Khan to announce plans to build on green belt in London

Sir Sadiq will say he wants to forge a new consensus on planning to build affordable housing in the capital, including on parts of the green belt, at the same time as boosting biodiversity and increasing public access to “genuinely green spaces”.

To meet demand, London needs 88,000 new homes a year over the next decade.

The mayor will say that “we must be honest” with Londoners “that our current approach to only build on brownfield land will never be enough to meet the scale of the challenge”.

He will say that London’s green belt can often be low-quality, poorly maintained and inaccessible.

The mayor will point to the right transport and infrastructure playing a “pivotal role” in his new approach, enabling higher-density developments near public transport connections.

He will be working with the government on the investment London needs for both housing and transport, including the metroisation of London’s rail lines and extensions to the Bakerloo tube line and Docklands Light Railway.

The mayor will argue that the idea that you have to choose between housebuilding and the environment is a “false choice”.

City Hall will attach conditions to any release of the green belt to “maximise” the level of affordable housing alongside ensuring there is an increase in biodiversity and public access to “genuinely” green spaces. Sir Sadiq will call on environmental campaigners and developers to work with him on the new approach.

He will acknowledge that this is a “contentious” issue and ask Londoners to “keep an open mind” while looking at the latest evidence – both on the damage the housing crisis is causing and the green belt.

The announcement comes as the mayor launches a consultation to shape the next London Plan, which sets out how the capital will develop over the next 20 to 25 years. 

Sir Sadiq will say: “A generation of Londoners now simply can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a home.

“We have young professionals stuck living in their childhood bedrooms for years on end; Londoners having to endure cold, damp accommodation that isn’t fit for human habitation; couples reluctantly moving out of the capital to start a family; and London primary schools closing because young families have been priced out of the area.

“At the sharpest end of this crisis, Londoners are being forced to sleep rough on the streets and over 90,000 children are officially homeless.”

He will say the damage the housing crisis is causing is “pervasive and profound” and “we simply cannot let it continue”.

“The perception many people have is that the green belt is all beautiful countryside, green and pleasant land, rich with wildlife. The reality is very different. The green belt can often be low-quality land, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by Londoners. Only around 13% is made up of parks and areas that the public can access,” he will say.

Sir Sadiq will “assure Londoners” that City Hall will attach the “right conditions to any release of the green belt”. 

Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and housing secretary, said, “We cannot end the housing crisis and build the 1.5 million homes we need without London being ambitious in its approach. That’s why the government welcomes the bold proposal announced by the mayor today, which rises to the challenge of tackling London’s housing crisis.”

Ben Twomey, chief executive of campaign group Generation Rent, added: “Building new homes where people want to live is vital to protect Londoners from the eye-watering cost of renting.

“When housing costs are forcing too many of us into poverty and homelessness, it is right that the mayor sets out his ambition to build the homes we need, including in parts of the green belt, where appropriate.

“I encourage renters across the capital to have their say on the mayor’s proposals.”