Pathways to Planning
Joanna Averley, MHCLG Chief Planner, announced a programme to get graduate planners or surveyors into local authorities. Applications are now open. All graduates hired receive an educational bursary of £10,000 to help fund their part-time study while they work. Local authorities with high housing delivery and local plan requirements will be considered for salary bursaries of £40,000 when requesting a graduate planner.
A YouTube video about the scheme was issued.
Social and Affordable Homes Programme to 2036
Following the Government’s announcement of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme covered by an earlier update here, the Government has issued a letter to Councils.
It includes details of what is expected from local authorities but it withdraws the new low-interest loans scheme from Councils.
The Minister, Mathew Pennycook MP wrote “I appreciate fully that this news will come as a disappointment. However, having carefully considered the fiscal implications of extending the scheme to councils as well as to registered providers, we reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that it [more…]
Hounslow Council’s £240m gamble
A Conservative Councillor in LB Hounslow has challenged its Cabinet on the way in which the Council’s wholly owned company, the Lampton Group, has made £15 million in losses and has been loaned hundreds of millions by the local authority. He says it is leaving taxpayers exposed to mounting financial risk.
Councillor Jack Emsley’s report on this subject was published in a blog in The Chiswick Calendar website
Land Value Capture
The HCLG Committee announced here their Land Value Capture (LVC) report. There is a summary of its 77 pages. The full report covers the scope for LVC, reform to S.106, reform to CIL and the 1.5m housing target. Recommendations are from page 61.
An Epilogue criticises the Government’s Homes for London policy (See an earlier update). The GLA said (page 59) it can result in inflated land values and slow down delivery and the Committee sent a letter to Steve Reed MP.
More homes in the City of London
Speakers at a London Society housing event argued the Square Mile could benefit with more people living there.
Charles Wright reported on the meeting in ON LONDON here.
The City’s leader, Chris Hayward, had said most of its housing stock was “in need of substantial regeneration” and there was a need to “build affordable housing for young City professionals”.
Barbican Residents Association chair Jan-Marc Petroschka called for identification of “stranded” offices suitable for conversion.
London Talent Strategy
The GLA published a full and an Easy-Read version of a London Inclusive Talent Strategy, as here. There is a summary of it.
• The target is increasing London’s employment rate to 80%.
• By 2035, an aim is a 20% increase in real household weekly income for the lowest-earning 20% of Londoners.
• Key metrics will include economic outcomes for learners, diversity in the workforce, and skills shortage vacancies.
There will be considerable dependencies on the way the number and types of jobs [more…]
Public Notice Portal
Information for the public about planning, construction, transport links, roadworks and licensing changes are published in the local press. To help people access the notices, the news media sector has a Public Notice Portal.
It explains the types of notices available and a postcode can be entered to display their locations on a map. Clicking on them provides details. The portal offers customisable notifications for users who sign up.
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…]
Affordable housing 35% reduced
The Government and the Mayor aim to boost affordable housing supply by cutting the affordable housing target from 35% to 20%.
Building Design published comments on the policy. and Simon Ricketts anticipates its consultation.
Developers offering 20% affordable housing could see a temporary relief from community infrastructure levy.
The Mayor could be handed powers to ‘call in’ applications for his own determination and the GLA will consult on removing guidance that can constrain density, including dual aspect standards and cycle storage requirements.
Tall building proposed at Hogarth roundabout
The Old Chiswick Protection Society (OCPS), a London Forum member, is urging societies and anyone concerned about the future of Chiswick’s historic landscape to submit final objections to the Mayor on a planning application for a 10-storey residential block at 1 Burlington Lane, W4. Details were in an update on 17th September.
Submit your views to the GLA Planning Portal (P-2024-2610) here.
Historic England has formally objected to the scheme, citing harm to the setting of parks, listed buildings, conservation areas and protected views. Richmond and [more…]
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Making Social Rent Homes viable
Noise Action Week 11th to 15th May 2026
Additional rules for Neighbourhood Forums
Household Projections and Housing Targets
The latest projections from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that between 2022 and 2032, the number of households in England is expected to grow from 23.5 million to 25.9 million, [more…]
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Member Services Committee meeting
📅 Thu 7th May | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)
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Planning, Environment and Transport committee meeting
📅 Thu 11th June | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)