Of the 21 locations we have identified as development hotspots, nine have been awarded Housing Zones status by the GLA. Two more Housing Zones, in Waltham Forest and Wembley, have recently been announced and a further nine zones are to be announced shortly.

The £400 million programme, jointly funded by the Mayor and central Government, will act as a significant catalyst to housing delivery by providing key infrastructure improvement, greater planning certainty for developers and political focus to drive schemes forward.

The initiative is designed to be flexible. Plans to boost development are being driven by each London borough and are based around local circumstances rather than a centrally imposed formula. The confirmed 11 zones are expected to deliver 32,757 homes following an investment of £317 million.

Within the nine Housing Zones included in our study area, we estimate at least 8,900 new homes could be delivered before 2019, with a further 19,000 expected by 2025. Other programmes supporting growth include the recently announced investment of £7 million for the Croydon Growth Zone, which aims to create 4,000 homes and 10,000 jobs.

Opportunity areas

Beyond that, the Opportunity Areas identified in the London Plan highlight key stores of brownfield land which could be used for volume development.

While there is no funding pot associated with Opportunity Areas, it is likely many of the new Housing Zones will emerge within these locations. These are locations with significant capacity for new housing, commercial and other development linked to existing or potential improvement to public transport.

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Taken from
Spotlight: London Development - Spring 2015