LDN Weekly – Issue 123 – 29 April 2020
ZOOMING THROUGH THE LOCKDOWN?
In week six of lockdown (and as illustrated by this edition's stories) everyone's focus is starting to shift to the horizon. What does London’s exit from lockdown look like anyway, in terms of its timing, process and outcomes?
| No images? Click here  ZOOMING THROUGH THE LOCKDOWN?In week six of lockdown (and as illustrated by this edition's stories) everyone's focus is starting to shift to the horizon. What does London’s exit from lockdown look like anyway, in terms of its timing, process and outcomes? The Mayor has convened a new housing taskforce to help him kickstart housebuilding, the boroughs are looking in dismay at their gutted budgets and TfL is in talks to secure its future. We also have updates on planning policy and decision-making in the capital but also further afield. We have been watching the shifting planning landscape closely as it affects much of our work, as well as the future fabric of the capital. You can read more here about our approach to public engagement and consultation in a time of social distancing. If you don't already, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and feel free to visit our website for more information on LCA’s team, services, and clients.  COVID-19 WATCH
ENTER THE HOUSING DELIVERY TASKFORCEIt was reported earlier this month that London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley was convening a new advisory group to support the recovery of London’s housebuilding sector and yesterday City Hall confirmed the full membership of this new body. The new ‘COVID-19 Housing Delivery Taskforce’ consists of umbrella organisations representing business more generally (London First), councils (London Councils and the London Boroughs of Newham and Redbridge), construction (BuildUK, the Federation of Master Builders and the Home Builders Federation), unions (the Trade Unions Congress), and housing associations (the G15 and National Housing Federation). The group will ‘consider how the sector can adapt and maintain resilience’ and also ‘look at specific support needed from Government’ to maintain housing supply and build market confidence. It will meet fortnightly, to discuss ‘specific challenges and consider appropriate responses and interventions that can be brought forward from across the sector’. Despite the conspicuous absence of taskforce members representing architects, private developers and political parties other than Labour, it is encouraging that the Mayor is reaching out to the wider housebuilding sector. We hope this new body proves to be a (task)force to be reckoned with and not just a talking shop. We also wonder whether there will be similar taskforces to support other key sectors in London’s built environment, such as high streets, retail and commercial development. LONDON VIRTUAL PLANNING LATESTLCA continues to keep a close eye on the growing number of London boroughs holding planning committee meetings remotely, using videoconferencing technologies. Different boroughs are deploying a variety of means and meeting protocols. MS Teams is proving quite popular as a platform and in most cases, boroughs are streaming their meetings and allowing public participation (though this generally requires registering prior to the meeting). Some examples of London boroughs which held their first virtual meetings over the past few days include:
Other planning committees that have met virtually over the past few days include Barking & Dagenham’s Planning Committee, Islington’s Planning Committee, Lewisham’s Planning Committee A, the second and third remote sessions of Kensington & Chelsea’s Planning Applications Committee, Richmond’s Planning Committee, Southwark’s Planning Sub-Committee A, Wandsworth’s Planning Applications Committee, and Westminster’s Planning Applications Sub-Committee 2. Looking ahead, we will be keeping an especially close eye on Camden’s first virtual Planning Committee, which is due to convene tomorrow , as well as others to come. Read on for more planning-related news. LONDON TRANSPORT LATEST
...AND OTHER TALK OF RECOVERYAs the pandemic appears to be reaching its peak – or at the least some kind of plateau – more attention is turning to when the country returns to a semblance of normality and also, critically, how. It is becoming increasingly clear that this will be a staged process leading to a new kind of ‘normal’. London’s nature as a densely populated metropolis, its status as global city and its central role as a major driver of the UK economy makes its recovery a particularly challenging case. As noted above, the Mayor is beating the drum for wider use of face coverings, which in combination with TfL’s troubles and rumoured peak travel curbs could make our commutes look very different indeed, as well as create huge logistical challenges for businesses. Furthermore, the impact of the pandemic on sectors from retail to aviation and tourism to higher education – all major employers and economic engines in London – is hard to predict but certain to be wide-ranging and complex. We are closely watching the evolution of discussions concerning the pace and shape of London’s recovery. For fellow ‘Londoncentrics’ similarly interested, we highly recommend following relevant webinars run by Centre for London, New London Architecture and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Our readers are also welcome to share any others they feel are worth featuring in future editions of LDN.  BETTS IS BACKThe Commons’ Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, chaired by veteran Labour MP Clive Betts, is now back in action and recently held its first virtual evidence session on the financial and service delivery impact of COVID-19 on local authorities. The committee heard evidence from the Chairman of the Local Government Association, who said that the £2.3bn awarded by Whitehall to date had given councils ‘breathing space’ but that the sector could eventually need three or four times that amount in order to get through the crisis. The HCLG committee has also launched a new inquiry into local authority commercial investment. Evidence can be submitted until 6 May and the public evidence session will take place on 11 May. The committee will question officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on gaps in commercial skills in local government, the extent to which the department monitors commercial activity and the long-term exposure to risk, as well as the ministry’s response to COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic on local government finances. BUILDING SITES LATESTDevelopers including Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway have revealed plans to gradually resume work on closed building sites. While there has been no blanket requirement for building sites in England to close amid the COVID-19 crisis, many developers and contractors had shut down sites where they found it impossible to adhere to social distancing rules. Industry leaders are now reported to be drawing up a ‘recovery plan’, making recommendations to the Treasury on how best to support a restart for the sector. Contractors resuming work are understood to be implementing numerous measures to ensure that social distancing rules are kept to, including encouraging their staff to travel to work alone in cars, introducing temperature checks and even hiring ‘wardens’ to issue warnings to those who fail to abide by social distancing rules. Unite the Union has, meanwhile, insisted that sites should remain closed if the strictest of social distancing cannot be guaranteed. The decision to reopen building sites comes as Knight Frank published its latest research, which has found that 35% fewer homes will be built this year in the UK than previously planned, as a result of site closures. PLANNING DURING A PANDEMICEven as we closely follow the evolution of London’s planning landscape, there’s more afoot further afield as the wider built environment sector grapples with the challenges posed by the pandemic:
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