Seven London councils are backing a judicial review of the Mayor of London's decision to cut the proportion of affordable housing developers are required to build.
Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney have jointly filed the legal challenge, with Lambeth, Southwark, Waltham Forest and Haringey formally supporting it.
The claim targets the Mayor's adoption of Time Limited Route measures, which would allow developments with just 20% affordable housing to proceed without justification – down from the current 35% threshold.
The councils argue the changes lack evidential justification, were subject to insufficient consultation, and will make it harder for boroughs to deliver the affordable homes their residents urgently need.
Mayor of Lewisham Liam Shrivastava said the move would have ‘devastating consequences’ for ordinary Londoners, pointing to 10,500 households on the borough's housing waiting list and 2,450 in temporary accommodation.
‘While we understand the challenge the Mayor of London faces in terms of a stalled house building market and a developer-led model that is broken, he has provided no justification for these changes, which will undoubtedly reduce the number of affordable homes built in London,’ he said.
The Mayor’s office has been contacted for comment.
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