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London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that he will explore releasing parts of the capital’s greenbelt for housing and industrial development, warning that the scale of the housing crisis requires “bold solutions”.
Speaking today (9 May) in Greenwich, Khan said the capital’s failure to meet housing targets was causing “pervasive and profound” damage, particularly to young people and families. He described the current greenbelt policy as “wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable”.
London needs 88,000 new homes a year for the next decade to meet demand, Khan said, a building rate not seen since the 1930s.
He said: “We clearly face an extraordinary challenge.
“As mayor, I’m determined to give it everything we’ve got – with a radical step-change in our approach.
“We’ll be working with councils and others to secure as many new homes as we can on brownfield sites, both large and small, but we have to be honest with Londoners that this alone will not be enough to meet our needs.
“That’s why I’m announcing that City Hall’s new position will be to actively explore the release of parts of London’s green belt for development.”
A consultation on the next version of the London Plan opened today, with the document saying that “new industrial designations in low-quality parts of the green belt” will also be considered, to compensate for the release of brownfield land for new homes elsewhere.
The document also says that the plan will be redrafted to distinguish between Metropolitan Open Land and greenbelt, to protect MOL from green belt reviews.
But it added: “Given the challenging housing target, there may be some very specific circumstances where certain MOL, such as golf courses, could be considered for release for housing.”
Khan promised to work with central government on investment in infrastructure and transport, including proposed extensions to the Bakerloo line and the Docklands Light Railway. He said dense, well-connected housing would be prioritised, with greenbelt release tied to conditions including high levels of affordable housing, energy-efficient design, and biodiversity gains.
In a direct appeal to environmental groups, Khan said only around 13 per cent of London’s greenbelt is publicly accessible, and much of it is “poorly maintained”.
He urged campaigners and developers to help “make the greenbelt greener” while delivering new homes.
The announcement coincides with the launch of a consultation on a new London Plan, due to be adopted in 2028.
City Hall said the next plan would prioritise solving the housing crisis and enabling sustainable economic growth.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner backed the mayor’s move, saying the government welcomed the ambition to deliver homes where they are most needed. Labour has committed to building 1.5 million homes nationally over the next parliament.
London Councils chair Claire Holland said boroughs were “resolutely pro-housebuilding” and would support the development of the new plan. Other endorsements came from Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi and Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey.
Khan said: “We clearly face an extraordinary challenge. I’m not willing to ignore such a prospect just because it might be politically difficult – not when the life chances of the next generation of Londoners are on the line.”
The consultation, ‘Towards a new London Plan’, is open for responses until 22 June at www.london.gov.uk/towards-new-london-plan.
Source: Mayor of London press release
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Colin Marrs