Tory Zac Goldsmith has called for the government to rethink its approach to social housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Richmond Park MP said: “Right across the capital we have tower blocks that were rushed, poorly designed, poorly built and which many of these are now coming to the end of their lives.

“There is a growing realisation that we have now an obligation to rethink our approach completely.”

He suggested a low-rise, high-density, street-based design of housing could provide more homes, and said: “With so many tower blocks needing serious investment, now is surely the time to look at a different way of doing things.”

“We can avoid the mistakes of the past, we can build in a way that breaks down those barriers, strengthens communities, provides homes that people actually want to live in.”

Goldsmith said the planning system needed to work with, rather than against, communities.

“If they feel that they are in the driving seat of this planning process, they will be much, much more open to the challenges and I think that absolutely has to be at the heart of that great enterprise.”