Heritage and Conservation Archives

11Feb 2026

Barriers to historic building retrofit

London Forum2026-02-11T14:33:52+00:0011th February 2026|Categories: Updates|Tags: Central Government, Decision taking, Environment and Climate, Heritage and Conservation, Permitted Development|

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England’s three million listed buildings and conservation area homes are being trapped in cold, costly decline by an outdated planning system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…]

15Jan 2026

Statutory Consultees – consultation response

London Forum2026-01-16T14:54:41+00:0015th January 2026|Categories: Updates|Tags: Central Government, Decision taking, Heritage and Conservation, Transport and TfL|

London Forum has responded as here to this consultation.

It is to be hoped important statutory consultees will be retained and that those consulted will respond quickly and fully to enable changes or prompt decisions within the time allowed. It is important they all receive funding sufficient to meet their statutory obligations.

TfL’s as a consultee is of critical importance.

If Historic England’s role is to be reduced, it must be ensured that LPAs are adequately resourced to fill the gap.

13Jan 2026

Statutory Consultees

London Forum2026-01-15T23:51:27+00:0013th January 2026|Categories: Insights|Tags: Central Government, Decision taking, GLA and Local Government, Heritage and Conservation|

Statutory consultees play an important role in the planning application process by providing expert advice on significant environmental, transport, safety, and heritage issues. There are currently 13 organisations that local planning authorities (LPAs) must consult about specialist issues when they receive relevant planning applications, from the Environment Agency and National Highways to Historic England.

Their role is very important, but there is widespread agreement that the system is not working well, causing needless duplication of effort and delays in making decisions. Hence the Government issued in November a [more…]

05Jan 2026

ESSA Introduction & Retrofit Guides

London Forum2026-01-05T10:45:55+00:005th January 2026|Categories: Updates|Tags: Environment and Climate, Heritage and Conservation, Member Societies|

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…]

28Nov 2025

Green spaces protection

London Forum2025-11-26T09:46:51+00:0028th November 2025|Categories: Updates|Tags: Central Government, Heritage and Conservation, Waterways and Open Spaces|

The Government wants to understand and identify the needs of dedicated, local community groups which champion and care for a parks and other open spaces and waterways.

If London Forum members carry out any of that work or know of local amenity groups that do so, there is an invitation to complete a green space survey which has been commissioned by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

26Nov 2025

Housebuilding around train stations

London Forum2025-11-28T14:59:09+00:0026th November 2025|Categories: Updates|Tags: Central Government, Decision taking, Green Belt, Heritage and Conservation, Housing Targets, NPPF, Transport and TfL|

Housebuilding near well-connected train stations will receive a default “yes” through a new National Planning Policy Framework, to be consulted on later in 2025. Details are here.

In addition, there is a set of changes to the Planning & Regeneration Bill, which the Government says is a “Pro-growth package unshackling Britain to get building”.

As part of it, Councils must inform Government when inclined to block applications of 150 homes or more. Ministers will make the decision instead. Applications called in will not have to go to an inquiry [more…]