Reforming the Right to Buy
Following the consultation on this subject, the Government has responded with a set of reforms to be implemented when Parliamentary time allows. The changes include
- extension of Right to Buy eligibility to ten years,
- exempting newly built social and affordable housing from the Right to Buy for 35 years, and
- using more Right to Buy receipts to deliver new social and affordable housing.
Rough sleeping
The Mayor’s Rough Sleeping Plan of Action ensures that any Londoner at risk of homelessness can more easily access help no matter where in London they live, or which service they contact first.
A summary is here of the key initiatives and the dependencies on Government action to support the plan.
Comments from recipients of this update are welcomed on what their own borough does to support homeless people.
Safety in Social Rented homes
The Government announced in June 2025 its response to a 2022 consultation on electrical safety following the Grenfell Tower fire.
Mandatory electrical safety checks will be implemented in November 2025 for new social rented tenancies and May 2026 for existing tenancies. Private sector landlords have been required since 2020 to conduct such checks.
Reforms to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to speed up the review of new-build applications are being introduced.
To ensure all tenants live in safe, warm and decent homes, the Government has committed to update the 2004 Decent Homes Standard and the 2018 Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Council housing finances
London Councils’ report Crunch Point for London Council Housing Finances warns that boroughs are not in a position to maintain spending in real terms on council housing stock, despite the urgent need for investment in improving housing conditions and building new homes.
Councillor Grace Williams, Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, said: “A better future for London’s council housing is possible but it requires national policy decisions that give secure and sustainable finances.”
Planning appeals accelerated
More planning appeals that are decided via written representations will be processed faster under a new, simplified set of Government regulations. Only evidence put before the local planning authority during the application process will be accepted. Details of the changes and the effect on appellants, LPAs and interested parties are here.
The lawyer Simon Ricketts has commented on the revised procedure:
“If this results in a crisper appeal process, without any loss of quality, there is much to like here, although care will be needed:
- This makes it all the more important that applications when submitted are “appeal ready”, particularly as there is always a risk that the local planning authority may not allow amendments or additions to the application documentation to be submitted during the application process.
Flooding and Surface Water Strategy
A ‘Flood Ready London Partnership‘ of the Environment Agency, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor of London, Thames Water and TfL, supported by the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee has developed a London Surface Water Strategy.
The London Climate Resilience Review warned that London is under prepared for the impacts of climate change. The Environment Agency’s National Flood Risk Assessment highlights that almost 320,000 properties in London are at high risk of surface water flooding.
Design Review Panels
Urban Design Learning has published a Code of Conduct for Design Review Panels.
It is based on 110 responses to their survey of local authorities across the country, drawing on their experience of such panels and their views on what could help build trust in them and ensure design review advice is trusted, professional and consistent.
Communities and local authorities could check if their Design Review Panel meets this Code of Conduct.
Tube fares to increase
There will be annual above-inflation fare increases in London until 2029 as a result of a direction in a letter by the Transport Secretary to the Mayor.
Sir Sadiq Khan has been told that Transport for London fares should rise by the RPI rate of inflation – currently 4.3 per cent – plus one per cent in each of the next four years.
The Government will be closely monitoring how TfL uses the grant it received in the 2025 Spending Review.… Read more...
Assembly questions for next London Plan
The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee put questions on ‘Towards the next the London Plan’ on 9th June 2025 to two sets of guests.
The transcripts here and here of the discussions indicate what the Assembly may take into account in their scrutiny of London Plan Team work in preparing the 2026 draft replacement London Plan which will be consulted upon.
Comments by London Forum’s members on what was said are welcome, as there are likely to be variations across London on the points made by the representatives of organisations questioned by the committee.
Chewing gum stains
Keep Britain Tidy has allocated grants for local authorities in 2025 for cleaning chewing gum from pavements, as here. That website shows which Councils have received funding over the last four years. Most London boroughs have benefited, some of them two or three times. Residents will be the best judge of how effectively the money has been spent.
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Making Social Rent Homes viable
Noise Action Week 11th to 15th May 2026
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Member Services Committee meeting
📅 Thu 7th May | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)
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Planning, Environment and Transport committee meeting
📅 Thu 11th June | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)