Sadiq Khan’s Disastrous London Plan

As Mayor, Sadiq Khan has pushed through a damaging plan which declares war on London’s suburbs, prevents house building on industrial land, and will slash the number of new affordable family-sized homes. 

The London Plan is the strategic development plan for our city. In a desperate attempt to boost house building after his sluggish efforts, the Mayor has put forward damaging proposals which will hurt Londoners.

 

Here are 6 ways Sadiq Khan’s London Plan would be disastrous for London:

1) Declares war on the suburbs

Instead of being a Mayor for all Londoners, Khan has repeatedly introduced Zone 1 policies which hammer Outer London. Sadiq Khan’s draft London Plan is no exception. It removes protection from back gardens, restricts parking, and threatens London’s green belt. This plan will cause significant harm to the quality of life and character of London’s suburbs. 

2) Bans house building on industrial land

It introduces a blanket “no net loss” of industrial land policy which will severely restrict house building on large swathes of brownfield land. It risks one 10,000 home development in Enfield at Meridian Water and countless other projects. 

This disastrous policy will put further pressure for building on green belt land land and shift the focus from building on brownfield land to green spaces, and back garden developments. Not only does this policy prevent the development of thousands of homes, but it will also wreck London’s suburbs and threaten London’s green spaces. 

3) De-prioritises affordable family homes 

The Mayor has already removed City Hall’s target for affordable family homes resulting in a third fewer 3 or more bedroom homes being built last year. Now, his draft London Plan will prioritise smaller homes at the expense of young families in London who will struggle to find an affordable home fit for them.

Not only does this policy hurt young families in London who are increasingly forced to move out of the city as their family grows, but it will also increase overcrowding. There are 360,000 children living in overcrowded homes in London, this is set to get worse unless Khan changes course. 

4) Risks London’s Green spaces

Sadiq Khan’s plan removes protections for back gardens and actively encourages Londoners to pave over these green spaces to build smaller homes. The London Wildlife Trust has warned that “further loss of gardens will have a negative effect on biodiversity”. Hardly a good move for London’s “greenest Mayor ever”. 

5) Restricts car parking

Continuing the Mayor’s war on motorists and the suburbs, Khan’s plan will increase restrictions on parking spaces in new developments. The consequence? Yet more congestion as residents will have no choice but to park on neighbouring streets. In the long-term, this policy will discourage electric vehicles as residents will be prevented from charging their cars at home.

This policy might work in central London, but it doesn’t work for the suburbs. 

6) Scraps density limits

In a desperate bid to boost house building after four years of sluggish development on his watch, Khan is planning to scrap density limits. This will lead to taller, denser developments, harm the local character of London’s suburbs and put pressure on local public services and transport.