James Cleverly
A new report backed by centre-right think tanks has called on the Conservatives and Reform UK to seize what it describes as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to tackle London’s housing crisis, arguing that the capital already has the legislative tools needed to deliver more homes but lacks the political will to use them.
Published by the Centre for Policy Studies and Onward, ‘Fixing London Housing’ sets out proposals to boost housing delivery through regeneration, brownfield development and planning reform.
The report features forewords from James Cleverly, Conservative shadow housing secretary, and Laila Cunningham, Reform’s mayoral candidate for London, who both argue that political leadership will be key to increasing housebuilding in the capital.
Cleverly argues that bold action on regeneration, brownfield sites and red tape is needed to deliver the homes the capital needs, and that “the decisions we make today will shape the opportunities available to future generation”.
Cunningham warns that ‘a city as wealthy, dynamic and successful as London should never have had a housing crisis’ and that after decades of failure by successive governments and mayors, “the housing crisis was created by political decisions. It can be solved by political decisions”.
The report identifies five major categories of opportunity:
+ Two new Development Corporations covering Southern Tower Hamlets and the Old Kent Road Bakerloo line extension corridor, while giving more powers to the existing Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation to maximise the development around its 11 Tube, Overground, and Elizabeth Line stops and future HS2 station.
+ Estate regeneration, which is capable of delivering 500,000 additional homes by doubling density on London’s ageing post-war estates
+ The release of 2,293 hectares of Strategic Industrial Land within walking distance of Tube, rail and tram stations
+ Better use of public land through five-year asset management pipelines
+ A strong presumption in favour of brownfield development embedded in the London Plan, combined with scrapping Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for London brownfield, raising environmental impact assessment screening thresholds, and extending full expensing to cover brownfield regeneration.
The report also proposes expanding homeowners’ rights to develop their properties, making more effective use of London’s social housing stock and removing planning and regulatory requirements that it says are restricting development under both the London Plan and national policy.
Its recommendations are intended to provide a blueprint that could be adopted by a future Conservative or Reform administration in Westminster or at City Hall. The authors argue that London has the country’s greatest housing need while also offering the strongest public support for new housing development.
According to the report, London requires an additional 1.85 million homes to meet demand, while housing starts have fallen to their lowest level since the Second World War. The authors say this requires a significant increase in housing delivery if the capital’s long-term housing shortage is to be addressed.
Cleverly said: “London became one of the world’s great cities because previous generations had the ambition and confidence to invest in its future. Today, that promise is under increasing strain as too many people, particularly younger Londoners and families, find the prospect of owning or renting a secure and affordable home further out of reach.
“This report makes a compelling contribution to the debate about London’s future. It highlights the scale of the housing crisis facing the capital and sets out a bold vision for how we can support regeneration, unlock brownfield land, reduce barriers to development and deliver the homes needed to ensure London remains a city of opportunity, aspiration and growth for generations to come.”
Cunningham commented: “London’s housing crisis was not an accident. It was the predictable result of political decisions made over decades by politicians who put bureaucracy, ideology and vested interests ahead of the people who actually live here. House prices have soared, rents have exploded, and an entire generation has been locked out of home ownership. If political decisions created this crisis, political decisions can solve it. My mission is simple: make London affordable again.”
Ben Hopkinson, head of housing and infrastructure at the Centre for Policy Studies, and Laurence Fredricks, senior researcher at Onward, added in a joint statement: “London has by far the largest housing shortage in the country because successive Governments and the Mayor of London have made it increasingly unviable to build in the capital. There is a massive opportunity for future governments and mayors to let London build again by removing the burdens on building and expanding the number of sites that can be built on. Our report lays out how to fix London’s housing.”
