Mayor announces plans for London housebuilding zones

29th November 2013

Boris Johnson, the London mayor, has unveiled proposals to create up to 10 housing zones across London that would galvanise housebuilding through planning measures and tax incentives.

Mr Johnson said that London had to plan for unprecedented population growth. "This city has failed for a generation or more to keep pace with demand. For the last 30 years we have probably built about half of the homes London needs and the problem is now a crisis," he said. The Mayor also announced government funding of £1bn a year between 2015-2018 for the programme which would help build 45,000 low-cost homes. However, despite the pledge, Tom Copley, Labour's housing spokesperson on the London Assembly, said: "This is nowhere near enough to provide the affordable homes we need at rents that are affordable to low-paid Londoners."

Source:   Evening Standard