Proportion of affordable homes approved by City Hall has doubled

The number of planning applications in London where at least 35% of the homes are affordable has increased by 45% since 2018, with the proportion of affordable homes in schemes approved by City Hall nearly doubling since 2016.

The new analysis from City Hall found that the number of affordable homes in schemes approved has risen from a historic low of 22% in 2016 under the previous Mayor to 40% in 2020.

The Mayor’s introduction of a planning Fast Track Route for schemes that include at least 35% affordable housing, or 50% on public or redeveloped industrial land, has seen the number of planning applications meeting this threshold climb significantly.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘Building more genuinely affordable homes for Londoners continues to be a top priority for me as Mayor. It’s great news that my approach of holding developers to account has led to a sea change in the delivery of affordable homes in our city since 2016.

‘We still have a long way to go to fix the housing crisis, but it’s clear our approach is bearing fruit – helping us to deliver the homes Londoners can actually afford, rather than the luxury penthouse apartments that were prioritised in the past.’

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Council’s deputy chair and executive member for housing and planning, added: ‘There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that London urgently needs more affordable homes.

‘There are currently around 165,000 Londoners living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough – more than the entire population of cities like Norwich or Oxford.

‘Around two thirds (63%) of the total number of homeless families in England are based in the capital. Boroughs welcome the Mayor’s progress on this crucial issue for London.’

In related news, the Mayor of London has warned that the government’s Budget risks levelling down the capital, with insufficient funding and support for London to recover from the pandemic.

Photo by Alfie Chapman