Eight London boroughs have announced they will take legal action against the Mayor’s affordable rents policy.

The boroughs are calling for a judicial review of the Mayor’s decision to allows rents for new affordable housing to rise to up to 80% of market rates. The councils say this will price local residents and vulnerable people out of large areas of London.

Cabinet member for housing at Tower Hamlets Council, Rabina Khan, said: ‘Tower Hamlets Council first submitted evidence on the affordable rent policies in the London plan back in November last year. Evidence from a landmark research project, which we undertook resulted in the Planning Inspector ruling in the councils' favour but this has been ignored by Boris Johnson.

‘This change to affordable rent levels will further impact upon the ability of vulnerable individuals and low income families to stay in our borough. I strongly believe that these residents have the right to live in Tower Hamlets - this shouldn't be a decision for the Mayor of London.’

The boroughs taking the action are Tower Hamlets, Brent, Camden, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Southwark.