![Thermal leakage [Grosvenor]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Grosvenor-heat-leakage-e1770820351445.jpg?resize=452%2C491&ssl=1)
Barriers to historic building retrofit
A New Grosvenor report warns that England’s three million listed buildings and conservation area homes are being trapped in cold, costly decline by an outdated planning system
Local authorities spend the equivalent of 4,000 working days a year approving low-risk energy efficiency works that are almost always consented anyway
Retrofitting listed properties and buildings in conservation areas in England and Wales could deliver around 30% of the annual emissions reductions needed to meet the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget.
Our new Resources page has some useful retrofit [more…]
Design assessments
Urban Design Learning (UDL) has made available here past videos of its examinations of the design aspects of developments across London which affect the public realm.
Some may be of interest to London Forum members.
Oxford Street pedestrianisation
Consultation on this subject closes on January 22nd, as here.
Neither of the two remaining diverted bus routes near to Oxford Street reach Regent Street, so we oppose the proposed curtailment of the 24-hour 94 bus service at Marble Arch. It would reduce options for travelling home after late night visits to the West End when Underground services finish.
Members can make views known to the Mayor here, including for the 94 buses to be routed via Wigmore street.
Opinion is divided on the efficacy [more…]
ESSA Introduction & Retrofit Guides
Our new member ESSA (The Edwardes Square Scarsdale and Abingdon Association) has written an introduction to their work in the attached pdf document.
We’ve added links to their professionally produced and comprehensive retrofitting guides on the new Resources page. Their guides focus separately on typical Victorian, mansion block and modern buildings in London. We’ve also posted links to the Bedford Park Society’s timely Energy Guide which addresses some of the same areas (mentioned in member news last month), and while on the topic of keeping this week’s [more…]
Nature Restoration Fund
The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is part of Part 3 the Planning and Infrastructure Act. It provides for Natural England to submit draft Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to the Secretary of State. If the EDP is approved, this will allow developers to discharge their relevant responsibilities by paying a levy to meet environmental responsibilities relating to certain protected sites and species.
The Government has published a policy paper on implementing the NRF and DEFRA has issued a blog about it for [more…]
Chief Planning Officer’s newsletter
Joanna Averley, MHCLG’s Chief Planner, has issued her latest newsletter to local authorities.
It covers the new NPPF; the Planning & Infrastructure Bill; Planning Advisory Service events; funding for LPAs; planning skills and capacity survey results; consultation on cross-pavement solutions for electric vehicle charging; climate guidance by RTPI and TCPA; Neighbourhood Planning financial support and getting Sustainable Urban Drainage right from the start.
Statutory Consultee reform
The Government has issued a consultation until 13th January 2026 on reform of the statutory consultee system.
This consultation covers the following proposals:
- removing statutory consultee status from certain bodies
- reviewing the scope of what statutory consultees advise on
- improving performance management across existing statutory consultee bodies in the planning system
Part pedestrianisation of Oxford Street
City Hall has appointed Hawkins Brown and East as lead architects for a plan to pedestrianise part of Oxford Street. Publica, the urban design practice, and landscape practices Aspect Studio and J&L Gibbons also have roles on the project.
East will work on the first phase which would pedestrianise an almost mile-long stretch of road between Orchard Street in the west, across Oxford Circus and through to Great Portland Street in the east. Further details of this part of the scheme will be in a public consultation later this year.
Hawkins [more…]
![Mogden sewage works [photo : eight2O]](https://www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/mogden-e1761696948580-320x202.jpg)
Failures of Thames Water
In the Environment Agency’s Environment Performance assessment (EPA) for 2024 here, Thames Water was the worst performing of the nine water and sewage companies. It had the highest number of serious pollution incidents, more than doubled since 2023.
Most incidents were from foul sewers and self-reporting from this asset type is far too low (73%). Of serious pollution incidents 63% (47 out of 75) were self-reported by the water companies, a decline from 74% in 2023.
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The progress of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been slow and just before the Report Stage of the Bill in the House of Lords, the Government put forward amendments to the Bill. One could prevent councils refusing planning permission and another would limit when Natural England should be involved in planning decisions. Richard Harwood KC has commented on some of the proposed amendments.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Try a new search:
![Retrofit or Ruin [ image https://www.grosvenor.com ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/retrofit.webp?fit=150%2C107&ssl=1)
Historic buildings needing upgrade
![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?fit=136%2C150&ssl=1)
West London Orbital
![Brent CLT Social housing [ image Bell Phillips Architects ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bell-Phillips-Brent-CLT.jpg?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1)
![London Bus [Unsplash]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/jonathan-chng-uIsygO87jtM-unsplash.jpg?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1)
The rise and fall of bus passenger numbers in London
Bus passenger numbers in London reached a peak of 2.4 billion in 2014, but since then have fallen to 1.8 billion in 2025. This decline is now exercising the Mayor and GLA [more…]
Most Popular This Week
-
Are London’s High Streets and Town Centres in Crisis?
📆 Thu 26th March | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
What is the nature and scale of the crisis and why are some streets and centres doing better or worse than others. What can be done about it? We’ll discuss these and related issues at this Open Meeting on 26th March – please book here. ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/are-londons-high-streets-and-town-centres-in-crisis/?occurrence=2026-03-26#booking ) London’s town centres have had a challenging decade – changing planning policies, growing on-line sales, COVID, vacant shops and rising costs. They are in transition, but are they going in the right direction? How can we maintain their vitality?…
-
Planning, Environment and Transport committee meeting
📅 Thu 9th April | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)