Were You Prepared for the Local Elections?

This year’s set of Annual Meetings is a good example. Right across Greater London, long-established political dominance by the Labour Party was swept away. In boroughs such as Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Waltham Forest, the new administrations were Green or Green/Lib Dem coalitions. In Wandsworth and Westminster, Labour was replaced by the Tories. There are lots of new councillors, many elected for the first time on 7th May.

So, the relationship between the development industry and local government continually evolves. A developer cannot engage with a local council or a group of councillors when it suits them and disengage when it does not. That is not how good relationships work. It must be an ongoing process. To develop trust, relationships need to be enduring and beneficial for both parties.

It follows that smart developers prepared in great detail for the 2026 local elections. Existing relationships were kept warm and new relationships were established in anticipation of political change. These developers are now very well placed for the next four years.

Wise developers were ready for all eventualities in May 2026. They analysed and assessed the possibility of political change and established relationships with the key members of the incoming administration. They also maintained relationships with the current administration. In many boroughs, the mantra was: “Deal with Labour, prepare for the Greens.”

These developers are now well placed to use the next four years to develop relationships with the key decision-makers and opinion formers.

These developers have a lot of catching up to do. They spent no resource or time preparing for the local elections. In local authorities where there was political change, they are about to find themselves at a commercial disadvantage.

Why? They know none of the senior members of new administrations and most likely are unaware of the policy changes which are about to be announced. In boroughs where there is now a Green Mayor or a Green or Green/Lib Dem coalition, this lack of preparation could prove very costly. An unfortunate error of judgment.

Not an ideal situation, but one that can be rectified with the right advice.

Developers facing a new administration about which they know nothing need to do three things. Firstly, they need to accept that the status quo is unsatisfactory. Secondly, they need to take action quickly to rectify the situation. Thirdly, they need to retain a specialist public affairs consultancy who can give them best advice.

Contact needs to be made immediately with the key councillors and meetings and site visits organised. Attendance at civic events and support for Mayoral charities is also recommended. These all need to happen as a matter of urgency.

Those developers who find themselves in a less than perfect position post-election do not need to panic. With the right advisers, it should be possible to quickly make up for lost time. The key is committing sufficient time and resources to engage in a meaningful way with the key councillors and officers. Lots of hard work, but most definitely worth the effort.

The key lesson is very simple: preparation, preparation, preparation.

What the best consultants bring to the party for their clients is analysis, wise counsel and advice on next steps. They help their clients to manage the process of change.

Some companies fear change. A mistake. In many cases, change creates exciting opportunities. Those developers who planned for change are now reaping the commercial benefits.

Newly elected councillors welcome helpful advice from developers. Nobody wants to look stupid at committee.

Now that the 2026 local elections are over, it is a good time to start thinking about the next set of elections. You can never start preparing too early.