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![Manual for streets 2010 [CiHT]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/manua-for-streets-2-1-scaled-e1776252588896.jpg?fit=1810%2C1810&ssl=1)
Manual for Streets 3
The DfT has circulated a draft of the eagerly awaited Manual for Streets update.
Christopher Martin expresses the wish that it must not become just another well-meaning advisory document.
He wrote “My hope for the next Manual for Streets is simple: That it stops asking politely. That it gives practitioners permission, and obligation, to design streets around people, not vehicles.”
The source of this news item is an article in Building Design.
Environmental Outcomes Reports
In March 2023, the previous government published a consultation on Environmental Outcomes Reports.
The current Government has published its response to the EOR consultation. It gives a summary of the 278 responses made and states that there will be a consultation on EOR regulations and guidance.
The lawyer Nicola Gooch of Birketts has published a blog explaining that Environmental Outcomes Reports will be introduced to replace the current system of Strategic Environmental Assessments Also, the blog provides a useful list of all of the secondary legislation introduced [more…]
Chief Planning Officer’s newsletter
A long newsletter by Chief Planner of MHCLG, Joanna Averley, was published to local authorities’ planning officers on 27th March 2026, covering:-
- Decision delegation,
- Emergency measures to support London housebuilding,
- Refundable deposit scheme for certain single-use drink containers,
- LPAs to set their own planning application fees,
- Government intervention if a LPA intends to refuse planning permission for a housing scheme of 150 dwellings or more,
- Regulations for new Local Plans to be submitted by 31 December 2026,
- The expedited appeals process,
- A Land Use Framework, and
- The Future Homes and Buildings Standards.
![Between skyscrapers and semis [GLA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Between-skyscrapers-and-semis-REPORT01.jpg?fit=1191%2C1684&ssl=1)
Mid-Rise housing
London is missing out on the benefits of mid-rise housing, and clearer planning policy is needed, according to a new report from the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee published in March 2026.
Chair of the committee, James Small‑Edwards AM, said:
“Mid-rise housing offers the liveable, human‑scale density that residents want and that our city needs. Our recommendations set out practical steps to support higher-quality development, rebuild trust with communities, and ensure the next London Plan provides a stronger, more strategic approach to meeting London’s housing needs.”
![The Antwerp Arms, ACV 2013 [ Photo Antwerp Arms ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/saveourpub.jpg?fit=1000%2C574&ssl=1)
Changes to Assets of Community Value rules
Communities and local leaders will benefit from new powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, to protect local spaces, shape their high streets, and celebrate culture, according to a Government press release here.
Local people will see stronger and more public scrutiny of their regional mayors, through new Local Scrutiny Committees.
The Community Right to Buy listing period doubles from five to ten years and the Bill introduces the separate category of “sporting assets of community value”.
The lawyer Simon Ricketts warns land owners of the problems that [more…]
![Crews Hill Station [Photo: Enfield Society]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Crews-Hill-station-1024x614-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C614&ssl=1)
New Towns consultation
On 23rd March 2026 the Government issued a consultation on the New Towns draft programme, including Crews Hill and Chase Park in LB Enfield and Thamesmead in LB Greenwich. The consultation ends on 19th May 2026.
Consultations were commenced also on fees for planning applications, the types of applications that may have to be referred to the Secretary of State and a policy paper on the implementation proposals for streamlining infrastructure planning.
In a blog by the lawyer Nicola Gooch of Birketts, links to those announcements are [more…]
Peckham Vision message about National Housing Demonstration
On 16th March, London Forum issued an update about an 18th April National Housing Demonstration about the crisis of lack of social housing and secure affordable private rented accommodation, making it almost impossible for most people in London to get a decent home.
We have been asked by one of our members, Peckham Vision, to send London Forum members a plea for people to sign up to attend the event and receive notification of where it will be held.
The letter from Eileen Conn is here.
Demolition and Redevelopment or Retrofit
Research was commissioned by MHCLG between September and November 2024 to understand how planning policy and guidance supports decision-making on the demolition or retrofit of buildings.
The report by Verian on that research is here. There is strong support for clearer national guidance, standardised carbon assessment methods, fiscal measures such as VAT harmonisation to incentivise retrofit, and mandating consideration of retrofit in planning applications.
Stakeholders highlighted challenges including Local Authority resource constraints and skills gaps in retrofit delivery.
The Government has not indicated yet the next steps.
![GSK House, Great West Road Brentford [photo: by Thomas Nugent]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GSK_House_Brentford_from_the_air.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1)
Golden Mile development
Hounslow council has unveiled a £7.5bn masterplan to build up to 14,000 homes along a stretch of the Great West Road in west London.
Set to be built over the next 15 years, the Golden Mile London plan is aiming to position this part of the capital as a leading creative and tech innovation district.
The launch of the programme follows Hounslow council’s approval of Hadley Property Group’s redevelopment of the former GSK headquarters at 980 Great West Road.
The source of this story is Building Design.
London Infrastructure Framework
With the next London Plan in development, London needs strategic priority infrastructure projects to deliver its economic, housing and resilience ambitions. The Mayor has published a London Infrastructure Framework (LIF) to translate the vision into delivery.
It includes a London Infrastructure Framework Explorer to provide a visual and interactive way to explore the projects featured in the LIF Portfolio. The tool enables users to identify where infrastructure schemes with the highest impact on London’s key outcomes are located, and the different economic sectors they relate [more…]
Are London’s High Streets and Town Centres in Crisis? Meeting report
We held a lively meeting last week, chaired by Michael Bach (pictured), examining the many issues around high streets and the night time economy. We had four expert speakers, and a significant number of audience questions.
For the first time, we video-recorded the event. The video and audio recordings are posted on the event page. We used AI to generate a summary, plus an even shorter summary here. If you’d like to discover how we did this, please book for our AI talk at the end of [more…]
![Planning meeting [AI generated]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Mar-28-2026-12_36_42-PM.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1)
Planning Committee reform and boosting home building
There is a consultation to 23rd April 2026 on draft regulations and guidance for planning committee reforms from the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 which covers delegation of planning decisions and the size of planning committees, published with the Government’s response to the associated 2025 technical consultation.
The lawyer Nicola Gooch of Birketts explains the consultation in a blog here.
Nicola covers also the other Government’s publication on 25th March 2026 of the final set of emergency measures to boost London house building [more…]