Mayor of London reaches 50,000 new homes target

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that the city has reached its key target to find land to build 50,000 homes in housing zones.

With 18 of the 20 new housing zones announced, the total number of homes earmarked to be built has reached 50,965, of which nearly a third will be affordable to buy or rent. Two further zones will be announced later this summer.

The housing zones are a collaborative effort between the Greater London Authority, the government and local boroughs to streamline approval processes and speed up development in target areas where it has previously been held back, unlocking valuable brownfield land to meet London’s growing need for housing.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “We have worked very hard to reach our goal of 50,000 homes, and we’ve done it with two more housing zones to go. This scheme has proven extremely popular with boroughs, who have clearly been looking for just that extra bit of assistance in revving up their housebuilding to answer clear demand from Londoners. I could not be more pleased at the progress of this innovative scheme and the real outcomes it has delivered for our city.”

The figures however were criticised by the London Assembly’s Labour housing spokesperson Tom Copley, who said that the Mayor had done “too little, too late”.

Copley said: “Whilst it’s good Boris Johnson has finally woken up to the capital’s housing crisis this is far too little far too late. Independent analysis shows London needs to be building 48,841 homes annually, a target Boris has missed each and every year he has been Mayor. Last year London built only 18,260.

“The Mayor needs to understand that announcing homes to be built in the future just won’t cut it. Plans don’t put a roof over a family’s head.

“Boris Johnson should be apologising for his abject failure to build enough affordable homes during his time at City Hall, not crowing about homes which won’t be built until long after he has left office.”