London Councils

For this week's prevention case study, we are in London Borough of Hillingdon, where new technology is being harnessed to improve health outcomes after discharge. Patients being discharged from hospital can sometimes face delays and do not always receive the right levels of care because of complex, unintegrated systems that cannot update all parties with the right information. Problems with discharge and subsequent care can lead to worsened health. Officers at Hillingdon Council wanted to improve the quality of care for discharged patients at Hillingdon Hospital and prevent worsening health, so decided to collaborate with the hospital to adopt the Optimised Patient Tracking and Intelligent Choices Application (OPTICA).  The implementation of OPTICA was delivered by Northwest London’s acute providers in partnership with the council, Northwest London’s Integrated Care Board, and Imperial College Health Partners. It monitors patients and tasks related to their discharge to provide a single source of information about their discharge to NHS staff and the adult social care team at Hillingdon Council. OPTICA has helped streamline the discharge process, freeing up staff time to focus on direct care rather than admin, and ensures patients are discharged without delay to the right place with appropriate levels of care.  Improving patient experiences and their health outcomes after discharge, OPTICA demonstrates how local authorities can harness digital tools and build effective relationships with trusted partners to prevent avoidable ill-health. 

London Councils, along with the Environment Agency, London Fire Brigade, Mayor of London, Thames Water and Transport for London with support from Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, is a member of the Flood Ready London Partnership. Four years on from the floods that devastated London homes and businesses, this is a timely reminder of the ongoing work to prepare London and mitigate the risks of surface water flooding in the capital…

For this week's prevention case study, we are heading to Havering, where the council's “Guerrilla Gardening” has empowered residents to keep their environment clean and free from waste. Residents were struggling to feel pride in their community due to an increasing number of areas becoming overgrown litter traps, or “Grot Spots”.  Officers in the London Borough of Havering environment team wanted to help residents keep Havering clean but were facing underfunding. Therefore, the team had to find creative ways of empowering residents to make Havering safer and cleaner at a reduced cost. They thought the answer could be in raising awareness about the work they undertook and to encourage community groups and volunteers to take an active role in improving the borough. The Where We Live campaign was launched in October 2024 at the borough’s refuse centre on Frog Island showing residents the mountain of waste generated by litter, fly-tipping, and street waste.  Appealing to residents, the campaign encouraged people to participate in Guerrilla Gardening. First, Grot Spots are identified and reported to the council by residents. They can then either be cleared or the ownership of the land can be established, allowing community groups or individual residents to adopt the land and even begin their own pocket gardens. So far, 20 Grot Spots have been identified for clearing. This approach places spaces in the hands of residents who will show them the love and care they need, whilst remaining cost neutral to the council. Championing pride in local areas and enhancing community cohesion, the project has brought people across the borough together to tackle the so-called “Grotification” of the borough. 

🏚️ 🏗️ Our new London Housing Mission Board met for the first time today - co-chaired by Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils' Executive member for Housing and Regeneration, and London's Deputy Mayor for Housing, Tom Copley. A joint initiative with City Hall, it will bring together boroughs, the Greater London Authority, national government and the housing industry to help accelerate housing delivery.

Today, the London Councils Climate Programme convened Cabinet leads for climate from across the capital to explore the future of district heating in London. We heard from UK and Danish experts, explored the latest policy developments, and discussed what it will take to scale up heat networks that are both low-carbon and affordable. There was a lot to consider - heat networks can be complex - but a few key themes stood out: • The importance of putting residents first and ensuring their voices are heard. • The need to coordinate infrastructure works to minimise disruption. • Getting the pricing right to ensure affordability and fairness. • The value of collaboration across London’s local authorities to share learning and build capacity. Thanks to our Chair Rezina Chowdhury CMRS, and speakers; Rowena Champion, Caroline Bragg, Rasmus Leth Traberg, Emma-Jane Danielsson, Simon Pollock, Doug Taylor, Kate Hand. Also thank you to Islington Council and St Luke's Community Centre for hosting us. Hannah Jameson Graeme Low Andrew Walker Simon Wyke Ashwin Patel Richard Diment Cllr Paul Driscoll Sarah Young Wesley Harcourt Mike Hakata Katherine Dunne Cllr John Whitworth Alan Juriansz Cllr Paul White Christopher Woolmer Energetik

This week marked the launch of the Low Carbon Development Training Programme, with over 150 spaces already filled. We kicked off with a successful introductory session for each of the three upcoming courses.   Welcoming officers from across London, alongside our delivery partners UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Preoptima, and Bioregional, we discussed what the training involves, why it matters, and what officers hope to gain from the programme.   Planning remains one of our most powerful tools for shaping places. This training, provided through the London Councils Climate Programme, is building capacity by equipping officers with the practical knowledge and tools needed to deliver resilient, low-carbon, and healthier homes and infrastructure for Londoners.   Interested in getting involved with this training, or want to find out more about the fourth course for decision makers and Councillors? Please get in touch with us at ClimateUnit@londoncouncils.gov.uk. 

Devolving more fiscal powers to a local level is crucial for fixing the broken #localgov funding system and ending the crisis in council finances. Responding to a report commissioned by County Councils Network, our chair Cllr Claire Holland said: “London is the powerhouse of the UK economy, but still faces immense challenges around productivity, unemployment, and poverty, as well as an enormous £500 million funding gap in boroughs’ budgets. “Fiscal devolution could help us tackle these issues and maximise London’s contribution to the country’s future prosperity.” #devolution #London #localservices #publicsectorreform https://lnkd.in/eXNyV4GD

🎂 Wonderful to celebrate, connect and look to the future as London Councils and Core Cities UK mark our 30th anniversaries this year. Thanks to Metro Dynamics for making it possible to bring urban local government together this week at Sustainable Ventures at the former County Hall building in London Borough of Lambeth. 🏙️ 👪 Together London and the twelve Core Cities are home to more than 30 million people We are vital engines for economic growth with the Core Cities representing 25% of UK GDP and London contributing net £45bn to the UK Exchequer each year. 🔑 🤝 Collaboration is key to our continued success. We know we achieve far more for our cities and our residents by working together and sharing ideas on what works. Not only is it crucial for urban councils to work with each other, but with our regional Mayors, with national government, and with business, industry and the voluntary sector. Thanks to all our friends, partners and stakeholders and alumni who were able to join us! Local Government Association Centre for Cities Localis The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Connected Places Catapult Devo Agency Central London Forward West London Alliance Local London South London Partnership Greater London Authority Transport for London Japan Local Government Centre, London London Higher London Youth C40 Cities Avison Young │ UK Landsec

🔌 With 193,000 electric vehicles already on London’s roads and 1.4 million expected by 2030, the capital is leading the UK’s shift to cleaner transport. But with 61% of Londoners lacking off-street parking, many residents face challenges safely charging at home. To help tackle this, London Councils has published new guidance for boroughs on implementing cross-pavement EV charging solutions. These innovations make it possible for residents without driveways to charge their EVs using their own electricity supply — while keeping pavements clear of trailing cables. Several London boroughs such as Enfield and Bromley are already leading the way in rolling out these solutions for residents. 🚗 Mayor Brenda Dacres, Executive Member for Transport and Environment, said: “Cross-pavement charging is a simple but powerful innovation that can help open up affordable home charging to thousands of residents – and reduce trip hazards at the same time.” Read more about the new guidance and how boroughs are enabling safer EV charging at street level: https://lnkd.in/eYk64BT7 #NetZero #ElectricVehicles #LondonBoroughs #CleanTransport #EVCharging #Accessibility

We are so old we remember when Oasis were popular the first time round! This week we gathered at Sustainable Ventures at County Hall in London with our friends London Councils and sponsors Metro Dynamics for a joint 30th birthday party. During the event we reflected on what we've achieved together, the biggest achievement being to convince Governments of all political colours that cities are an opportunity to be grasped, not a problem to be solved. Thanks to Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Liam Robinson for an inspiring call to action to continue our work together and to Claire Holland and Ben Lucas for their brilliant contributions. It was great to enjoy a party in one of the local state's most famous locations and to see so many friends and supporters including Piali Das Gupta Jonathan Werran Paul Marinko Keith Kelly Shelley Nania Erika Lewis Matt Wilton Tony Smith Gill Morris Sean Groves Here's to the next three decades and remember, as we always say at Core Cities, the future is local! Stephen Jones Kate Josephs CB