Industry figures have largely welcomed the draft London Plan’s strategic approach and “realistic” housing targets, despite warnings that it will do little to combat challenging market conditions in the capital.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan on Thursday (16 July) unveiled a streamlined 20-year London Plan, in which he set out his strategy to deliver affordable homes, revitalise high streets and drive economic growth.
The strategy has set a target to deliver up to 558,000 new homes by 2037, revised 38% down from last year’s consultation in the face of what Khan called a “perfect storm” facing housebuilding in London.
Andrew Clark, director of insights at built environment consultancy Kanda, said the plan makes a “serious attempt to be realistic” with housing delivery, but that even the lower housing targets “remain exceptionally ambitious given current market conditions”.
He added that “City Hall should be commended for its efforts to provide certainty and simplicity for development in the capital”, but that “success will come down to delivery”.
Jordan McCay, policy officer at Real Estate:UK, welcomed the draft plan and its focus on delivering homes and attracting investment.
She added: “The revised target of 558,000 homes over 10 years reflects the significant delivery challenges facing London, including infrastructure capacity and viability pressures. Meeting even this revised target will require a co-ordinated approach across government, the Greater London Authority [GLA], boroughs and the private sector, alongside investment in infrastructure.”
McCay added that a “clear strategic framework” would be essential to unlocking investment and development, with the GLA “right to focus on increasing housing supply, making better use of brownfield land and supporting higher-density development in appropriate locations”.
Barratt Redrow regional managing director Craig Carson said: “It’s great to see a slimmed-down, more strategic London Plan, with such a positive focus on housing delivery. The draft plan rightly acknowledges the reality that space in the capital is limited, and that making the best use of land – both by bringing forward new sites and unlocking the potential of existing ones – will be critical.”
Hannah Quarterman, planning partner at Addleshaw Goddard, said the headline points made by the GLA were “largely as expected”, but offered some criticism of the strategy, calling some elements a “gross oversimplification of the economic realities” facing London.
“One thing sure to grab attention is that the approach to affordable housing has shifted from a London-wide approach to setting different requirements for different boroughs.
“This is sure to cause consternation, as it isn’t immediately clear on what basis these distinctions have been drawn. It also seems a gross oversimplification of the economic realities facing more complex sites wherever they are in the capital.”
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