Issue

Affordable Housing

631 stories · discussed at 793 council meetings · 33 councils

Councils are currently focused on increasing affordable housing supply through new developments and funding, alongside discussions on housing targets and planning policies.

In November 2026, Tower Hamlets Council approved a new development at Tomlinson Close, which will include 33 affordable homes at social rent levels. Also in November 2026, Bexley Labour councillors called for a significant increase in affordable housing and council properties. Bromley Council accepted a grant from the Greater London Authority in October 2026 to support affordable housing development within the borough.

Lewisham Council is set to consult in November 2026 on new planning guidance that will generally discourage further purpose-built student accommodation, citing concerns about its impact on conventional housing targets. Merton Council granted planning permission for 67 new homes at 57 High Path, Wimbledon, in October 2026.

Upcoming meetings in November 2026 for Camden, Haringey, Richmond upon Thames, Kensington and Chelsea, and Redbridge will include discussions related to housing. Affordable housing refers to homes made available for purchase or rent at a cost accessible to people with low to moderate incomes.

Key facts

  1. Tower Hamlets Council approved a development at Tomlinson Close in November 2026 that will deliver 33 affordable homes at social rent levels. Source
  2. Lewisham Council will consult on new planning guidance to discourage further purpose-built student accommodation to avoid compromising housing targets. Source
  3. Bexley Labour councillors called for a significant increase in affordable housing and council properties in November 2026. Source
  4. Bromley Council accepted a grant from the GLA's Affordable and Social Housing Programme in October 2026. Source
  5. Merton Council granted planning permission for 67 new homes at 57 High Path, Wimbledon, in October 2026. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 6 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 37

  1. Council Communications Team boosts engagement by 41% Richmond upon Thames Council's Communications Team has achieved a significant 41% increase in social media impressions over the past year, a testament to their enhanced... Richmond upon Thames 17 July 2026
  2. Richmond Council's Corporate Plan Reveals Mixed Performance in Key Service Areas Richmond upon Thames Council's Corporate Plan for 2025/26 has revealed a mixed bag of performance results, with some areas showing significant improvement while others lag... Richmond upon Thames 17 July 2026
  3. Hampton Water Treatment Works to become 36 new homes Richmond upon Thames Council's Planning Committee has approved plans to convert the historic Hampton Water Treatment Works into 36 new homes and flexible business space. The... Richmond upon Thames 17 July 2026
  4. Hyde Estate Road development to add 227 homes Barnet Council's Planning Committee has unanimously approved plans to increase the number of homes at the Hyde Estate Road development by 227, bringing the total to 1,564... Barnet 17 July 2026
  5. Lambeth Council to Increase Social Rent Housing Lambeth Council is set to significantly increase its provision of social rent housing as part of a broader strategy to tackle the borough's housing crisis. The Housing Scrutiny... Lambeth 17 July 2026
  6. Barking and Dagenham Council Approves Plans for Three New Children's Homes to Reduce Costs and Improve Care Barking and Dagenham Council has approved plans to build three new children's homes, providing 17 new placements, as part of a strategy to reduce reliance on expensive external... Barking and Dagenham 16 July 2026
  7. Barking and Dagenham Council Adopts 'A Better B&D' Transformation Plan Barking and Dagenham Council has officially adopted its A Better B&D transformation plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to reshape council services and improve resident... Barking and Dagenham 16 July 2026
  8. Tower Hamlets Council Approves £143 Million for 3,000 New Homes Tower Hamlets Council's Cabinet has approved a significant investment of over £143 million to fund the development of more than 3,000 new homes across the borough. Tower Hamlets 16 July 2026