UK Industrial Strategy
The Department for Business and Trade has published an Industrial Strategy, including a Technical Annex. It is a 10-year plan to significantly increase business investment in eight growth-driving sectors, by making it quicker and easier for businesses to invest and providing them with the certainty and stability needed for long-term investment decisions.
For each sector, the specific details of the Government’s approach will be set out in Sector Plans for each sector which are defined here.
Reforms to Building Energy Performance regime
A ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime’ consultation was published on 4th December 2024. It had proposals on what reformed Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will measure and when EPCs will be required.
The Government issued a partial response to that consultation on 9th March 2026 and intends to issue a further response in 2026 covering the remaining parts of the consultation and additional questions. Subject to parliamentary approvals, it is intended to bring forward regulations in 2026 to make these changes ahead of implementing new-style domestic EPCs.
![London Collisions Map [TfL]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/London-Collisions-Map.jpg?resize=1245%2C827&ssl=1)
Mayor’s ‘Vision Zero’ road safety plan
On 13th March 2026 the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) launched an updated ‘Vision Zero’ plan to significantly reduce road danger and prevent deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads over the next five years.
TfL is considering how to tackle the safety issues posed by oversized cars such as SUVs, which are increasingly common on London’s roads and more likely to cause deaths or serious injuries in collisions and are too wide for existing parking infrastructure.… Read more...
![Home based working [House of Lords]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Home-based-working-scaled.jpeg?resize=1280%2C1810&ssl=1)
Home-based working
The Government has responded positively to the report by the House of Lords Home-Based Working Select Committee and shares its view that home-based working can play an important role in supporting productivity, well-being and labour market participation.
The Department for Business and Trade says it is delivering on commitments in Plan to Make Work Pay, by introducing changes through the Employment Rights Act 2025 to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted.… Read more...
![Housing in London 2025 report - affordable housing starts [GLA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Housing-in-London-2025-report-002-22_1.png?resize=1280%2C909&ssl=1)
Housing in London 2025
The most recent Housing in London report includes five thematic chapters:
- Demographic, economic and housing context
- Housing stock and supply
- Housing costs and affordability
- Housing needs, including homelessness and overcrowding
- Mobility and decent homes
A PDF version is available here, while the data for this and previous reports can be found on the London Datastore here.
Housing in London is the evidence base for developing the Mayor’s Housing Strategy and for London Plan housing policies.… Read more...
Demo on affordable housing crisis
Chief Planning Officer’s newsletter
A recent newsletter by Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, in MHCLG to local authorities’ planning officers is here.
It includes:-
- New Plan-Making System
- Funding to support Local Plan implementation
- Compulsory purchase update
- Using AI to summarise consultation responses, see this video
- Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency
- Developers to comply with tree felling regulations
Website search improvements
We’ve long had an effective search facility on the website for current news, Insights, events and other pages. Last week there was an opportune moment to invest in an important additional feature to support our institutional knowledge: Search for our archive of several hundred pdf files
This is significant, in that the entire archive is now indexed and searchable, most notably ‘What We’ve said‘ since 2011, all reports and pdf attachments, plus historic editions of Insights and NewsForum.… Read more...
![Retrofit or Ruin [ image https://www.grosvenor.com ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/retrofit.webp?resize=1240%2C886&ssl=1)
Historic buildings needing upgrade
The Duke of Westminster, one of Britain’s biggest landowners, has criticised strict planning rules affecting upgrades to historic homes.
He owns 1,750 listed buildings as part of a property empire that includes some of London’s most impressive period buildings in Mayfair and Belgravia. Many require essential updating, not least for energy purposes.
![West London Orbital - proposed [Image: TfL]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/West-London-Orbital-TfL-1.jpg?resize=1280%2C1410&ssl=1)
West London Orbital
A post on the IanVisits website explains how the West London Orbital could run up to six trains an hour and provide ten new interchanges with rail and Underground services, alongside four new stations at Old Oak Common Lane, Neasden, Harlesden and Lionel Road, while some existing stations along the route would be upgraded to accommodate the new service. Funds have been allocated for the next stage of planning.
The project’s backers say the new rail link could support the construction of more than 25,000 homes and 11,500 jobs.
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More social housing
Planning Fees consultation response
The Queen Elizabeth II Garden
![Statutory consultees jigsaw - inspired by image by Markus Winkler [Unsplash] and made with AI](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Statutory_consultees.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1)
Statutory Consultees
Statutory consultees play an important role in the planning application process by providing expert advice on significant environmental, transport, safety, and heritage issues. There are currently 13 organisations that local planning authorities (LPAs) must consult about specialist issues when they receive relevant planning applications, from the Environment Agency and National Highways to Historic England.
Their role is very important, but there is widespread agreement that the system is not working well, causing needless duplication of effort and delays in making decisions.… Read more...
Most Popular This Week
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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)
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London Forum open meeting - Enforcement
📅 Mon 29th June | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
Speakers and agenda to be confirmed
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