LGA CONFERENCE 2025:The next era of council housebuilding and navigating waste policy
Last week’s LGA Conference in Liverpool was a significant moment for policy announcements. Notably, Angela Rayner announced the launch of the Council Housebuilding Skills & Capacity Programme.
We’re proud to share that Local Partnerships will play a key role in supporting councils to build the skills and networks needed to drive forward the next era of council housebuilding.
The programme will provide targeted support to councils in England to:
- upskill officers and leadership teams
- unlock delivery barriers
- build long-term strategic capacity
Our chief executive, Adele Gritten, joined a Localis panel on the final day of the conference to discuss how brownfield regeneration can unlock new opportunities for affordable housing.
The discussion centred on Planning and Infrastructure legislation, policy on urban extensions, proposals for New Towns and the strictures of the statutory local growth plans.
Another major talking point at this year’s conference was the future of waste infrastructure, and the key policies that will need to be navigated. Derek Rooney, Senior Director at Local Partnerships, led the session “Waste Not, Want Not”, which discussed how councils can prepare for the reforms reshaping the waste system.
These policies include:
- Simpler Recycling (2025-26)
- Extended Producer Responsibility (2025)
- Deposit Return Scheme (2027)
- UK Emissions Trading Scheme (2026-28)
These policies will significantly shift how materials are managed, especially high carbon, and hard to recycle materials like plastics, textiles and hygiene products.
Derek outlined a strategic vision for investment in infrastructure that enables:
- chemical recycling for plastics
- fibre-to-fibre reuse for textiles
- anaerobic digestion for food waste
- smart material recovery facilities
Local Partnerships can help councils to understand their waste flows, forecast future demand and design infrastructure that retains value and enables reuseas we move towards a circular economy.
To support councils in navigating these policy changes with confidence, we’ve launched the Navigating Policy Toolkit. This free resource is designed to help local authorities understand evolving policies, plan strategically and lead effectively.
We’re grateful to everyone who stopped by our stand or joined our sessions throughout the conference.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support your authority with housing, waste strategy or infrastructure delivery, please get in touch.
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