London Assembly Member John Biggs has called for Mayor of London to come clean following reports from Property Week magazine that the he is planning to fix a target of 25% for affordable homes in the capital’s key Housing Zones and opportunity areas. If introduced, the target would effectively prevent local authorities from being able to negotiate the number of affordable homes on a development above the 25% threshold.
A 25% target would be far lower than those currently demanded by many local authorities. John Biggs AM has called on the Mayor to adopt far more ambitious targets for affordable housing provision and to allow local councils a say in what the affordable target should be for major developments in their area.
Commenting on the Property Week report, Labour London Assembly Member for City & East London said:
“For eight years Boris Johnson has failed to deliver the affordable homes we need; now he looks set to tie the hands of a future Mayor by setting a scandalously low target for affordable housing on major development sites. If true, not only would it stack the deck in developers’ favour, it would let them totally off the hook from their duty to provide the optimum number of affordable homes.
“You don’t get the affordable housing which London needs by being soft on developers and tying the hands of local authorities – we need as many affordable homes as possible. The capital’s housing crisis is growing by the day and people are crying out for homes that they can actually afford to live in. Instead of dealing with this challenge, Boris Johnson seems to be the only person in London who thinks that it’s acceptable for three-quarters of new homes to be unaffordable.”
Notes to editors
John Biggs is the Labour London Assembly Member for City & East London
For more information please contact London Assembly Labour Group senior press officer, David Courcoux, on 020 7983 4952 or 07917 087 216. Number not for publication.