Lewisham Secures £7.1m for Retrofit as Future Homes Hub Gains New Chair

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Lewisham Council has been awarded £7.1 million through the Government’s Warm Homes funding programme, part of Wave 3 of the Social Housing Fund, enabling retrofit upgrades to around 800 council properties. Coupled with a £9.1 million match funding commitment, the project will enhance insulation, improve heating efficiency, and reduce energy costs for tenants, while advancing the borough’s goal of achieving net zero carbon by 2030. The retrofit work is a key component of Lewisham’s wider Housing Retrofit Strategy, aligned with its Climate Action Plan. The improvements aim to make homes warmer, healthier, and more affordable to run, directly supporting residents’ well‑being and carbon reduction objectives.

Meanwhile, the Future Homes Hub has named Jennie Daly CBE, Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey plc, as its new Chair, effective from 10 June 2026. She succeeds David Thomas and brings extensive experience across both the public and private sectors. The Hub has played a pivotal role in guiding the new homes sector’s net zero transition through initiatives such as the Net Zero Transition Plan and the Homes for Nature commitment. Under Daly’s leadership, the Hub will continue driving collaboration among policymakers, developers, SMEs, and supply chains to scale up sustainable homebuilding in alignment with upcoming regulatory standards and environmental targets.

What this means:
The Lewisham retrofit initiative exemplifies how targeted funding combined with local investment can deliver tangible improvements in council housing, reducing energy costs and emissions while enhancing residents’ quality of life.
The appointment of Jennie Daly as Chair of the Future Homes Hub signals continued momentum behind the net zero agenda within the new homes sector. Her leadership is expected to galvanise coordinated efforts across the industry to adopt low‑carbon standards, innovate in design and construction, and support smaller developers in meeting regulatory requirements.

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