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What are BIDs doing for Town Centres in Central and Outer London?
Earlier this year, London Forum organised a very interesting open meeting with members about the state of London’s High Streets and the night-time economy. One of the presenters was from a BID (Business Improvement District), highlighting their work in improving business areas in central London. That raised a question, what are BIDs doing in outer London?
Once a BID has been voted in by local businesses it is funded by a supplement to the business rates paid in the area. Of the 76 BIDs [more…]
Old Kent Road development – update
Urban Design London has issued another video on what is happening in the Old Kent Road Opportunity Area.
An update on 13th May 2026 had links to earlier videos.
In the latest one, Colin Wilson reflects on the challenges – and successes – of adding cycle lanes and a district heat network during an estate regeneration, with the additional complication and benefit of uncovering the Roman road that sits underneath the Old Kent Road.
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Redevelopment
The GLA’s redevelopment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre will cut carbon emissions by 90% and eliminate fossil fuels through a £23m investment in efficiency and heat pumps. While the project sits in Bromley, it follows the GLA’s climate-focused policies rather than Bromley Council’s, which largely ignores carbon reduction and has yet to declare a climate emergency.
As Bromley consults on its local plan this summer, the public is urged to use the GLA project as a benchmark. Because councils are legally required to address climate change, [more…]
Building the Homes London needs
Centre for London has published a long report with recommendations on how London’s housing crisis could be resolved.
The announcement of their report provides details of the background to London’s housing crisis and outlines their recommendations.
The document discusses the London housing crisis, framing it as a matter of supply and demand. It explores how well current housing needs are met and reviews the effectiveness of policies aimed at improving housing availability. Solutions proposed include expanding local authorities’ capacity to manage homes and addressing demand-side inefficiencies.
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Response to New Towns Draft Programme Consultation
We’ve responded to the government’s New Towns Draft Programme Consultation.
The Forum does not support the classifying inner-urban developments or Green Belt extensions as ‘New Towns’. We argue that proposals like Chase Park/Crews Hill (Enfield) and South Barking do not possess the geographic or socioeconomic separation required to build a ‘clear and distinct identity’. Instead, we view these as vehicles designed to accelerate housing delivery while bypassing standard national Green Belt protections and planning scrutiny.
Major Concerns & Recommendations
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Green Belt [more…]
How Effective is Planning Enforcement?
How can we make it work better?
Planning enforcement is important. Unless it’s done effectively, the integrity of the whole planning system is put at risk. But it’s one of the most frustrating issues for civic societies and local community groups. We’ll discuss this and related issues at this Open Meeting on 29th June. Please book here
Cases typically include:
- Large developments that grossly fail to meet planning conditions or even submitted drawings and plans;
- Illegal demolitions;
- Unauthorised residential alterations and extensions;
- Additional floors built on top of blocks [more…]
Planning for Telecoms Masts
Most of us now carry smart phones around with us all the time: they have become an essential part of modern life. For most of the time when we are out and about, using our phones depends on signals from telecoms masts. Since the first dozen masts were erected by Vodafone in 1985 to cover London and the M4 corridor, they have become ubiquitous across the country. In London alone there are estimated to be some 7,000 of the monopole masts we see on streets and the tops [more…]
Planning Fees consultation response
We’ve responded to the government’s consultation on planning application fees.
While the proposal to set a National Default Fee Schedule at 90% of estimated costs is a step in the right direction, we argue that it’s too blunt an instrument. London’s planning costs are significantly higher than the national average — due to heritage requirements, high-density development complexity, and staffing costs — yet the consultation lacks transparency about how the funding shortfall is distributed across local planning authorities (LPAs). For each category there should be a [more…]
What’s happening in the Old Kent Road?
The Old Kent Road was designated by the Mayor in 2016 as an Opportunity Area.
It is the subject of two videos by Urban Design Learning which provides support to local authorities on design and examines development schemes.
In one video, Colin Wilson introduces Southwark Council’s Old Kent Road Action Plan. In another video he explains the issues in regeneration of an area with existing clusters of small businesses, some thriving, and the council’s ambition to add employment as well as housing.
Planning Committee Reforms: Stop the Attack on Local Democracy!
The London Forum has issued a scathing response to the Government’s recent consultation on Planning Committee reforms.
The proposals were branded as authoritarian and anti-democratic
Despite claims that these changes will focus committees on complex cases, the draft regulations actually prevent many significant, contentious applications from ever being seen by elected members.
Under the new “Schedule 1” and “Schedule 2” system, the overriding assumption is that almost all applications will be decided by officers. The Forum is particularly concerned that conservation areas have been excluded from special consideration, and that [more…]
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How to petition Parliament
Old Kent Road development – update
High Value Council Tax Surcharge
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How Effective is Planning Enforcement?
📆 Mon 29th June | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
How can we make it work better? Planning enforcement is important. Unless it’s done effectively, the integrity of the whole planning system is put at risk. But it’s one of the most frustrating issues for civic societies and local community groups. We’ll discuss this and related issues at this Open Meeting on 29th June. Please book here ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/how-effective-is-planning-enforcement#booking ) Cases typically include: Large developments that grossly fail to meet planning conditions or even submitted drawings and plans; Illegal demolitions; Unauthorised residential alterations and extensions; Additional floors…