Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that City Hall will actively explore releasing parts of the capital’s green belt for housing development, arguing that “the status quo is wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable.”
In a dramatic policy shift and in a keynote speech later today in Greenwich, the Mayor will say that London is facing a generational housing emergency that cannot be resolved by relying solely on brownfield land.
“We have to be honest with Londoners that this alone will not be enough to meet our needs,” he’s expected to say.
London needs around 88,000 new homes each year for the next decade – almost a million in total.
POLITICALLY CHALLENGING
The capital has never built at that scale before, having only approached such levels during the 1930s housing boom.
Khan’s new approach challenges longstanding political orthodoxy around the protection of green belt land, describing much of it as “low quality, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by Londoners.”
“Only around 13% is made up of parks and areas that the public can access,” he’s expected to say.
“Given the quality of parts of London’s green belt and the extent of the housing crisis, I believe the status quo is simply unsustainable.”
STRICT CONDITIONS
Under the plan, City Hall will seek to release specific parcels of green belt land – p particularly those near existing transport infrastructure – for development, with strict conditions attached. The goal is to deliver high-density, affordable housing while increasing biodiversity and improving access to genuinely green spaces.
Khan will stress that development will focus on land close to transport hubs, in coordination with national infrastructure investment.
“We’ll ensure we increase biodiversity and public access to good quality green spaces. I remain proud to be the greenest Mayor London has ever had.”
LONDON PLAN
The new policy is central to shaping the next London Plan, which sets out how the capital should grow over the next 20 to 25 years.
A consultation, launched today, invites Londoners to respond by 22 June. A draft plan will be published in 2026, with formal adoption scheduled for 2028.
Khan argues that the idea of a trade-off between housing and the environment is a false choice.
“We want to forge a new consensus on planning that’s fit for 21st century London,” he will say. “Development on carefully chosen parts of the green belt – done in the right way – would allow us to unlock hundreds of thousands of good quality new homes for Londoners.
“We’ve created or improved 900 hectares of green space in London since I became Mayor. We can take this experience and ensure we make London and the green belt greener in everything we do.”
HOUSING CRISIS
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, says: “We cannot end the housing crisis and build the 1.5 million homes we need without London being ambitious in its approach. The Mayor of London has our backing to deliver the housing this city needs.”
Support also comes from across the political spectrum and the housing sector. Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi welcomed the announcement, saying: “It deprives too many of the basic right to a decent home and prevents young people from building a life of their own.”
RIGHT THING TO DO
And Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, says: “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.”
Khan’s speech will also highlighted the broader social impacts of the housing crisis.
“A generation of Londoners now simply can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a home,” he will say.
“London primary schools [are] 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.”
On economic grounds, Khan will also emphasise that a major housebuilding drive could also stimulate growth.
“This would not only go a long way to ending the housing crisis but provide a huge boost to our economy.”
RADICAL INTERVENTION
Khan will also acknowledge the political risks in challenging green belt orthodoxy.
“As Mayor, 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 speech marks one of the most radical interventions on housing by a sitting Mayor and sets up a potentially contentious debate over how London balances development, affordability and environmental protection in the decades to come.
