Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has withdrawn a review of the London Plan for housing ordered by the last government.
In an open letter to mayor of London Sadiq Khan the housing secretary announced her decision to withdraw from the review in order to kickstart a new “partnership approach” aimed at boosting house building in the capital.
In March, Rayner’s predecessor Michael Gove, directed Sadiq Khan to partially review parts of the London Plan – which sets out the strategy as to how the city will develop and grow.
Gove ordered the review to focus on industrial land and “opportunity areas”, arguing that 736 ha could be turned into housing developments, but are stuck in the planning system.
Forty-seven areas across London were also identified as “typically having the potential” to deliver at least 2,500 new homes or 5,000 new jobs (or a combination of the two), but “many have made almost no progress and others appear to have plateaued”.
With the reviews withdrawal, Rayner has now set out that action is needed to deliver the homes London needs.
In the letter to Khan, the Deputy PM said she will work with the mayor to ensure he takes all possible steps to boost housing delivery and deliver the homes London needs.
The Ministry for Housing claim withdrawing the direction will allow the government and Greater London Authority to take “a new partnership approach” to tackle the housing crisis.
Under proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, London needs to build around 80,000 new homes per year, double the current average number of homes built a year in the capital.
Last month, Rayner unveiled new mandatory housing targets for all councils in England to meet Labour’s targeted 1.5 million homes over the next five years.
The new mandatory housebuilding target under Labour would rise to 370,000 a year nationally, from 300,000.
The deputy prime minister also launched a task force the “Homes Accelerator” aimed at unlocking up to 300,000 new homes and speed up the delivery of 200 stalled housing sites.
The Ministry for Housing also said money will also be available for London through the £150 million Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “I know Mayor Sadiq Khan shares my commitment to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth to deliver real opportunities for Londoners.
Our new approach will take more fundamental action and focus on a partnership approach to build the housing that London needs and unlock the city’s economic potential.”
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