Southwark Council is set to invest £250 million in fire safety and housing improvements over the next three years, aiming to bring all council homes up to modern safety and environmental standards. The investment aims to ensure council homes are well maintained, safe and compliant with modern, green, and decent standards. The decision follows a Housing Scrutiny Commission meeting on 14 October 2025, where councillors reviewed the council's post-Grenfell compliance and future investment plans.
The investment is part of Southwark's Good Landlord Plan, which seeks to align housing improvements with broader goals outlined in the Southwark 2030 Strategy. The plan focuses on six key themes: Better Homes, Better Estates, Better Repairs, Better Customer Service, A Stronger Voice for Tenants, and New Council Homes. The Good Landlord Plan is intended to provide a structure for aligning housing improvement work with the council's wider goals around fairness, health, and opportunity as set out in the Southwark 2030 Strategy. It is a tool for holding ourselves to account, and for making sure that the voices of our tenants and leaseholders shape how we deliver services now and in the future.
The council's commitment comes in the wake of increased scrutiny following the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent Building Safety Act 2022. The funding will address fire safety compliance, ensure homes are well-maintained, and meet decent standards.
According to the Public reports pack from the meeting, the investment will address key areas of concern. In 2025/26, within a total capital housing investment programme of approximately £100 million, the following allocations reflect this:
- Electrical Safety: £26 million for testing, remedial actions, and certification across tenanted homes
- Building Safety (Type 4 surveys): £1 million for urgent works for ~30 high-rise blocks
- Structural Surveys: £0.6 million for additional surveys where issues have been flagged
- Fire Safety (Type 1 FRAs): £3.5 million delivered via Repairs and Planned Maintenance teams
- Door Programme: £3 million for inspection, refurbishment, and renewal managed by Specialist Services
While the council aims to ensure all homes meet safety standards, challenges remain, particularly concerning older housing stock and budgetary pressures. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) faces constraints, requiring a focus on value for money and targeted investment. The Regulator has responded positively to the Council's overall approach, particularly the emphasis on governance, transparency, and capacity-building.
