Sadiq Khan pledges to release green belt for housebuilding under new London Plan

Sadiq Khan has pledged to release more green belt land for development as City Hall aims to build 880,000 homes over the next 10 years.

The Mayor of London today said his position has changed because a brownfield-only approach will not be sufficient to meet housing need.

Khan said City Hall will now “actively explore the release of parts of London’s green belt for development”.

He said: “The perception many people have is that the green belt is all beautiful countryside, green and pleasant land, rich with wildlife. The reality is very different. The green belt can often be low-quality land, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by Londoners.

“I can assure Londoners that we’ll attach the right conditions to any release of the green belt. Not only will we always make the best use of land, maximise the level of affordable housing and produce high-quality, energy-efficient homes with good transport connectivity, but we’ll ensure we increase biodiversity and public access to good quality green spaces.”

In a consultation paper on the London Plan published today Khan re-iterated that his preference remains to “secure as many homes as we can on brownfield sites” but that this policy alone would not be enough.

>>See also: Grey belt, green belt and the curious case of Labour’s benchmark land value

Khan’s new policy of looking to the green belt mirrors national planning guidance changes announced by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner who welcomed Khan’s change of course.

She said: “We cannot end the housing crisis and build the 1.5 million homes we need without London being ambitious in its approach.”

The London Plan document cited figures from the government showing the capital needs 88,000 new homes a year to meet demand. It said the London Plan needed to plan for 880,000 homes – 10 years’ supply.

Building 88,000 homes a year would be a significant increase in current build rates for London. There were around 35,000 completions in London in the year to 31 March 2023.

In December, the final National Planning Policy Framework was published, including a requirement for councils to review green belt boundaries and propose alterations if they are not able to satisfy their identified needs for homes through other means.