Mayor of London Ken Livingstone says he has rejected an attempt by Hammersmith and Fulham Council to reduce its affordable housing target from sixty five per cent to forty per cent.
The Council’s plans were outlined in a consultation document on its proposed ‘Preferred Options’ for the borough’s Core Strategy, which is submitted to the Mayor for approval as part of the statutory planning process.
According to a statement issued by the Mayor’s office the strategy “was rejected because the Council’s new target did not conform to the London Plan target that fifty per cent of all new homes built in London should be affordable”.
Plans not in ‘general conformity’ with the London Plan must be revised or risk being rejected in full by Government.
Mr Livingstone said the borough “used to be one of London’s leading boroughs for the provision of affordable housing. Not only did they have a high target of sixty five per cent, but they were actually delivering well over that target.”
“Now the Council is proposing a giant leap backwards. The cuts they propose in new affordable homes for local people are unacceptable and contrary to my statutory London Plan. I am determined they should be made to face up to their responsibilities and at the least meet my target that half of all new homes should be affordable.”
The Council failed to respond to requests for a comment by the time of publication.
