Planning in London, Issue 139, Oct-Dec 2026
Issue 139 of Planning in London, the journal of the London Planning and Development Forum, has been published, covering Oct-Dec 2026.
Contents:
- The draft London Plan — 558,000 homes, Green Belt, densities, tall buildings
- The new NPPF — pro-development presumptions, station-led growth & viability
- Less say for councillors and communities? — the new scheme of delegation & front-loaded appeals
- Housing at a low ebb — record-low approvals, the Mayor’s City Hall Developer, and ideas for getting London building, including contributions by Dame Kate Barker (Spatial strategy) & Nicholas [more…]
Development viability issues
Housing Community Summit, Liverpool, 9 September 2026
The Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook MP acknowledged in a speech the tough viability conditions for development, with margins squeezed by reduced interest cover and higher materials costs. He argued the government has nonetheless delivered on its earlier commitments. He cited the £39bn ten-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme SAHP (for at least 60% Social Rent), a ten-year rent settlement at CPI+1% with rent convergence, and £2.5bn of low-interest loans. He also mentioned restored Right to Buy discounts [more…]
![School [Freepik]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/School.jpg?resize=1000%2C624&ssl=1)
School closures
London Councils, representing local authorities in the capital, produced a report ‘Finding the Balance’ on falling education class numbers and the effect on school budgets.
They call for more consistency in school closure process and powers to manage surplus school buildings.
The news site MyLondon has published a similar article.
It explains that the funding allocated for each individual school is directly tied to the number of students it has enrolled so many individual schools are facing a funding crisis.
Planning Resources Are Stretched Thin
According to research by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) nine in ten local authority planning departments in England and Wales are understaffed, delaying planning decisions and threatening the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes.
HBF’s Planning on Empty report is based on a Freedom of Information survey of councils across England and Wales examining staffing levels, vacancies, staff turnover and the use of agency workers during the 2025/26 financial year.
What is the situation in your Council? Responses are welcome
Presentation slides: Will the London Plan deliver the housing and places London needs?
The slides from last week’s London Forum/GLA event on the draft London Plan have been added to its event page.
Information for members
Within the ‘Resources‘ page of the website, ‘External Resources‘ provides links to news on London and on the activities of the Government and the GLA. Societies and London Plan team members can subscribe to several of these for periodic updates.
A new link to the Planning Portal has been added which is well worth monitoring regularly for news on proposals of Government and changes that they have implemented. The list of topics that you can read about [more…]
Youth unemployment
Centre for London has published a report on London’s high youth unemployment figures. One in four young Londoners are unemployed.
The report examines apprenticeships, which London businesses are less likely to offer than elsewhere and the shrinking of the entry level job market.
Centre for London concludes that the problem is not that young Londoners lack ambition or that London’s education system is failing. It is that the transition from education into employment has become too fragile, too competitive and too dependent on informal support.
Mayor challenges Heathrow expansion
In a letter to the House of Commons Transport Committee the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, claims the government’s case for increasing Heathrow Airport’s capacity relies heavily on outdated evidence from 2015.
The Mayor and TfL have accused the government of relying on the 2015 report from the Airports Commission, which recommended a new runway be built, and have pointed out that the revised environmental tests do not provide sufficient reassurance that an expanded Heathrow can be delivered without serious environmental impacts.
Also see our response to the [more…]
Feedback required on draft London Plan
An update on 17th August 2026 asked for feedback on the ten Broad Locations for Growth (BLG) in the 2026 draft London Plan. See this article.
The draft plan has also a section on Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BFOAs).
Any LF member society with a BFOA in their area is asked to comment on its status, the indicative number of homes, its boundary, purpose and aims of the OA and any transport required.
For either or both, please comment by 15th September 2026 to planning@londonforum.org.uk
Will the London Plan deliver the housing and places London needs?
The draft London Plan proposes that 50% of all new homes be affordable. With competition for homes, industrial and other uses, some housing will be built in what is now Green Belt land.
This is an important subject covering proposals for housing development in London for the next 20 years.
We invited the London Plan team to talk about:
- The amount of housing required to meet London needs and the tenure and size mix required;
- Where and how the new housing will be accommodated by location and the types of [more…]
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Planning in London, Issue 139, Oct-Dec 2026
Issue 139 of Planning in London, the journal of the London Planning and Development Forum, has been published, covering Oct-Dec ...
Community engagement in growth
London Forum's President, Ben Derbyshire, has written an article on his conclusions from the work of the Historic Places Panel.
...![EV charger [photo: unsplash]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EV-charger-unsplash.jpg?fit=150%2C100&ssl=1)
Home electric vehicle charging
On 21 October 2026 the GPDO (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 will extend Part 2, Classes D and E, to ...
Key policies in the NPPF
The following is a blog recently written by the lawyer Simon Ricketts which is intended to help developers to get a planning application approved. It is helpful for London Forum's members to understand parts of the new NPPF and for considering its ...
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Annual General Meeting 2026
📆 Wed 28th October | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
Wednesday 28 October 6.30pm at The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL Notice is hereby given to member societies of the 2026 AGM of the London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies. Doors open for networking, drinks and nibbles from 6.00pm. Please book your place(s) using the booking facility ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/agm-2026#booking ). Agenda Welcome and Introduction Approval of the Minutes of the AGM of 16 October 2025, available here ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/agm-papers/ ) Chair’s Report – Chair Michael Jubb Financial Report – Treasurer Ali Dezyanian Approval of the Annual Report and Accounts for 2025-2026, available here ( https://…
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