Social housing in London dates back to 1893[1], but how has the design of this vital housing resource changed over the years, and what impact does design have on the quality of life of social housing residents?
The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee is carrying out an investigation into how the design of social housing has changed over the years, and what lessons have been learnt in that time.
There has been little research done in this area, and the Committee will be looking to understand what extent residents’ wellbeing is considered when social housing is designed, and what could be done to address residents’ needs.
According to the 2021 Census, 790,958 homes in London were classified as a social rented tenure in 2021, while there were 52,496 shared ownership households. This represents around 25 per cent of the total London housing stock.[2] The proportion of social rented homes in London has fallen from 35 per cent since 1981.[3]
The design and construction of social housing has varied since it was first introduced in the late nineteenth century; from garden cities built on the green belt in the early 1900s, the ‘prefabricated’ housing favoured after the Second World War, to the high rise blocks popular in the 1950s and 60s.[4]
The Committee will meet tomorrow with the Greater London Authority (GLA), architects and historians to find out whether the Mayor and Government prioritise cost of social housing over design and aesthetics.
Guests include:
- Charleen Henry, Senior Urban Designer, GLA
- John Boughton, Author of Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing
- Kate Macintosh MBE, Architect best known for designing Dawson’s Heights in Southwark
- Christine Wagg, Historian, Peabody Trust
- Federico Ortiz, Head of Content, New London Architecture
The meeting will take place on Tuesday 12 September 2023 from 10am, in the Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- John Boughton, Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing, 2017
- Office for National Statistics, Housing, England and Wales: Census 2021, January 2023
- Trust for London, Tenure types of London households over time (1961-2020)
- University of the West of England, The History of Council Housing
- Read the agenda papers in full.
- Sakina Sheikh AM, Chair of the Planning and Regeneration Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the Planning and Regeneration Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Anthony Smyth on 07510 488715. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.