Emergency interventions to unlock housebuilding in the capital have been set out by the housing secretary and mayor of London.
The measures, which are subject to consultation, aim to fast-track the planning process for sites with at least 20% affordable housing.
According to a government statement, the proposed measures will “tackle squeezed viability, including the removal of design guidance that constrains density and temporary relief from development levies for schemes able to start promptly and guarantee affordable homes for Londoners”.
As part of the changes, the mayor of London will be handed new powers to help boost housing delivery. This will include the ability to review and call-in housing schemes of 50 homes or more where boroughs are minded to refuse.
City Hall can also become the decision-maker regarding developments of 1,000 sq m or more on green belt.
The new approach will also allow the mayor to expedite the call-in process in certain cases without the need for a full hearing process. This is expected to cut up to six months from the planning process.
In addition, the mayor will be given greater freedom to deliver Mayoral Development Orders, which aims to help unlock more homes by removing the veto from local authorities.
The government has also confirmed an initial £322m to establish a City Hall Developer Investment Fund to support housebuilding in London. This is in addition to the previously announced £39bn for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme – of which the Greater London Authority (GLA) will receive up to £11.7bn – and loans through the National Housing Bank.
‘Urgent action is required’
Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “Getting spades in the ground in London is crucial if we want to see the biggest increase in social and affordable housing and meet our target of delivering 1.5 million homes in our Plan for Change.
“I have worked closely with the mayor of London to give the capital the shot in the arm it needs to ensure more Londoners have an affordable home of their own.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: “Urgent action is required, which is why I’ve been working with the government on this package of bold measures. I grew up in a council house, so I know the importance of social and affordable homes. I’m not willing to stand by while the supply of affordable housing for Londoners dries up.
“With these significant new powers and the initial £322 million of funding from the government – plus the short-term emergency action to get more investment flowing into affordable housing – I’m confident that we can kickstart housebuilding and deliver more of the affordable homes Londoners badly need.”
High-rise buildings
The new measures follow recent action taken by the Building Safety Regulator and MHCLG to speed up decision-making relating to building control applications for high-rise buildings, alongside a further commitment to clear historic new build applications in England by the end of the year.
Andy Roe, the BSR chair appointed in June as part of reforms to accelerate housebuilding, said: “After listening and learning, the regulator, with the support of MHCLG, has acted decisively to speed up its application processes for new high-rise residential buildings.
“We are already starting to see positive impacts, and our continued focus on further improvements and engaging with applicants will ensure we can support essential construction, without compromising the safety standards needed to keep people safe in their homes.”
