London Mayor Sadiq Khan will announce plans to build on London’s Green Belt – saying this is the only way enough affordable homes can be delivered in the next decade
Parts of London’s Green Belt may be built on to tackle the housing crisis, Sadiq Khan will announce today.
The capital’s mayor will say in a speech that the move – the biggest shake-up of London’s planning rules in 60 years – could deliver hundreds of thousands of affordable homes.He will warn that the status quo, which protects miles of countryside around London, is “wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable”.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has given her backing to Mr Khan’s plan. The Mayor is expected to say: “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.”
Mr Khan will say that Green Belt land which is used will be carefully selected, and will insist on strict conditions to increase biodiversity and public access to green space. A consultation will be launched on a new strategy for the capital.
The Mayor will tell an audience in South London that much of the Green Belt is “low-quality land, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by Londoners”. Mr Khan is set to say: “As Mayor, I’m not willing to ignore such a prospect just because it might be politically difficult – not when the life chances of the next generation of Londoners are on the line.”
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The Mayor will say building on brownfield sites – which have already been developed – will not be enough. He will say: “We clearly face an extraordinary challenge. As Mayor, I’m determined to give it everything we’ve got – with a radical step-change in our approach.
“We’ll be working with councils and others to secure as many new homes as we can on brownfield sites – both large and small. But we have to be honest with Londoners that this alone will not be enough to meet our needs.
“That’s why I’m announcing that City Hall’s new position will be to actively explore the release of parts of London’s green belt for development.”
He will say City Hall will be actively exploring building on the Green Belt. – warning that the capital needs nearly a million new homes in the next decade. Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Ms Rayner said: “We all know someone who has been affected by the acute and entrenched housing crisis we’ve inherited, and the picture in London is as stark as anywhere. 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. “
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey said: “Building new homes where people want to live is vital to protect Londoners from the eye-watering cost of renting. When housing costs are forcing too many of us into poverty and homelessness, it is right that the Mayor sets out his ambition to build the homes we need, including in parts of the green belt where appropriate. I encourage renters across the capital to have their say on the Mayor’s proposals.”
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