A cross-party group of London political leaders is calling for an urgent halt to changes to planning laws that would exempt developers from having to provide social housing, arguing that the move would have devastating consequences for the capital.
In a letter to the Observer, Tory, Lib Dem, Labour and Green politicians say the legal change could have catastrophic effects both on jobs and on affordable homes in London.
The government’s introduction of a vacant building credit, highlighted in the Guardian, waives the need for developers to include affordable housing in redevelopments, even where such housing has been demolished to make way for new construction.
The Westminster Property Association, which represents British Land, Land Securities, the Crown Estate and Grosvenor Estates, wrote last week to the housing minister, Brandon Lewis, urging him to scrap the policy, saying it would “lead to a further erosion of the ability of people from a wide range of backgrounds to live in the heart of the capital”.
The council leaders, backed by former Labour minister and London mayoral hopeful Tessa Jowell, have added their voices to the campaign.
The letter says the change risks “permanently damaging the social mix of our capital city. It has created a perverse incentive for unscrupulous landlords and developers to evict existing tenants, and could result in the loss of billions of pounds’ worth of affordable housing.
“It is now difficult to find anyone who supports the policy, with concerns expressed by London councils, planning experts and even developers.”
