ADD2828 Retrofit for resilience pilot

1.1.    The delivery plan for the Improving London’s Housing Stock programme was approved through Mayoral Decision (MD) 3396 in July 2025. It commits the GLA to working with London boroughs, and government, to ensure that Londoners’ homes are safe, decent and green. This work will help to reduce energy bills and end fuel poverty. The delivery plan recognises that adapting London’s housing stock to climate change is also important in enhancing city resilience. The pilot project proposed in this MD will sit under this programme.

1.2.    The delivery plan for the Delivering a Greener, More Climate-Resilient London programme was approved through MD3384 in July 2025. It describes how the GLA will provide funding, and work with partners, to increase Londoners’ access to nature and adapt our city to climate change. The delivery plan includes, as expected outputs, pilots for retrofit resilience delivered by Q4 2026-27.

1.3.    In February 2025, the Mayor and London Councils jointly established Warmer Homes London (WHL) –a joint body to accelerate and upscale the delivery of energy-efficiency retrofit in London. The running costs of WHL are largely met by the Mayor, and were approved by MD3420. The WHL Board comprises political representatives nominated by the Mayor of London and the London Council Leaders’ Committee. The Deputy Mayor for Environment, and the London Councils Executive Member for Transport and Environment, co-chair the WHL Board. WHL’s work includes delivering a Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) capital programme, in which 21 London boroughs and six housing associations are participating. WH:SHF has received £77.8 million of government funding for 2025-28; and a £100 million contribution from the social landlords involved. 

1.4.    The WHL 2025-26 delivery plan has been approved by the WHL Board. It refers to the pilot project funded by this decision form to install adaption measures alongside WH:SHF-funded retrofit, to support long-term resilience and healthier outcomes.

1.5.    In January 2026, the government published the Warm Homes Plan. This sets out how £15 billion of funding would be deployed across the UK, between 2025 and 2030, to reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions from housing. The array of welcome initiatives includes recognition, for the first time, that the retrofit programme should include measures to help homes adapt to climate change –particularly the risk of overheating. Over the course of this Parliament, the government has committed to incorporating passive cooling measures into their capital-funded schemes, which focus on improving the homes of fuel-poor consumers and social housing. Through devolution of such funding, the Mayor and WHL are set to play an increasing role in retrofit delivery across all tenures. There is a clear opportunity here to work with boroughs and social landlords, and explore opportunities to deliver such cooling measures in our programmes. 
 

2.1.    The objectives outlined in the pilot proposal are as follows:
•    identify dwellings in the London Borough of Newham (LB Newham) that are prone to overheating in summer; and recruit resident participants to the pilot
•    produce overheating assessments of dwellings 
•    install measures that can minimise these effects 
•    assess the energy performance of properties before and after installation, through Energy Performance Certificates 
•    install metal shutters in properties as well as replacing windows (to reduce add-on costs, such as scaffolding)
•    train resident participants on using these measures appropriately; this training will be delivered by LB Newham resident engagement officers.

2.2.    The main outcome from this pilot is the data that arises from installing the metal shutters. Collected     data will include:
•      the number of homes receiving the metal shutters
•    the reduction in internal temperatures in summer (indicated by automatic temperature sensors)
•    the increase in internal temperatures in winter (indicated by automatic temperature sensors)
•    the increase in each property’s energy performance rating
•    energy-bill savings.
 

3.1.    The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, requires public authorities to have “due regard” to the need to: 
•    eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010
•    advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between those who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 
The PSED covers nine protected characteristics, including age, disability, race, and sex; and it ensures that equality is considered in policy and service delivery.

3.2.    Climate impacts are felt unequally across London. Poorer, disadvantaged communities are often living in conditions that magnify the impact of climate change. Climate impacts can also be felt disproportionately amongst people with protected characteristics; and there is a high level of intersection across impacts. Heat disproportionately impacts those with pre-existing health conditions; older and younger people; pregnant women; outdoor workers; and rough sleepers. Those living in homes that are not adapted to climate change are particularly at risk, because there are no adjustments for extreme heat events. This risk is increased if they are living alone. 

3.3.    The aim of the pilot is to identify solutions to overheating that will improve Londoners’ quality of life. This pilot is therefore expected to have a positive impact on Londoners with protected characteristics.
 

4.1.    The following risks and mitigations have been considered

4.2.    This work links to the following Mayoral strategies and priorities:
•    the Mayor’s Climate Change Strategy (see GLA webpage, Climate change)
•    the Mayor’s approach to climate adaptation (see GLA webpage, Climate adaptation)
•    the WHL initiative (see Warmer Homes London webpage).

4.3.    In accordance with the grant funding agreement, LB Newham must ensure all data collected through the delivery project is protected and managed in accordance with the law and TfL requirements. A separate data-sharing agreement will be put in place between the GLA and LB Newham, enabling data to be shared. The grant-funding agreement also includes all legal and TfL requirements in relation to health and safety, and insurance.

4.4.    There are no conflicts of interest with regards to this pilot project – including from any of those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form. 
4.5.    Legal have been engaged with regards the grant funding agreement with LB Newham. They have advised that they do not need to comment on this decision.
 

5.1.    The £50,000 will be funded by the Convening Partnership Action on Climate Resilience project in the Delivering a Greener, More Climate-Resilient programme. However, this £50,000 will be administered by the ‘establishing (with London Councils) and clienting WHL project in the Improving London’s Housing Stock programme. 

5.2.    Future years’ budgets will remain subject to the annual-budget setting process. Any contracts that cover future years will need to have break clauses. Any changes in the anticipated spend profile, across the years, will be reflected as updates during the budget-setting process. 

5.3.    All appropriate budget adjustments will be made.
 

6.1.    This work will be delivered according to the following timetable:

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