Mayor Boris Johnson drives new laws to release London land for housing

15th Jul 2014 14:38

UK housebuilders are optimistic that the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, can push legislation through parliament that will accelerate the release of public land in the capital to build new homes.Currently in the rest of England outside London, the Homes & Communities Agency, the national housing and regeneration delivery body, has the power to take ownership of public land for housing development. No organisation currently has this power in London, meaning less than 20,000 homes have been built the capital in 2013-14, well short of the Mayor's annual target of 42,000.The Mayor, according to a statement from his office, is driving an amendment to the government's Infrastructure Bill whereby the Greater London Authority would gain the same power to act as the government's land disposal agency to accelerate the release of public land to London as the Homes and Communities Agency does elsewhere. The government has brought forward the Infrastructure Bill, and Johnson has expressed his determination to work to improve the bill as it goes through parliament. Johnson said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for us to work with the government and unlock the potential of the many empty and unused sites across the capital. Rapid redevelopment, regeneration and most importantly thousands of new homes for Londoners could be just around the corner given the necessary fast-tracking powers."He pointed to the beginning of construction at a £117m housing development at the former Catford Greyhound Stadium in south London on Tuesday, which was taken over by the mayor in 2012 and sold to housebuilder Barratt Developments.Business chiefs were understably onside, with the CBI supporting a measure to tackle the endemic housing problem the capital faces.Lucy Haynes, CBI London Director, said: "Giving the Mayor more power to free up public land for new homes would be a welcome shot in the arm for London's housing market, and unleash a wave of much needed construction development in the capital. It is vital that we continue to ramp up housing supply right across the country, to build the 240,000 homes a year we need."Other builders and developers with London exposure include Persimmon, Bovis, British Land, Land Securities, Galliford Try and Telford Homes, with regeneration specialists including St. Modwen Properties.OH