Boris bins Ken's affordable housing goals

Mr Livingstone had promised to ensure that 50 per cent of all new homes built in London would be affordable, but Mr Johnson - who became mayor in May - has vowed to do away with the goal.

Today the Greater London Authority began the process by writing to every London borough proposing an indicative target for affordable housing.

Mr Johnson plans to deliver 50,000 affordable homes across the capital in the next three years and the GLA will work with every borough to agree individual targets.

He said: ‘The current policy of imposing an inflexible London-wide target clearly does not work and in these exceptionally tough times it’s imperative that we make the right investments now to provide the homes that Londoners need.

‘Make no mistake – I want all the boroughs to make their fair contribution towards achieving our goal.

‘But I believe that this can only happen by working with them so that we take account of individual circumstances and agree together what can sensibly be delivered.’

The London boroughs can now give their own views before the final targets are agreed early next year.

Greater London Authority executive director of policy David Lunts told Inside Housing this month Mr Johnson’s plans were in some ways more ‘focused and aggressive’ than Mr Livingstone’s.

Have your say

You must sign in to make a comment