Developers to get temporary CIL relief as mayor confirms measures to end London’s housebuilding malaise

It is hoped that the suite of measures will boost new sub-market housing development in London, where only 4,522 social and affordable starts were recorded in 2024-25.

Sir Sadiq said: “Building more social and affordable homes is a top priority and I’m taking the tough decisions to get these much-needed homes built, including working closely with government to finalise this temporary emergency package which will unlock stalled sites across London.

“We’ve listened closely to the views of house builders, housing associations, councils and Londoners, and the bold new measures respond to many of their concerns, ensuring we prioritise getting as many affordable homes built as possible and address the unique challenges London is facing.

“I make no apology for wanting to see more action to deliver new homes and will continue to work with government to accelerate housebuilding, tackling the Building Safety Regulator backlog and supporting new schemes as we build a fairer and better capital for all.”

Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “The scale of the housing crisis in London demands action – so that’s what we’re doing.

“This decisive action will turn plans on paper into thousands of new homes in our capital, with a clear message to developers to get on and build.

“We’re kick-starting London housebuilding so more Londoners can rent or own a home that is genuinely affordable.”

Charlie Pugsley, acting chief executive of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “As we enter an important new chapter as a standalone regulator, our focus is on strengthening safety, building trust and collaborating with industry supportively to help deliver the secure, high-quality homes all Londoners need.

“Operational improvements are already accelerating decisions on new builds and clearing complex legacy cases. This progress is clear in the thousands of high-rise safe new homes we’ve approved in the capital over the last 12 weeks.

“Alongside this, new measures will also prioritise essential remediation works, ensuring hundreds of existing buildings across the country are safe to live in.

“We are committed to maintaining this momentum and delivering a proportionate regime, but remain clear that speed will never come at the cost of the essential safety standards that all current and future high-rise residents deserve.”