Boris Johnson has announced he will make Parker Morris space standards compulsory under the terms of the new London Plan.

Speaking at the opening of the London Festival of Architecture last week, Johnson said it was “shameful” that the capital had some of the smallest rooms in Europe.

Parker Morris standards, introduced by Sir Parker Morris in the sixties, required social housing developments to conform to a set of generous dimensions. It is believed that private sector developers now design spaces between 5% and 15% smaller.

Johnson also confirmed that Lord Rogers would be retained as design adviser for London, alongside other established and up-and-coming practices. Rogers has not yet been formally asked to continue in the role.

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