Updates

The Government has published a Net Zero strategy, a Hydrogen strategy and a Heat and Buildings strategy. Those will affect our homes in future.
London Forum has produced some notes on net zero and hydrogen policies and extracts from the Government’s documents.
There is a very informative video which the Hammersmith Society has published within an article here. It has some warnings about conversion from gas boilers to air source heat pumps and encouraging comments about the future use of hydrogen boilers.

A draft manifesto of vision for its area has been prepared by the Richmond Society to be considered at its AGM in December 2021. It can be seen here.
Details of similar publications by other societies are welcomed.

Two more pieces of draft guidance for London Plan policies have been published. Consultation on them runs until 20th December 2021.
They are for the Urban Greening Factor (UGF) related to Policy G5 and for Sustainable Transport, Walking and Cycling related to Policy T3 and can be seen by clicking on numbers 8 and 10 in the list of guidance here.
A GLA presentation about the UGF is here.

A report by London Councils, supporting boroughs, and the G15 group on housing associations points out that forecasts for 2021/25 highlight that London’s demand for affordable housing is almost eight times greater than the number of homes forecast to be delivered (compared to the average of 2.6 in England).

Joanna Averley provided an update on Government planning activities to local authorities. It covers the following:-

• • Local authorities are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to participate in the National Model Design Code Phase 2 pilot

• • Temporary Pavement Licence Provisions first introduced in 2020 are to be in place for a further 12 months until 30 September 2022

• • DEFRA is seeking opportunities to create new woodland

• • Natural England proposes the Biodiversity Metric 3 for biodiversity net gain outcomes should be put to formal consultation in 2022, as required under [more…]
    

A proposal for repairing Hammersmith Bridge has been published.

LB Barnet applied a reason for refusal of extra floors on a house, which the Government made permitted development (PDR), which is here.
See more on PDR in updates below dated 12th July, 23rd June and 8th April.

Joanna Averley provided an update on Government planning activities to local authorities. It includes new fire safety rules for development.

The Mayor has published a strategic evidence report supporting boroughs wanting Article 4 Directions to control commercial to residential permitted development conversions (Use Class E to C3). Details are here and here.
The GLA report relates to the 2021 London Plan and new government policy on Article 4s and supports geographically targeted Article 4s for the whole of the Central Activities Zone and Northern Isle of Dogs; for strategically significant office locations beyond the CAZ; for town centres and high streets and for industrial areas, including creative production space.
Meanwhile, despite the permitted development right (PDR) for [more…]

The Healthy Streets Scorecard shows the health of each borough’s streets. Councils and communities should work together to make improvements.

The June 2021 planning update by Historic England (HE) is published here.
London Forum members can request to subscribe for HE’s planning bulletins by emailing governmentadvice@HistoricEngland.org.uk