Council-Led Housing Network
Council-led housing expert panel summaries
How are London boroughs collaborating with industry experts to solve development challenges? Our expert panel summaries provide insights and strategies to help boroughs address key issues in their housing development projects.
The Council-Led Housing Network Expert Panel brings together London boroughs and leading consultants in the built environment sector, creating a platform for discussing and tackling general development challenges.
These summaries are drawn directly from expert roundtable discussions, showcasing the practical solutions and reflecting on the key challenges faced by London local authorities.
Here you will find valuable information on how boroughs are navigating the complexities of major home building programs and the diverse approaches available to help overcome challenges and optimise delivery outcomes.
Browse our summaries for best practice and expert insights on key development challenges.
Building safety
What have been the most surprising unintended design consequences of the Building Safety Act?
Are there any changes to the delivery of the commercial fitout arising from the new Building Safety Act?
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Do you need a Principal Designer for buildings not classed as high-risk?
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Do buildings registered for approval in 2022 now require a strategy for wheelchair users to reach a safe area?
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Are there actions that development teams can take to reduce and/or mitigate against extensive delays caused by the building safety regime and in particular clearing the building safety gateways? These might include how development teams prepare and submit their schemes to the regulator.
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Planning
A briefing and discussion on the ‘Towards a new London Plan’ consultation (2025)
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GLA bidding: how to decide on a pipeline of sites
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A briefing on the new Procurement Act 2023 and its potential implications for council-led housing development.
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Programme strategy
Can the expert panel advise on preventing cherry-picking in portfolio-based housing agreements?
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What does the panel think will be the key components for successfully implementing a PPP using an ‘investment partnership contracting approach’?
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What mechanisms can be used to ensure the local authority quality standards and sustainability ambitions are maintained through a development partnership?
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What are the benefits of Owner Controlled Insurance Programmes (OCIP) and is there an alternative that offers more protection/assurance and reduces risk?
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What kinds of efficiencies do the expert panel think could be achieved by setting up common/shared ERs across London boroughs, and how would these shared ERs need to be structured for use with a variety of delivery models?
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How can councils bring forward small housing sites?
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What role do planning policy, funding models, design standards and housing delivery play in addressing increasing demand and reducing reliance on expensive temporary accommodation?
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What are the key challenges in retrofitting panellised systems?
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Social value
How can local authorities get better at defining, monitoring and delivering the social value their new build developments should be providing to achieve genuine added value, without bearing additional development costs?
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Sustainability
How do we balance the desire to meet our renewable energy and biodiversity targets when there is emerging guidance on fire safety which may place significant restrictions on biosolar roofs?
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How can PV requirements be realistically delivered in residential schemes?
Viability
How can new social housing be viable while 10% larger than the London Plan’s minimum space standard?
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