Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of planning restrictions in London on the delivery of new homes; and what estimate they have made of the difference between the number of new homes built in London and the total housebuilding targets for local authorities in London.

Housebuilding in the capital has faced a range of challenges over recent years including high interest rates, spiralling construction costs, planning and regulatory complexity and wider economic conditions.

The government is therefore working with the Mayor of London to increase housing supply and accelerate delivery. Following consultations, the government and the Greater London Authority (GLA) confirmed a package providing targeted, time-limited support for housebuilders to improve the viability of schemes and get quicker approvals on new housing schemes across every borough. This includes the GLA’s fast-tracked planning process for sites with at least 20 per cent affordable housing, removal of design guidance that constrains density, an expansion of the Mayor’s planning powers, and temporary, partial relief from development levies for schemes able to start promptly and guarantee affordable homes for Londoners.

The package sits alongside the government’s wider reforms to the planning system, significant funding for social and affordable homes and the announcement of New Towns to drive regional growth.