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What are our councils up to?
Camden - Agreed to a scheme to retrofit council housing for energy efficiency and approved an increase to the Council Tax Support Scheme. The Housing Scrutiny Committee discussed concerns about the quality and affordability of private rented accommodation.
Hackney - Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission heard presentations on trust and confidence in local policing, and serious violence and gang crime. Hackney Light and Power presented their work on clean energy, the Procurement board approved contracts for electric car chargers, and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission discussed the overspend in the Children's Services budget.
Lambeth - Approved a new SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy and a new action plan to bring empty homes back into use. They also approved a new policy to move homeless families into private rented accommodation.
Lewisham - The Planning Committee approved two new housing developments, one in Sydenham and one in Deptford. The Licensing Committee refused an application to extend the alcohol licence for a fried chicken shop on Downham Way.
Southwark - The Pensions Advisory Panel discussed the underperformance of the Darwin Leisure Development Fund. James Allens Girls School gained permission to demolish two houses and build a new pre-prep school, despite objections.
Wandsworth - Approved plans for new homes on the Ashburton Estate despite resident objections, and a controversial adult gaming centre on Putney High Street was approved by the chair's casting vote.
Newham - The Pensions Committee discussed the performance of the Newham Pension Fund, which is not fully funded. An Officer Key Decision meeting approved a £9.1 million contract for digital advertising on street furniture.
Islington - Elected Councillor Una O'Halloran as the new Leader of the Council. They debated extending the move-on period for refugees and voted to means-test the winter fuel allowance.
Westminster - The Rating Advisory Panel considered applications for hardship and discretionary relief from business rates. The Pension Fund Committee discussed reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme and UNISON's motion on divestment from companies involved in breaches of international law in Palestine.
Waltham Forest - The Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee discussed the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2025/26 and approved a new draft Damp and Mould Policy. The full Council voted to approve the scheme for admitting students to schools in 2026 and agreed to close the Bagshot Community Recycling Centre.
Greenwich - The Planning Board granted planning permission for three applications, removing affordable housing from a scheme in Charlton. The Schools Forum discussed the Dedicated Schools Grant and a proposal to extend members' term of office.
Tower Hamlets - The Strategic Development Committee rejected planning permission for the Chinese Embassy's redevelopment of Royal Mint Court. The Licensing Sub Committee deferred a decision on an application by the Wellcome Co-op on Smeed Road to vary its premises licence.
Surrey - The Health and Wellbeing Board discussed a draft strategy to support Sanctuary Seekers in Surrey and the proposed removal of responsibility for community safety from the board. The Council voted to approve the scheme for admitting students to schools in 2026 and agreed to close the Bagshot Community Recycling Centre.
I publish newsletters covering everything local councils do each week.
I set up this project because local authorities spend about 12% of the UK government budget, or roughly 5p of every pound that's earned in the UK, and yet the vast majority of people have no idea who their local councillors are, or what they're currently doing. I think that's bad for our society.
Currently, I can only afford to do this work for about a dozen councils in the south east, but that's constantly growing as more people subscribe.
This is still very early days, and I'd love your feedback.
If you'd like to learn more, click on the relevant council, or if your council doesn't appear, you can subscribe for free here: https://opencouncil.network
the lewisham one about the fried chicken shop on downham way is pretty funny tbh. like imagine being the licensing committee having to sit through a whole hearing about whether a chicken shop can sell booze. but also downham way already has like three chicken shops within a five minute walk so maybe it's for the best
the newham digital advertising contract is interesting too. 9.1 million for ads on bins and bus stops is a lot of money for a borough that's constantly saying it's skint. wonder if anyone actually asked residents if they want more screens flashing at them while they're waiting for the 473
Probably burying another perfectly good Victorian sewer somewhere under a new luxury apartment block. Or maybe finally getting around to fixing that pothole I reported six months ago. The suspense is killing me.
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What are some innovative ways to anonymously compare rental prices in a city?
SpareRoom's "rooms wanted" ads are underrated for this. people post what they're currently paying alongside what they want next, so you can scrape a rough sense of going rates by postcode without anyone knowing you looked. it skews young and flatshare heavy tho, so not much use if you're after 2-beds in zone 2.
Another one is just the depozit or tenancy deposit scheme data. not public-facing, but your council's housing officer can tell you median rents from deposit registrations if you email them under FOI. takes weeks, but its proper anon and nobody clocks u.
Rightmove and Zoopla only show asking rents, which are often 10 to 15 percent above what a place actually goes for, so they're a poor benchmark. The trick I've used is the ONS Price Index of Private Rents, which breaks things down to borough level and is genuinely anonymous since it's aggregate data, no listing or account needed. For something more granular, the London Renters Union runs a rent reporting tool where you submit what you're paying with your postcode and it maps it against others nearby, though the coverage is patchy outside the inner boroughs.
the openrent "rent check" thing is decent for zones 3-4 where the unions tool barely reaches. also worth checking the london.gov.uk planning portal for new build applications, they list "affordable" and market rent figures per unit in the viability assessments, which is basically the developer telling the council what they expect to charge. bit of a faff to dig through but its public, anonymous & nobody knows ur looking