The GREater London Assembly has accused London mayor Ken Livingstone of backing down from his target of securing an extra 28,000 affordable homes a year.
Presenting his draft London spatial development strategy last week, Livingstone said estimates outlined in November 2000 had been cut to 11,500 (Housing Today, 20 June, page 7). The mayor’s housing commission said in November that an extra 43,000 homes would be needed each year, 28,000 of them affordable.

Liberal Democrat assembly member Mike Tuffrey said: “Even if up to 50% of new homes are designated as affordable, [Livingstone] cannot achieve even half his original target.”

Inward investment agency London First warned that the requirement that half the housing on new schemes be affordable would push up development costs, unless Housing Corporation development funding increased. The priority must be to increase the total supply of new housing, said London First property and planning director Judith Saloman.