Council-led Housing Expert Panel

In this lunchtime session, an expert panel from our Council-Led Housing Network discussed ways to develop climate resilience through council-led housing development programmes.

The panel members explored this question from four different perspectives; development management, construction management, legal and design.

Speakers

• Visakha Sri Chandrasekera Housing Programmes Director, Future of London (Chair)
• Neill Campbell Partner, BPTW
• Alexandra Holsgrove Jones Partner, Knowledge – ESG, TLT
• Danny Sutcliffe Partner, Red Loft
• Mitzi Wells Head of Sustainability, Potter Raper

Key themes

The panel emphasised the importance of councils acting as agents of change and doing this across their development, planning, and delivery teams. Early interdisciplinary collaboration was identified as critical to ensuring their leadership is effective, giving their teams time to build effective strategies that are also viable to deliver.

Expert panellists underscored the need for a holistic approach, recognising that buildings should not be treated as standalone entities. Strategies for optimising building design were highlighted, particularly the importance of using the building’s structure and materials to naturally regulate indoor environments. This includes designing for effective ventilation to improve airflow and manage solar gain to control heat levels.

Legislative and procedural challenges were also addressed, noting the slow pace of legal reform in response to climate imperatives. The panel recommended boroughs ensure their legal agreements anticipate challenges, align stakeholders, and ensure projects are planned with a clear understanding of their full lifecycle.

They recommended councils ensure their teams have the right expertise and encourage bold, innovative approaches. The value of climate resilience measures should be positioned as a long-term investment and the viability analysis of a development should include the wider sustainability benefits.

Finally, the panel agreed that collaboration between councils, contractors, community organisations, and residents, is key to ensuring success. Practical actions identified included setting clear KPIs to measure progress, upgrading existing surrounding buildings to suitable standards, and proactively involving residents in the development process.

Future of London takeaways

Council-led housing programmes were championed as powerful vehicles to integrate climate resilience into urban development, pointing the way for other sectors to follow. Further insights on this and related topics can be found on the Council-Led Housing Network page.

Conference session write-ups

• Keynotes: Mete Coban (Deputy Mayor), Emma Howard Boyd (London Climate Resilience Review), Indy Johar (Dark Matter Labs)
• Fresh Perspectives – Young people-led panel discussion
• Fresh Perspectives – Two US projects using art and culture to explore climate resilience
• Including All Voices – ensuring communities are fully involved
• Neighbourhood Futures – Tackling climate resilience and health equity
• Homes and Buildings – Designing inclusive climate approaches
• Council-led Housing Network – climate resilience through council development
• Fresh Perspectives – Alumni ideas on climate resilience, plus domestic retrofit and infrastructure innovation in Arnhem
• Inclusive Finance – Financial models for equitable climate resilience
• Neighbourhoods – Designing inclusive climate approaches
• Health and Racial Equity – Developing community-led action for ethnic minority communities
• Make It Happen – Closing plenary with conference takeaways, including governance, finance and partnerships
• Strand Aldwych Walking Tour – how a striking new landscape was created in the historic London

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The conference is part of our major Knowledge programme for 2024/25, with a final report in Spring 2025. Find out more about our Climate Resilience and Equity programme.

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