1.5m New Homes

Long-term regeneration is rarely blessed by ideal conditions — it takes staying power. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox visits Trinity Park and Trinity Rise, being delivered at Morris Walk North and Morris Walk South as part of the One Woolwich estate regeneration programme in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. He speaks with Becca Harrall, Senior Development Manager at Lovell Partnerships, about delivering a 1,600-home regeneration programme over more than 15 years, across multiple phases, market cycles and policy changes. The conversation explores:

1. Long-term council–developer partnership working
2. Delivering quality architecture and a sense of place
3. Social value that lasts beyond the build
4. Apprenticeships and local employment pathways
5. Managing viability, sales risk and affordability
6. Why flexibility and pragmatism keep schemes moving

This episode shows how continuity, trust and partnership make estate regeneration possible even as conditions change. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

Trying new ways to build homes comes with real risk — but doing nothing comes with a bigger one. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox meets Peter Fernandes, Senior Project Manager at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, on site at Orangery Lane — a modular housing scheme delivered through the Greenwich Builds programme. Peter speaks candidly about:

1. Starting an MMC scheme just before Covid
2. Modular contractors going into administration
3. Supply-chain failure and programme delays
4. Schemes costing more — and taking longer — than planned
5. Why councils can’t put all their eggs in one basket
6. Mixing MMC, traditional build, SIPs, acquisitions and partnerships
7. The need for more leeway when councils are innovating

The episode ends with a powerful reminder of why this matters: the families on the waiting list, and the human cost of not delivering. Delivering 1.5 million new homes will require councils to try, learn and adapt — and to be supported while they do so. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

Unlocking major regeneration sites is a long-term endeavour — and it starts with leadership. In this panel episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox is joined on site at Charlton Riverside by Dermot Whelan (at the time working for Royal Borough of Greenwich), Chloe Phelps (Director, BPTW) and Neill Campbell (Partner, BPTW) to discuss what it really takes to bring forward one of London’s largest regeneration opportunities. The conversation covers:

1. A 300-acre Opportunity Area with capacity for 6,000–10,000 homes
2. Fragmented land ownership and long delivery horizons
3. The cost and complexity of infrastructure
4. Why councils must take an active leadership role
5. The importance of quality, longevity and place
6. Skills shortages across the built environment sector
7. The role of architects, apprenticeships and early engagement

In Greenwich, it’s time to tackle more complex regeneration sites. This episode shows why unlocking them depends on leadership, partnership and long-term commitment — and why that matters if 1.5 million new homes are to be delivered. Sponsored by Red Loft, Lovell Partnerships and BPTW.

In Greenwich, the easy sites are largely gone. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Emma Sweeney, Head of Regeneration at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about what it will take to unlock Charlton Riverside — a major regeneration area with the potential to deliver around 8,000 new homes. The conversation explores:

1. Why industrial land values can exceed residential values
2. Flood defences and transport connectivity as binding constraints
3. Why private-sector delivery alone has struggled
4. The role of land assembly and long-term planning
5. Why early placemaking and meanwhile uses matter
6. Why unlocking the site requires close to £1bn of public investment

We focus on Charlton Riverside for a reason. In Greenwich, delivering the next homes depends on unlocking complex, infrastructure-led sites like this. This is what sits behind the ambition of 1.5 million new homes — not slogans, but sustained public leadership and funding. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

Housing delivery doesn’t start with numbers. It starts with place. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Alan Evans, Interim Director of Place and Growth at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about why placemaking, infrastructure and long-term thinking are essential to delivering homes at scale. The conversation covers:

1. Royal Arsenal as a long-term placemaking case study
2. Why infrastructure must lead housing, not follow it
3. The catalytic impact of the Elizabeth line
4. Creating value beyond development appraisals
5. What makes people want to live somewhere
6. How lessons from established places shape plans for Charlton Riverside and Thamesmead
7. This episode focuses on place for a reason.

👉 New houses don’t provide new homes unless places work — we need to be building the 1.5 million new homes England needs. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

Housing delivery doesn’t happen in ideal conditions. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Cllr Majid Rahman, Cabinet Member for Planning, Estate Renewal and Development at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about what it really takes to keep homes being built in a difficult market. The conversation covers:

1. Estate regeneration delivering thousands of homes
2. Staying agile when the market slows
3. Buying homes directly from developers to maintain supply
4. Sharing risk in long-term partnerships
5. Why compromise — and toughness — are sometimes essential

We focus on these practical decisions for a reason. They are how councils respond to the housing need that makes 1.5 million new homes essential — not as a slogan, but as delivery under pressure. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

Temporary accommodation is one of the clearest — and most costly — symptoms of England’s housing crisis. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about the scale and human cost of homelessness. The conversation covers:

1. 29,000 households on Greenwich’s housing register
2. 2,000 households in temporary accommodation

-Families spending years in placements meant to be short-term

1. Hotel use costing up to £29,000 per night at its peak
2. Why building council homes is central to reducing homelessness

This episode focuses on need and hardship for a reason. These pressures — on families, on councils, and on public services — are why the ambition of 1.5 million new homes matters. Not as a slogan, but as prevention. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

How do councils unlock housing delivery at scale — in the toughest conditions in a generation? In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about leadership, partnership and the role of infrastructure in delivering new homes. The conversation explores:

1. Why councils increasingly need muscular, confident leadership to unlock delivery
2. What it means for councils to build homes directly
3. How transport infrastructure can unlock new towns
4. The realities of viability, remediation and long-term funding
5. Why confidence and clarity matter as much as policy

From Charlton Riverside to the proposed Thamesmead New Town, this episode examines how Greenwich is positioning itself to deliver homes, jobs and opportunity — and what national government must do to support councils to go further. This series is sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.

We are pleased to share this month's webinar from 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, with Stevenage Borough Council "Skills, SMEs and Supply Chains: What Councils Can Do to Unlock Housing Delivery"

This webinar features:

Ash Ahmed - Director of Land, Development & Neighbourhood Regeneration at Stevenage Borough Council

Jeremy Graham - Chief Operating Officer at Bugler Developments

Daryl Jedowski - Co-operative Neighbourhoods Programme Manager at Stevenage Borough Council

Sam Phelps - Senior Development Consultant at Red Loft

Darryl Stewart - Head of Commercial Services at NHBC

Toby Fox (Chair) - Founder of 1.5M New Homes

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What’s it really like to build a career in public-sector housing delivery? In this episode, Simon Nuttall reflects on starting out in local government, being trusted early, and developing a career that spans development, procurement, finance, negotiation and delivery. It’s a candid look at why public-sector housing can be a challenging, varied and deeply rewarding career — especially for people who want responsibility, learning and real-world impact. Part of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge.