More homes have been granted planning permission in H1 2015 in London’s inner boroughs than all the surrounding outer boroughs put together, according to Stirling Ackroyd’s New Homes Monitor.
A total of 11,790 homes were approved in the 13 inner boroughs, compared to just 7,960 in the surrounding 20.
The most permissions were granted in Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, which gave the go-ahead for 3,029 and 2,794 new homes respectively.
In comparison, in the suburbs, Richmond-upon-Thames approved just 52 new homes, Kingston 75 and Hillingdon and Bexley fewer than 100.
Stirling Ackroyd said outer London authorities have refused a total of 4,160 new homes during the first half of 2015, or more than a third, 34%, of applications in these boroughs.
In contrast, inner London boroughs refused 970 potential new homes, a rejection rate of 8%.
On this basis, proposed new homes are more than four and half times more likely to be rejected by planning authorities in outer than inner London.
Kingston is currently the harshest London borough, rejecting 70% of homes requested. Hillingdon follows in second place, refusing 69% of homes requested in planning applications in H1 2015.
Andrew Bridges, managing director of Stirling Ackroyd, said: “Local authorities have an important role in judging proposals on behalf of residents and communities, and simply waving through every single scheme without modification would be an extreme approach.
“But rejecting an extreme proportion of possible homes is also a hugely controversial approach. Local authorities should think about future and potential residents as much as they consider the past.”
