London mayor aims to build on green belt to fix housing crisis

Sir Sadiq Khan will announce plans to “actively explore” the construction in part of the London green belt in an attempt to fix the housing crisis of the capital.

The mayor of London argues that the current rules that prohibit development in the green belt are “incorrect, outdated and simply unsustainable”, and many Londoners cannot rent or buy a house.

According to the proposals, London planners will consider release some sections of the Earth, with conditions on affordable housing, energy efficiency, transport links and promotion access to green spaces.

Andrew Boff, from the conservatives of London, said the idea was a “complete betrayal” of previous promises to protect the green belt. “

Pressures on the real estate market, such as the increase in interest rates, the reforms of the owners and the growing demand have partly led to an increase in the lack of housing in the capital in recent years, as well as an increase in rentals.

It is expected that Sir Sadiq says that if “the right way” is made, building new houses on green belt land could “unlock hundreds of thousands of new quality new houses for London” and relieve the housing crisis.

The announcement marks a change in the posture for Sir Sadiq, who previously argued that not developing the green belt while they are Brownfield field sites are available.

While the mayor prioritizes the country of Brownfield, it is expected to tell his audience: “We have to be honest with the Londoners that this will only be enough to meet our needs.”

London has a new goal of building 88,000 new houses a year, but the current plan, which depends on the construction in Brownfield sites, delivering only around 40,000 a year.

The City Council has already begun a revision of the green belt land in line with the government’s policy to build more on low quality parts of the green belt, the so -called “gray belt”.

But Friday’s announcement is expected to go further, investigating other possibilities of sufficient safe lands to meet London’s housing needs.

Sir Sadiq will say: “The green belt can often be a land of low quality, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by the Londoners. Only around 13% is formed by parks and areas that the public can access.”

The government has welcomed the measure, and the Vice Prime Minister Angela Rayner calls it a “bold proposal” that “rises to the challenge of addressing the London housing crisis.”

Claire Holland, leader of the Lambeth Council and the president of the London Councils, has supported the idea because he said there was a “desperate need to build new homes, apparently more homely.”

Ben Twomey, executive director of the campaign group generation, said he believed that the mayor was right when considering the idea, since housing costs were “forcing many of us to poverty and lack of housing.”

The BBC London’s political editor, Karl Mercer, said the plans could put the mayor in a collision course with several exterior conservative districts in London, such as Bexley, Bromley, Hillingdon and Croydon, all really.

Among the areas of London, at risk of losing the green belt under the plans, is Enfield, where the local authority is planning a housing development of 3,700 homes in an attractive rural environment, Vicarage Farm.

Carol Fisk is campaigning against the plans and has accused Sir Sadiq or “go to growth at all costs.”

She said: “We are very disappointed that a mayor who has always dropped a firm defender of the green belt through the mayor’s office has made this change of meaning.”

In statements to the BBC Radio London, Mrs. Fisk said: “The green belt is not the solution. There are many, many pending planning permits, there are fixed or Brownfield lands that host Bangt still.”

Mrs. Fisk added that she believed that the control of income and the most reforms of the owners would be more effective in addressing the housing crisis.

The charity of the field campaign, which opposes the plans, said that there were currently 300,000 planning permits that did not have the construction of legs.

Andrew Boff, from the conservatives of the City Council, added: “The mayor has been repeatedly found in the House of the Assembly of London and has given categorical guarantees that he would protect the green belt of London.

“This announcement is a complete betrayal of these promises and shows great contempt for the Londoners who treasure the thesis of vital green spaces.”

David Simmonds, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and Shadow Minister For Housing, Communities and Local Government Said: “The Major Should Be Looking To Bring Forward Tose Beltion, Beate Beltion, Beate Beltion, Beate Beltion, Beate Beltion, Beltion, Beltion, Beltion, Beltion, Beltion, Beltion, Belción, Belción, Belción, Belción, Belción, Belción, Belción.

Additional reports from the BBC London Karl Mercer, Lauren Stanley and Susana Mendonça