Sadiq Khan announces intentions for development within London's green spaces

In a bid to tackle the pressing housing crisis in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to release low-quality and inaccessible green belt land for the construction of more affordable homes. This decision, which forms part of a wider consultation on the next London Plan, has sparked a heated debate among housing advocates, London Councils, and environmental groups.

The announcement comes as the city grapples with a significant housing shortage. One in 47 Londoners are currently homeless, with over 183,000 people in temporary accommodation. To address this crisis, it has been revealed that around one million new homes could be needed in the next ten years. However, London currently builds around 35,000 homes each year, less than half of the 88,000 homes Khan said the city needed to meet demand annually.

Khan's plan aims to deliver genuinely affordable homes without compromising environmental or community values. He has committed to making 50 percent of all new homes affordable in London, using land owned by the Mayor and Transport for London to achieve this goal. However, there is no indication that he supports releasing low-quality green belt land for development without appropriate standards or infrastructure.

The UK Government has also launched a £39 billion plan for social and affordable homes, aiming to deliver 300,000 new homes over the next decade, with at least 60% allocated for social rent. This initiative, seen as a landmark, transformative effort, underscores the broad consensus on the need for quality, affordability, and socially responsible housing development.

However, not everyone is convinced. Zoë Garbett, the Green Party London Assembly Member, argues that the plans won't help solve housing problems and advocates for freezing Right to Buy, cracking down on long-term empty homes, regulating Airbnb-style short lets, and implementing rent controls. Roget Mortlock, chief executive of the countryside charity CPRE, opposes building on the green belt, suggesting the need to transform the market and hold developers accountable with ambitious and enforceable targets for social and genuinely affordable homes.

Zoë Garbett also suggests that the Mayor's plan is just using "developer-speak" for housing that's still out of reach for most people. On the other hand, Phillip Allin, Director of Boyer, remarks that the announcement has the potential to result in a significant step change in housing delivery.

As the debate continues, it is clear that the housing crisis in London requires immediate and coordinated action. The focus must be on delivering quality, affordable homes in the right places, ensuring that a generation of Londoners is not priced out of the city.

The local government, led by Mayor Sadiq Khan, is investigating the use of green belt land for housing development as part of a broader strategy to address the housing crisis in London.
The policy announcement from Khan's office is receiving mixed reactions from various sectors, including housing advocates, London Councils, environmental groups, and real-estate experts.
The UK Government has stepped in with a £39 billion plan to boost the construction of social and affordable homes across Britain, with a focus on London, aiming to deliver 300,000 new homes over the next decade.
Amidst the debate over the housing crisis in London, Green Party London Assembly Member Zoë Garbett has proposed alternative measures, such as freezing Right to Buy, regulating Airbnb-style short lets, and implementing rent controls, claiming that the current plans may not address the root causes of the housing issue.