London Assembly Members have criticised Mayor Boris Johnson for approving a 1,300 home development which will deliver just 162 affordable properties.
The homes will be built as part of a £1billion extension of Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherds Bush which also includes a new office space and leisure complex.
Of the 162 affordable properties, 40 per cent will be available for rental though social landlords.
The Mayor said the scheme would “create thousands of much-needed new homes and jobs and ensure that the area remains one of West London’s leading shopping destinations for many years to come.”
However Green Party and Labour Assembly Members have criticised the Mayor for approving a scheme on which just 12% of homes will be affordable.
Labour’s Housing spokesperson, Tom Copley AM, said: “Once again Boris Johnson has approved a major development with a woefully inadequate level of affordable housing. He says he is committed to getting more affordable homes built, but actions speak louder than words.
“By approving yet another development where the vast majority of homes will be beyond the reach of people on low and middle incomes he has shown himself to favour big profits for developers over the needs of ordinary Londoners.”
Green Party AM Darren Johnson commented: “This outrageous decision puts the interests of rich property developers before Londoners who need affordable housing.
“We need property and land taxes to dampen demand from the super-rich, a much higher level of investment in affordable housing, and regulations to protect those left renting privately from investor landlords.”
“City Hall recently produced new research on London’s housing needs. To fix our housing problems over the next ten years it suggested we needed to build 62,000 homes a year, of which 41,000 should be affordable homes. So two thirds should be affordable homes.
“But the Mayor keeps signing off developments like the Westfield expansion that are a long way from providing this.”
