum can submit comments to the government before the deadline.
We also very much encourage you in parallel to respond directly to the government, both [more…]
AI tool to halve planning decision times
A new AI facility is being tested in Barnet and Camden boroughs to speed up decision times.
The facility assesses applications, summarises key information and provides planning officers with an initial assessment they can consider.
The aim is to halve decision times to four weeks on the 70% of all applications which are submitted by householders.
A second AI tool helps planning officers convert decades-old planning documents and maps, sometimes with handwritten notes, into readily usable data in minutes
Please see the Government’s announcement, the Extract [more…]
![Cross-Keys [Photo: Hammersmith Society/Collins]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Cross-Keys-Hammersmith.jpg?resize=1280%2C1020&ssl=1)
Garden Annexe, Caravan, or Mobile Home?
Tim Catchpole of the Mortlake and East Sheen Society writes…
Our Society has had a recent experience which we would like to share with other London Forum members who may or may not have had a similar experience.
As a rule we do not normally make comments on planning applications for any development that is not visible from the public realm. However, the application in question was for planning permission for the ‘construction of a granny annex ancillary to the main house.’ We were not going to [more…]
Social Housing Bill
The Social Housing Bill has passed through stages in the House of Lords, where the latest version is available, and will be considered next by MPs.
The Government published details of the Bill, updated to 15th June 2026, stating that “The Social Housing Bill will protect much-needed social housing stock, give affordable housing providers the clarity and confidence they need to build more social homes, and better protect tenants.”
Biodiversity Net Gain applies to NSIP schemes
Since May 2026, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has applied in England to nationally significant infrastructure projects, as well as housing and smaller developments. This means those implementing major road, rail and energy schemes now have a legal obligation to leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before construction started. Further BNG changes are being considered by Government for July 2026.
It gives community organisations a better basis for making representations to planning authorities on development proposals.
Government details about Biodiversity Net Gain have been [more…]
Chief Planner’s newsletter June 2026
Joanna Averley’s latest newsletter to local authorities’ planning officers covers:-
Policy and Guidance Updates
- New Plan-Making System Update
- Compulsory Purchase
- National Scheme of Delegation for Planning Decisions
- Department for Transport: forthcoming cost recovery regulations
- Active Travel England: new statutory role in local plans and supplementary plans
- Historic England Good Practice Guide on archaeology and solar farms
- Neighbourhood Planning Guidance and Toolkits
Funding Opportunities, Research and Events
- Demolition or retrofit?
- NSIP Innovation and Capacity Fund
- Update on Planning recruitment
- MHCLG Planning Skills and Capacity Survey
The thicket of detailed standards thwarting housebuilding in London is not the answer
Ben Derbyshire asks whether it is time to rethink the section 106 system and regulatory framework for housebuilding in London in this Housing Today article
London delivered less than 6% of its target for 88,000 new homes in 2025. Some of the issues impacting delivery are completely beyond local control – interest rates, supply chain inflation, global economic uncertainty and so on.
But increasingly there are sources saying the regulatory burden on new home building is even more significant. Emergency measures (fiddling while Rome burns?) [more…]
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Protection for Public Green Space
The Government will review the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections for public recreational green spaces, assess how ...
![Greenwich Park, London [Photo: Pexels]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Greenwich-Park-London-Pexels.jpg?fit=150%2C100&ssl=1)
Parks and Climate Change
The Heritage Fund worked with Historic England to better understand how the climate crisis is affecting the UK’s natural heritage ...
Ongoing District Line service problems
East Putney, Southfields, Wimbledon Park and Wimbledon stations together see over 29 million entries and exits a year but there ...
Planning for Telecoms Masts
Most of us now carry smart phones around with us all the time: they have become an essential part of modern life. For most of the time when we are out and [more…]
Most Popular This Week
Member News
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Will the London Plan deliver the housing and places London needs?
📆 Mon 14th September | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
A last chance to shape the London Plan — join us next Monday. The draft London Plan proposes that 50% of all new homes be affordable. With competition for homes, industrial and other uses, some housing will be built in what is now Green Belt land. This is an important subject covering proposals for housing development in London for the next 20 years. Book now ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/will-the-london-plan-deliver-the-housing-and-places-london-needs/#booking ) for this Open Meeting on Monday 14th September. We’ve invited the London Plan team to talk about: The amount of housing required to meet…
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Planning, Environment and Transport committee meeting
📅 Thu 8th October | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)