Response to ‘Towards a new London Plan’
We’ve formally responded to the consultation on ‘Towards a new London Plan’, which closed yesterday evening, following on from the presentation by the Deputy Mayor, Jules Pipe, at London Forum’s event on 13th May.
We used some AI tools to help summarise our answers to the long set of questions in a readable format, with the detailed summary now held in our ‘What we’ve said’ archive here.
A shorter summary can be found below:
Section 1: Introduction
London Forum expresses strong reservations about the imposed Government’s [more…]
Assembly questions for next London Plan
The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee put questions on ‘Towards the next the London Plan’ on 9th June 2025 to two sets of guests.
The transcripts here and here of the discussions indicate what the Assembly may take into account in their scrutiny of London Plan Team work in preparing the 2026 draft replacement London Plan which will be consulted upon.
Comments by London Forum’s members on what was said are welcome, as there are likely to be variations across London on the points made by the [more…]
Spending Review
Matthew Pennycook MP, MHCLG Minister, wrote to social housing providers about £39 billion in the Spring Statement 2025 for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years of starts from 2026-27. It prioritises social rent homes and funds affordable rent and shared ownership.
Sadiq Khan issued a statement regretting the Spending Review had no funding for new London transport infrastructure to support development. He wrote that without it “We will not be able to build the numbers of new affordable homes Londoners need.” and “The way [more…]
S.106 agreements
Simon Ricketts, a partner in TownLegal, has published an article on the time taken to complete agreements on community investment by S.106 before development permission is granted. He points to a Home Builders Federation (HBF) report that the timescale was over 500 days in 2024-25. In that year, 45% of LPAs had agreements finalised that had taken over 1,000 days to complete.
The HBF makes five recommendations for improving the situation.
Simon Ricketts concludes in his blog that it is now substantially quicker to secure a decision by [more…]
Councillor remote attendance and proxy voting
The Government consulted last year on this subject and following considerations of the responses has decided to proceed as in their statement of 5th June 2025 here. On remote attendance, DHCLG plans to permit local authorities to develop their own locally appropriate policies, if they decide to hold remote meetings. On proxy voting for meetings of the full council, DHCLG plans to require principal (unitary, upper and second-tier) councils to implement proxy voting schemes, to provide consistency for members who are absent. Guidance will be provided.
Right of Appeal
People should be able to challenge a planning decision other than through the Courts. London Forum members are asked to contact their MP promptly and urge them to support two proposed new clauses NC37 and NC38 for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be debated from Monday 9th June 2025. They would create a Third-party Right of Appeal where a local authority approves a development not in accord with the Local Plan. A control is that the Secretary of State may dismiss an appeal if it is vexatious, [more…]
The Freedom Pass, its Impact and Costs
London’s Freedom Pass was introduced in 1973, and it has had a profound impact on the lives of Londoners, particularly, of course, those with a disability and those over state-pensionable age. But its very success may cast its future into doubt as the numbers and proportions of older people among London’s residents continues to increase, and as fares rise ahead of inflation.
Eligibility
Freedom Pass
Eligibility has changed somewhat over the years. Until April 2010, the pass was available [more…]
Community submissions cannot be ignored
The High Court has ruled that Lambeth Council acted unlawfully in its decision to impose a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in West Dulwich, setting an important legal precedent for how councils must handle public consultation. In short: if you ask for views, you must genuinely consider them—especially when they’re backed by substantial, relevant evidence.
This landmark ruling underscores what many communities have long suspected: that public feedback on local schemes and developments can too easily become a formality rather than a meaningful part of the process. It is not [more…]
Building homes faster
The Deputy Prime Minister has urged developers to “Get on and build” as here.
The Government wants views on a Planning Reform Working Paper ‘Speeding Up Build Out’, with eleven questions.
Councils will get new powers to keep housebuilders on track with build rates set before planning permission is granted. Developers who repeatedly fail to construct approved schemes or trade land speculatively could face a new ‘Delayed Homes Penalty’, be locked out of future permissions or have their sites acquired by councils. Annual reports on progress will [more…]
The New London Plan: Shaping Housing for the Future
On 13th May, the London Forum and the London Society held a joint collaborative event at UCL, that brought together leading voices in planning and development in the run up to the new London Plan due in 2026/7, focusing on the city’s most pressing issues: housing, transport, green space and sustainable growth.
The event was chaired by our President, Ben Derbyshire, with introductions by Michael Jubb, chair of the London Forum; Leanne Tritton, chair of TLS; and Jess Ferm, director of education at UCL/Bartlett. Keynote speakers were Jules Pipe [more…]
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Making Social Rent Homes viable
Noise Action Week 11th to 15th May 2026
Additional rules for Neighbourhood Forums
The Freedom Pass, its Impact and Costs
London’s Freedom Pass was introduced in 1973, and it has had a profound impact on the lives of Londoners, particularly, of course, those with a disability and those over state-pensionable age. But [more…]
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