Khan must use 2nd term to solve housing crisis with more than numbers
An open letter to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London.
I want to congratulate you on your recent re-election and know that you will be relishing the three more years you have been granted to bring meaningful change to our capital city.
As you start a new term, I have been mulling over the problems still facing London and thought this was a good opportunity to consider how so many are linked.
Highlighted by the pandemic and recent election campaigns, I am sure the majority of Londoners would point primarily to social inequality, crime, pollution and a lack of access to green space. One key linking element in all these issues is equality of access to quality places and affordable housing – a secure roof over our head that doesn’t cost the earth.
The recent Queen’s Speech set out proposed reforms to overhaul of England’s planning system. How these reforms will deliver a voice for communities in terms of the planning of the future of their neighbourhood remains to be seen. But it appears to me that there is an inherent risk in the deregulation proposed, and the reduction in community engagement that may result – when this is so fundamental to developing a sense of pride and community spirit.
The government’s latest iteration of the standard methodology identifies a need to build an extra 93,000 homes per year to keep pace with population growth and make housing more affordable. Yet the newly adopted London Plan sets a target of only 52,000, and last year only 42,000 were delivered. Even this is a substantial increase on historic past trends.
We all know we need to build more, but this disparity points to a larger and more troubling truth: that housing has become a numbers game. Targets can only take you so far – and giving ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ labels at a London-wide level ignores the many missed opportunities in each community and borough to deliver quality places quickly and affordably.
In my view therefore the solution is two-fold and comes from the top down and the bottom up.
From the top down there is a gap in strategic planning beyond London’s boundaries and a misunderstanding of the simple logic that London does not operate in isolation from the home counties. The commitment to retain Green Belt, regardless of quality, places a stranglehold upon land supply. The new employment land policies, although an innovative attempt to maintain employment capacity and increase housing supply through co-location and intensification, risk driving up the price of commercial floorspace. Meanwhile, the changing face of our high streets and local centres presents a challenge but also a huge opportunity.
Only time will tell the impact on supply, affordability and reducing inequality these polices will have, but I do not believe that alone they are the answer or that this can simply be about numbers.
Quality and ‘ownership’, in the broadest sense, are key to tackling inequality. Development needs to be delivered for communities – not just to them. A bottom-up approach is central to this and I believe there is a huge role for the mayor of our city to play in supporting this.
By bringing your ‘pan-London’ view and influence to Boroughs, by rolling up your sleeves and working with local councils, residents, and planners, I believe you can personally help to encourage meaningful engagement that is not stymied by numeric performance standards and methods of assessment. The challenges facing boroughs and communities vary across London; by encouraging the local debate and marrying local, neighbourhood knowledge with your London-wide powers, I believe we could make more informed financial and policy decisions.
London is a fantastic city; Londoners are, I believe, optimistic and passionate about their city and communities. We’re facing some significant challenges, but the ambition is there to deliver meaningful change.
Yours sincerely,
Iain Painting, Senior Partner, Barton Willmore