Khan lays out plans to ramp up housing delivery

London mayor Sadiq Khan has emphasised more intense development around key transport sites and a shake-up of industrial land use as part of his plan to double the number of new homes delivered in the capital.

A new “vision” document from City Hall previews measures Khan believes will be necessary for stepping up annual housing delivery in London from the 20,000s to the 50,000-a-year level widely seen as necessary to meet demand and make up for past under-delivery.

Intensifying development around stations and “well-connected town centres”, as well as in the suburbs, is a recurrent theme in A City for All Londoners, which aims to spark debate as part of the creation of a draft version of the next London Plan, due for publication in autumn 2017.

The document insists that higher-density development “does not necessarily mean high rise”, arguing that greater densities can be achieved through a range of designs – including mid-rise buildings. However Khan admits that he sees tall buildings “continuing to play a role in the future of London” but with the caveat that they “will only be permitted if they can add value to the existing community”.

Khan also pledges to “place more of an emphasis on more mixed-use development”, adding that  re-think of the capacity for residential and industrial uses to “co-exist in certain locations” was likely to figure in future guidance.

The mayor added that ways in which industry could be relocated to other parts of the capital in order to free up land “better used for housing” would also be explored.

“While recognising the need to promote economic growth, I know that the economy is changing and that we must use land intelligently – particularly in the context of a housing crisis that threatens the competitiveness of the city,” he said.

“We need to be creative in how we think about space and promote mixed-use activity.”

On town-centre densification, Khan said it was logical to focus development on existing hubs for retail and community activity, particularly those town centres that were in need of regeneration.”

“As retail methods evolve and housing need increases, it makes sense to focus further development in these areas – particularly as they are popular places to live – and, in some cases, development could help high streets adapt,” he said.

“Intensifying development around well-connected transport nodes will form an important part of my vision for the city, and I will explore the potential of areas around a number of stations as locations for significant and much higher-density housing development.

In terms of locations for growth, Khan said he saw the development of new rail infrastructure as inextricably linked with volume housing delivery. He cited the extension of the London Overground network to Barking Riverside, and the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham as prime examples.

Khan added that the Crossrail 2 route, which would link south west London with the capital’s north east, was earmarked for the delivery of “very significant amounts of housing” in conjunction with partners.

He also pledged to use the next London Plan to drive the delivery of zero-carbon homes, and explore ways of “direct funding” upgrades to the energy efficiency of existing stock. Khan said he would also conduct an early trial of net-zero-energy retrofitting of homes.

The mayor said he would use the next London Plan to “embed good architectural and design quality principles in new buildings and neighbourhoods” but did not elaborate further.

A City for All Londoners is open to consultation responses until December 11. It can be read here.

Commenting on the proposals, Simon Child, director at architect CGL, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s City for all Londoners announcement, especially as it identifies the considerable potential to bring life back to the outer suburbs of London.

“A focus on providing much-needed private and affordable housing in these areas, in addition to creating further employment opportunities, allows for better places for people to live and work. It also prevents these environments from becoming the same as their inner, intense urban counterparts.”