Rishi Sunak announces £200m housing development drive in London as he slams Sadiq Khan for failing to build enough homes
RISHI Sunak today slammed Sadiq Khan for failing to build enough homes in London as he announced a £200m plan to boost development.
The PM vowed to launch a formal probe into the Mayor of London’s official housebuilding strategy.
City Hall guidance says 52,000 new homes are required to meet demand in the capital.
But only around 30,000 have been built in recent years.
Meanwhile, around 21,000 started development last year.
A fresh wave of funding from Mr Sunak will now be used to bypass City Hall and prepare brownfield sites for new homes, green spaces and infrastructure such as roads.
Around £53 million will help build over 9,000 homes in Old Oak West.
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The funds will support 12,000 jobs and transform the area as it awaits the completion of a new HS2 station.
Money will also be pumped towards a major redevelopment of the Docklands.
The PM estimates 65,000 new homes will be built across sites covering Thamesmead, Beckton and Silvertown.
It comes as Britain faces a crippling housing shortage crisis.
A chronic lack of homes have caused prices to soar across.
At the same time the cost of living crisis and inflation have led to a mega hike in mortgage rates.
In London workers on average will have to pay 17 times their earnings to buy a home – more than double the national average.
Ministers insist they will meet their pledge to construct one million homes over this Parliament.
Mr Sunak said: “We are on track to build 1 million new homes over this Parliament, having already delivered over 2.2 million across the country since 2010.
“But the reality is that too few of these homes are being built in London, and for too many Londoners the dream of owning their own home is beyond reach.
“The mayor has failed to deliver the homes that London needs. This has driven up house prices and made it harder for families to get on the housing ladder in the first place.
“That is why we are stepping in today to boost house building and make home ownership a reality again for people across this great city.”
Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove added: “I want to use the regeneration of the Docklands as an inspiration for more regeneration across the capital, a Docklands 2.0, transforming more unwanted and underused land into beautiful and thriving neighbourhoods.
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“Our vision will only work if we make use of all the tools at our disposal to deliver homes in the capital.
“That is why I will continue to closely monitor the Greater London Authority to ensure it is delivering the housing London so desperately needs and I will not hesitate to intervene further if needed.”