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London boroughs with no housing stock to bid for Khan’s building grant
London boroughs which no longer own any housing stock have said they intend to bid for Sadiq Khan’s council housebuilding grant programme.
The mayor announced last month that town halls would be able to bid exclusively for £1.67bn allocated for affordable housing in the capital at the Autumn Budget.
City Hall hopes to deliver 10,000 new homes over the next four years through the programme, with an increased grant rate for units at social rent or London Affordable Rent.
Councils will be allowed to use the money to build outside of their Housing Revenue Accounts, such as through a development company or through partnerships with housing associations.
Three of the four London boroughs which have previously disposed of their housing stock told Inside Housing they are pursuing these options.
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A spokesperson for Conservative-led Bexley Council said: “We are actively considering this programme with BexleyCo, our development company.
“We are also engaging with the [Greater London Authority (GLA)] to help refine the opportunities the programme may present.”
The GLA has offered to send in housebuilding experts to councils with no recent history of development.
Richmond Council, which became Liberal Democrat-controlled at the local elections in May, said: “The council has reviewed the bidding guidance for the grant and will be looking at opportunities where a combination of the GLA grant, council and other public land, and the council’s own affordable housing grant programme could be used to support and increase the delivery of affordable housing in the borough.”
A spokesperson for Labour-led Merton Council, which transferred its stock in 2010, said: “We will consider the mayor’s new grant programme in discussion with our local housing associations to identify any further opportunities to increase housing supply.
“We have already started a dialogue with City Hall.”
Bromley Council, the other London borough to have undergone a stock transfer, did not respond when asked if it was interested in bidding for the grant.
