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Association clashes with London mayor over minimum space standards

A housing association is lobbying the Greater London Authority (GLA) for an exemption from minimum housing space standards, with the support of institutional investor Legal & General (L&G).

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The prototype of the modular homes L&G is providing for RHP
The prototype of the modular homes L&G is providing for RHP
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Sadiq Khan’s minimum space requirements are challenging an offsite development #ukhousing

L&G’s first factory home is not compliant with the draft London Plan #ukhousing

RHP and L&G have clashed with the mayor over his minimum space requirements #ukhousing

A spokesperson for RHP – formerly Richmond Housing Partnership – said L&G’s modular housebuilding arm was helping the association to argue with the GLA over the requirements in Sadiq Khan’s draft London Plan.

The plan imposes a blanket requirement that all new one-bedroom homes be built with at least 37 square metres of floor space. This would exclude the modular homes L&G is building for RHP, each of which is only 26 square metres.

The previous London Plan contained an exception for homes that are “demonstrably of exemplary design and contribute to achievement of other objectives of this Plan”.
The new plan, which removed this exception, reads: “Housing can be delivered in different physical forms depending on the context and site characteristics. Ensuring homes are of adequate size and fit for purpose is crucial in an increasingly dense city.”

The RHP spokesperson said the landlord was engaging in the consultation process with the GLA to put the exception back and was optimistic that the mayor – who has spoken favourably about offsite construction in the past – would find a way around the problem.

At the moment, RHP has only a prototype, called Launch Pod, of the homes that L&G plans to deliver to it from its huge housing factory.

RHP plans to use it as intermediate accommodation for young people and key workers who are struggling with high rents in London.

It plans to rent out the homes for £140 per week – significantly below the local market rate for one-bedroom flats in the area, which is around £250 per week.

L&G’s factory has been hit with substantial delays ever since it was established, but RHP is expecting to take delivery of the first production run of modular homes in the summer.

If Mr Khan does not agree with RHP and L&G over minimum space requirements, RHP plans to adapt its scheme into a ‘co-living’ development, to which the requirements do not apply.

L&G and the GLA declined to comment.

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