London's Green Belt Under Threat: Mayor Khan's Policy U-Turn

Strategic Insights -

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to build on large swathes of green belt land around the city, including in the borough of Bromley, have sparked controversy. Khan's policy reversal contradicts his 2016 manifesto pledge to oppose green belt development, and experts warn that his policies have failed to deliver the homes London needs. The situation is worsening, with new data showing a decline in housebuilding, and the Labour government's target of 88,000 homes per year is at risk of being missed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mayor Khan's policy reversal on green belt development contradicts his 2016 manifesto pledge to oppose building on the green belt.
  • Despite having vast planning powers and substantial government funding, Mayor Khan has failed to deliver the homes London needs, with housebuilding averaging fewer than 34,000 homes per year since 2021.
  • An independent review found that Mayor Khan's policies "work to frustrate rather than to facilitate the delivery of new homes on brownfield sites."
  • Developers have started work on only 1,210 new homes in the first three months of this year, according to new data from Molior.
  • The Labour government has imposed a target of 88,000 homes for London, but Mayor Khan's plan to move housebuilding to outer London suburbs and rural villages is unlikely to succeed.
  • Bromley's green belt is poorly connected, with little existing infrastructure, and building new homes there will require significant investment in roads, schools, and other facilities.
  • Labour's plan to meet the target of affordable housing in outer London is unlikely to be met, as developers will struggle to pay for the necessary infrastructure.
  • Mayor Khan's policy U-turn has sparked concerns about unsustainable urban sprawl and the loss of London's precious remaining countryside.

Statistics:

  • The current average annual housebuilding target is fewer than 34,000 homes, compared to Mayor Khan's pledge to build 52,000 homes annually.
  • Developers started work on only 1,210 new homes in the first three months of this year, according to new data from Molior.
  • The Labour government's target of 88,000 homes for London is more than twice the current rate of delivery.
  • Bromley's green belt area is approximately 11,600 hectares (Source: Mayor Khan's London Plan).

Sources:

  • An independent review of Mayor Khan's planning policies under the previous Conservative government (no publication date provided).
  • Mayor Khan's 2016 manifesto pledge (no publication date provided).
  • Molior's new data on housebuilding in the first three months of this year (no publication date provided).
  • Mayor Khan's London Plan (2020).
  • Labour government's target of 88,000 homes for London (no publication date provided).