Initially, the debate was deliberately wide-ranging to get fresh perspectives on the panel's work to date, and to assimilate the new panel member's areas of knowledge and experience.

 

With previous proposals to inform the new Mayor being guided by the themes of People, Place and Planet, the panel revisited these themes through the lens of estate regeneration. Many noted a definitive shift to a 'retro-fit first' approach in pursuit of imminent net zero targets, but experiences varied across boroughs due to an absence of guidance to inform local authorities on whether the carbon savings of retention outweigh the delivery of 'fit for future' new build homes.

 

Those involved in infill or historic, wholescale replacement projects highlighted that challenging densities are now required to achieve the level of private sale homes necessary to cross-subsidise regeneration programmes. There was a host of other, pertinent questions: If fabric upgrade is the new normal for improving existing housing estates, how disruptive is it? How does the resident engagement change and do you need to ballot? Will existing legislation accommodate increasing wall thicknesses at the expense of reducing the area of homes? How is refurbishment incentivised when funding is based on additionality of homes? And what does a good retrofit look like anyway?

 

 

The panel was asked to think about ideas to inform the current NLA Housing programme - a key component of this being a report launching in September 2023 to explore advances in the delivery and design of homes.

 

The latest report follows the NLA's 2015 'New Ideas for Housing', prompted by a period of unprecedented growth in Greater London. This report explored creative approaches to infill, faster construction techniques, and innovation in the fields of planning and financing. The seven years following the report has seen the Grenfell tragedy; Brexit; a global pandemic and a climate crises in sharp focus - all having a seismic impact on living in London.

 

Panel members shared how they are responding to the current context with new models of public/private partnership, MMC consortiums and other techniques to unlock currently stalled housing programmes. Those working in international organisations shared lessons from overseas including examples of multi-generation urban blocks and reversible town centre carparks as part of student accommodation or high-end build to rent for the elderly - flexibility is all to do with the floor to ceiling height.

 

 

All agreed that whilst the challenges are both considerable and alarming, the panel was encouraged by the opportunities and examples of best practice shared. The next panel session in February 2023 will again focus the above discourse towards concise recommendations for how the industry and the new Mayor can work together to deliver the best possible housing for Londoners.