London Councils

Regenerating council estates to boost social housing provision must be a core part of efforts to tackle London’s #housingcrisis. Today we publish A Decade of Renewal: the Contribution of London Estate Regeneration, a new report from London Councils and the London Housing Directors' Group. With London facing enormous challenges around housing delivery, homelessness, and standards in social housing, we are emphasising the importance of estate regeneration projects – which can range from refurbishing existing estates to the demolition and rebuilding of entire sites. However, boroughs urgently need more funding if they are to overcome the challenges stalling development and expand their regeneration plans. Analysis suggests a continuing squeeze on boroughs’ resources means they are being forced to plan a real-terms spending reduction of £269m on council housing repairs and investment over the next four years. Our housing lead, Cllr Grace Williams, says: “As this report shows, regenerating council estates in the capital offers exciting opportunities to deliver new social housing fit for the 21st century. London is grappling with enormous housing challenges, and estate regeneration should be a core part of our approach to tackling the crisis." Joanne Drew, Co-Chair of the London Housing Directors' Group, says: "Regeneration can help London meet its housing targets, while also improving the quality, safety, and sustainability of our estates. “But we are also encountering significant barriers, not least the immense pressures on our council housing budgets. To realise the full potential of estate regeneration in London, we need the right tools, financial footing, and policy direction." Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ejyaXPfs #housingpolicy #localgovernment #councilhousing #socialhousing #publicfinances #Budget2025 #Londonhousing #Londonpolitics

We welcome the Secretary of State's recent comments in support of fiscal devolution. Speaking in Parliament to the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, Steve Reed MP said he had "always been an advocate of devolution", including "fiscal devolution". London boroughs are calling for a broader range of local revenue-raising powers, such as an overnight accommodation levy. These powers could help sustain services in the face of worsening financial pressures and drive growth across communities. As our chair Cllr Claire Holland says: "Boroughs need far more financial autonomy, in line with the powers and resources available to local government in other countries. An overnight accommodation levy – jointly administered by boroughs and the Mayor – would be one example of this. This could help provide boroughs with resources they need to ensure local services are equipped to manage the impacts of tourism and invest in growth. “The upcoming Budget is an opportunity for action. Empowering councils with new financial powers is crucial for addressing the current funding crisis and for enabling us to invest locally in growth-boosting measures.”  Read our full statement here: https://lnkd.in/excASvBj #localgovernment #localgov #publicpolicy #devolution #Londongovernment #fiscaldevolution #Treasury #Budget2025

🚲 London Councils is urging e-bike companies to honour the procurement contracts they hold with boroughs, following concerns that some operators are continuing to flout local agreements with impunity.   Boroughs across the capital are working to secure fair, consistent contracts that deliver safe, reliable and affordable e-bike services for Londoners. These agreements ensure bikes are parked responsibly, protect public spaces, and make active travel more accessible - with rides in some areas costing as little as £1.75, matching a TfL bus fare. 💷   Mayor Brenda Dacres OBE, London Councils’ Executive Member for Transport and Environment, said:   “Londoners rightly expect e-bikes to be safe, well-managed, and available on fair terms wherever they live. Boroughs are committed to supporting active travel, but that must go hand in hand with accountability and respect for local agreements.”   👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e3mvYDKw   #Micromobility #ebikes #NetZero #London

17% of London homes are in conservation areas — beautiful, historic, and often hard to upgrade for energy efficiency, due to the planning rules needed to protect their heritage. Today, London Councils has launched the Retrofit Heritage Homes Guide, helping boroughs support sensitive, low-carbon improvements that protect architectural heritage, reduce energy bills, and lower carbon emissions. 🔍 Developed with London Borough of Hackney, the guide offers practical advice for borough planning teams to facilitate retrofits, such as upgrades to: 🪟 Window improvements, reducing heat loss by 45%;  ☀️ Solar panels, which can supply nearly half a home’s energy;  🔥 Heat pumps, which are three times more efficient than gas boilers;  🧱 External wall insulation, reducing heat loss by 25-40%. This guidance is a major step toward a greener, more resilient London — where heritage and sustainability go hand in hand. 👉 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e7UscYxu Thomas Lefevre Anna MacKenzie Clare Murray Robert prewett Hannah Jameson Ashwin Patel Rachel Weaver Adam Dyer Ben Harrison Jack Ostrofsky Natalie Broughton Alice Addison Sara Edmonds Madeleine Pauker Brenda Dacres OBE

Last week marked the final in-person workshop of "Future Proofing Development: What Decision Makers Need to Know", part of the Low Carbon Development Training Programme delivered through the London Councils Climate Programme.🌍 Led by UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Bioregional, and Preoptima, this course has brought together councillors and senior officers from across London to build the knowledge and confidence needed to shape low-carbon, climate-resilient places. Since July, delegates have taken part in: ✅ Kick-off sessions ✅ Interactive, self-led learning over the summer ✅ Peer-learning workshops across eight in-person sessions Now, as we approach the final close-out sessions later this month, participants will showcase how they’ve applied their learning, shared insights, and supported others in their boroughs through a train-the-trainer approach. #ClimateAction #LowCarbonDevelopment #UrbanPlanning #LocalGovernment #Sustainability #LondonCouncils #UKGBC #Bioregional #Preoptima Alice Addison Ashwin Patel Suzanne K. Luisa Brotas Ryan Clark Natalie Broughton Rob Bristow Victoria McDonagh Nicole Trehy

For this week's prevention case study, we are in Wandsworth Council, where children travelling to schools were facing high levels of congestion and air pollution in and around the school gates, posing a risk to their health and safety as well as harming the environment. Officers at Wandsworth Council wanted to improve these risk factors, so decided to launch the School Streets scheme. By temporarily closing roads near school entrances to motor traffic during drop-off and pick-up times, the scheme helps to create a safer and more welcoming environment. Since the creation of new School Streets in Tooting and Earlsfield, Wandsworth Council has surpassed its target, with more than half of primary schools in the borough now participating in the scheme. Key aspects of the School Streets programme include: 🛣️ Road Closures: Roads adjacent to schools are temporarily closed to most vehicle traffic during school start and end times.  🚗 Exemptions: Residents, businesses, and Blue Badge holders are often exempt from the restrictions.  🚲 Promoting Alternatives: The scheme encourages walking, cycling, and other active travel methods.  🌍 Air Quality Improvements: By reducing the number of vehicles, idling is minimized, and air pollution levels are lowered.  ⚠️ Enhanced Safety: The program creates a safer environment for children traveling to and from school. Wandsworth Council hopes the School Streets scheme will continue to expand to create safer places and support active travel for children across the borough.

This afternoon at the Centre for London Conference, Cllr Claire Holland launched a bold new plan to transform how retrofit is delivered across the capital – the Net Zero Neighbourhood Programme.   The programme would see: 🏡 20,000 homes retrofitted over five years 🏡 Zero upfront costs for residents of all tenures 🏡 £400m private investment unlocked   Led by boroughs, the city-wide programme would lower energy bills, reduce carbon emissions, support thousands of green jobs, and create a blueprint for area-based decarbonisation that can be scaled across London and the UK.   💡 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ejsWRZgp #NetZeroNeighbourhoods #RetrofitLondon #EnergyEfficiency #ClimateAction #LondonCouncils #GreenJobs Living Places 3Ci (Cities Commission for Climate Investment) London Borough of Hounslow London Borough of Lambeth Camden Council Greenwich Borough Council Islington Council London Borough of Newham Westminster City Council Barnet Council Lewisham Council Brent Council Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea LEDNet - London Environment Directors' Network Brenda Dacres OBE

We're delighted to be part of Centre for London's flagship event – The London Conference 2025. On Monday 10 November the conference will be looking at how we achieve our net zero goals by 2030 while maximising inclusive economic benefit for London's communities. Our Chair, Cllr Claire Holland, is part of the Infrastructure panel, where we will set out what is needed to improve the quality, capacity and resilience of London’s utilities. She'll be joined by: 🟢 Piali Das Gupta, Associate Director at Roretti and Former Strategy Director at Central London Forward. 🟢 Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport 🟢 Craig Carson, Regional Director at Barratt London 🟢 Syed Ahmed, CEO of Community Energy London We're also launching a new report showcasing bold plans to deliver area-based retrofit in the capital, which would accelerate progress on making London homes warmer, greener and more energy-efficient 🏙️ 🌿 See you there! Hannah Jameson Kate Hand Ravina Singh Brenda Dacres OBE

For this week's prevention case study, we are in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, where those at risk of isolation were lacking sufficient support networks to help them stay connected with their communities. Officers at Waltham Forest Council wanted to help build support for vulnerable residents and prevent their wellbeing worsening, and thought that the Make It Happen grants programme could be the answer. Make it Happen is the council’s flagship grants programme offering seed funding for new cultural and creative projects taking place in the borough, with the 2025 focus being on Creative Health projects. One of these is Creativit-Tea, a project based in Leytonstone, aiming to enrich participants’ lives by providing enjoyable creative learning, seated exercise, and a social space alongside refreshments. 👉 72% of participants said that attendance improved their mental health and wellbeing. 👉 92% said that attending the sessions increased their opportunities to get out and about. 👉 99% said that it helped them feel more connected to their community. The use of the Make It Happen grants programme demonstrates how culture and arts projects can help residents strengthen support networks and improve their wellbeing, preventing mental health care escalations and building community resilience. Other preventative creative health initiatives under the Make It Happen grants programme include Follow the Forest, At Rainbow’s End, ARIA, and from Sketches to Projections. 💡 Read all of our prevention case studies here: https://lnkd.in/erpzDfAv

Today we share new analysis revealing that town halls across the capital face an “impossible” challenge of bridging a funding gap of over £4 billion in the coming years. We warn that a funding squeeze on this scale will mean inevitable cuts to local services and a growing number of boroughs will require emergency borrowing to avoid bankruptcy. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ehAbHe4Q #localgov #publicfinances #London #Londongovernment #Budget2025