In this report we have identified enough land to bring forward an additional 58,000 homes over the next decade. This is the equivalent of just under 6,000 extra new homes a year.

Given that the existing five year pipeline is expected to deliver an average of 32,000 new homes a year across the capital, according to our estimates, these extra homes will bring the London annual rate of housebuilding to 38,000. While this brings us closer to the Mayor’s target of building at least 42,000 a year, reaching these numbers depends on the following triggers:

■ Delivering infrastructure improvements is key: Plans for new train and tube lines would not only increase transport capacity but also have the potential to open up new parts of the city for development and boost housing delivery. Hence the benefits of investment in projects such as Crossrail 2 need to be regarded both in terms of transport enhancements and housing delivery. It is crucial that new station openings are coordinated with plans for residential development.

■ Housing zones: Our analysis shows that the delivery of housing is set to double within the nine Housing Zones in our study area. Therefore, we expect that the remaining 11 Housing Zones are likely to bring significant numbers if momentum is kept up.

■ Support a wider tenure mix: Our research shows that the biggest gap between supply and demand is in the lower price brackets. Building homes for a mix of tenures would help to address this imbalance. Providing homes for private rent at scale, in professionally managed blocks and backed by institutional investment, can also help speed up the delivery.

There could be further capacity, if:

■ Densities are increased: In this study we have applied existing densities to our calculations. However, higher densities can be achieved by reintroducing traditional streetscapes with mansion blocks and terraced housing as well as tower blocks. These options will be explored more fully in a future report.

■ More public land is released for residential development: The GLA has already made great strides earmarking non-operational assets for disposal. The recent creation of the London Land Commission to identify public sector land for development should help deliver greater numbers of homes on brownfield sites.

■ Look beyond the M25: There is a back log of housing need to consider. The revisions to the London Plan (within the SHMA) state the figure for housing need is 62,000 homes a year once historical undersupply is taken into account. While brownfield development within London’s boundaries is the preferred option, there must be a dialogue with neighbouring Local Authorities to ensure surrounding councils play their part.

■ Green Belt: We also need to have an open debate about the potential for sustainable development in the Green Belt. A recent paper by London First shows 22% of land within London’s boundary is Green Belt. This fact alone deserves attention.

Taken from
Spotlight: London Development - Spring 2015