London should address its ongoing housing crisis by building on low-quality parts of the green belt, a think tank focused on the capital has argued.
By building on low-quality areas of Green Belt land – or ‘grey belt’ – London will be able to double annual housebuilding from 37,000 to 74,000 homes a year for 15 years, according to a new report by Centre for London.
The study argues that the capital’s ‘chronic shortage of homes’ stems in part from restrictions on the city’s ability to grow.
It recommends that the Mayor of London and the Government should set up Development Corporations to build on strategically defined areas of the green belt, and ensure they compensate for any loss of nature.
The study also urges the Government to adequately resource local authority planning departments by expanding grants and tying planning fees to inflation.
Josh Cottell, head of research at Centre for London said: ‘London’s housing crisis is the result of policy failures – it is within our gift to solve it. The upcoming mayoral and general elections create the perfect opportunity for parties to do just that, by implementing the long-term solutions we have outlined in this report.’
If this article is of interest, then check out, 'Why green belt expansion requires a strategic review.'
