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Right to Buy sales
The Government published figures in a report for the number of social homes sold, the number replaced and the receipts for LPAs.
Annual eligible sales in London peaked at 4,000 in 2014 and declined after that as discounts were reduced, although receipts from sales remained high.
Replacement properties for those sold have increasingly failed to meet the one-for-one target since 2017-18, as described in the report, and some reasons are suggested.
Chief Planner’s update
On 19th August 2025 Joanna Averley, the MHCLG Chief Planner issued an update to planners in local authorities on recent Government planning proposals, a faster Local Plan system, reform of the Statutory Consultee system, planning fees, a consultation on electricity network infrastructure and a survey on the use of digital Design Codes.
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) has produced a toolkit to help councils review their planning committees.
Assembly Affordable Housing report
The London Assembly Housing Committee published a report on affordable housing delivery. It shows that, as of March 2025, starts had been made on 5,200 new homes compared with a target of a minimum of 17,800.
Details and comments are at
London Assembly affordable housing monitor 2025.
Savills: Challenges for affordable housing delivery in London.
Rhys Williams: Politics and market reality are worlds apart.
Funding for Councils
London Councils, representing all local authorities in London, is urging the government to ensure its Fair Funding Review 2.0 proposals distribute funding to local authorities fairly and efficiently on the basis of need. London Councils’ analysis here highlights serious issues within the Government’s proposals that risk dramatically underestimating levels of need for local services in London.
London Councils is calling for a more accurate approach to assessing local levels of need, which is key to ensuring available resource matches need, sustaining hard-pressed local services, and restoring local government’s financial stability.
The IFS has [more…]
Living on the streets
TfL have been granted permission to clear a temporary encampment of homeless people on the strip of green land in the centre of Park Lane. The Mayor pledged to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030, as in the update in July on rough sleeping.
Figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) released as here show that almost 4,400 people were “living on the streets” in London from April – June 2025 which is up 26% from the same period last year and more than double compared to ten years ago.
The charity CRISIS makes recommendations to [more…]
Lime loses e-bike contract
Hounslow Council has sacked Lime as the provider of e-bike services in the borough after a string of complaints from residents. In June 2025 there were nearly 30,000 active Lime users there but a minority of them dumped bikes anywhere.
Forest and Voi will become the borough’s exclusive e-bike operators from Monday 11 August 2025. A report is on the local community website here.
Building More Homes
The Housing and Land Directorate in the GLA has presented for approval by the Mayor a Building More Homes strategic programme to contribute to the aim that Londoners live in homes they can afford. Details are here.
It includes activity towards meeting the Mayor’s commitment to deliver 40,000 new council homes, delivery of 6,000 ‘rent control’ homes for key workers by 2030 and establishing a new City Hall developer.
The Future of Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus
Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate are working together to reimagine the public realm of Regent Street, Haymarket, and Piccadilly Circus.
This site on the Commonplace platform contains tools to get involved, and a survey that members may wish to complete.
Civil Society Covenant
On 21 July, Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, launched the Civil Society Covenant. By civil society, the document is intended to cover “charities, not-for-profit organisations, volunteer-led initiatives, social enterprises, campaign groups and grass roots organisations”. In her introduction, Nandy states that:
“We believe civil society has a powerful voice that must be heard in the rooms where decisions are made and that it is only by working together that we will build a self-confident nation where everybody’s contribution is seen and valued, and all people have the chance to live the [more…]
Planning in London, Issue 134, July-Sept 2025
Issue 134 of Planning in London, the journal of the London Planning and Development Forum, has been released, covering the period July-September 2025. London Forum has an agreed subscription arrangement whereby our members may read it.
The full edition is not available on the website.
Election reforms
A new elections strategy paper was published by the Government in July.
It includes:
- 16 and 17 year olds being able to vote in the next general election
- Voter ID to be extended to include bank cards
- UK driving licence as voter ID when they become available in digital format
- Tougher new rules to guard against foreign political interference and abuse of campaigners
- Checks on donations over £500
- Fines of up to £500,000 on those who breach political finance rules