London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, will announce that thousands of homes must be built on London’s green belt to address the housing crisis in the capital.
In a speech that will be delivered today (09/5), the Mayor will set out a plan which he has called a “radical step-change” and says that building on brownfield land alone “will never be enough to meet the scale of the challenge”.
The Mayor’s plans have been welcomed by deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Angela Rayner, who said that Khan had the backing of the government to “deliver the housing this city needs”.
The proposed plan has come under criticism however, with the Campaign to Protect Rural England describing the new approach as a “devastating blow to the environment and our green spaces.”
In his speech today in South East London, the Mayor will say: “A generation of Londoners now simply can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a home.”
“We have young professionals stuck living in their childhood bedrooms for years on end; Londoners having to endure cold, damp accommodation that isn’t fit for human habitation; couples reluctantly moving out of the capital to start a family; and London primary schools closing because young families have been priced out of the area.”
“At the sharpest end of this crisis, Londoners are being forced to sleep rough on the streets and over 90,000 children are officially homeless.
“It breaks my heart. The damage the housing crisis is causing is pervasive and profound. We simply cannot let it continue.”
“At the sharpest end of this crisis, Londoners are being forced to sleep rough on the streets and over 90,000 children are officially homeless.”
“It breaks my heart. The damage the housing crisis is causing is pervasive and profound. We simply cannot let it continue.”
The Mayor’s plan will see City Hall actively exploring the release of parts of London’s green belt for development but insists that the right conditions will be attached to the release of any land and that biodiversity and public access to high-quality green spaces will be increased.
In January, Sadiq Khan announced that a comprehensive review of London’s green belt would be carried out to highlight sites that would be suitable as grey belt land.
In addition to this, City Hall said that it “will go further than identifying grey belt” and will “explore all possible options for unlocking enough land to meet housing need across the capital”.
The proposed plan comes as the Mayor is launching a consultation to shape the next London Plan which will see how London will develop over the next 20 to 25 years.
Angela Rayner welcomed the plan, saying: “A whole generation of Londoners will be able to tell you of the horror stories they’ve faced while trying to find a suitable home in our capital.”
“We cannot end the housing crisis and build the 1.5 million homes we need without London being ambitious in its approach. That’s why the government welcomes the bold proposal announced by the mayor today, which rises to the challenge of tackling London’s housing crisis.”
“The Mayor of London has our backing to deliver the housing this city needs, in line with our ambition nationally, to unlock the dream of a secure home for a generation.”
