Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that City Hall will actively explore releasing parts of London’s green belt for development, marking a radical shift in the capital’s housing strategy.
Khan said the scale of London’s housing crisis means “business as usual” is no longer viable.
London needs 88,000 new homes annually, and close to 1m by 2035 to meet demand, he said, a figure not seen since the 1930s. The mayor made clear that brownfield land alone “will never be enough”.
Khan said: “I believe the status quo is wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable. Development on carefully chosen parts of the green belt – done in the right way – would allow us to unlock hundreds of thousands of good-quality new homes for Londoners. This would not only go a long way to ending the housing crisis but provide a huge boost to our economy.
“As mayor, I’m not willing to ignore such a prospect just because it might be politically difficult – not when the life chances of the next generation of Londoners are on the line.”
Carefully selected areas of the green belt, he argued, could unlock hundreds of thousands of homes – many of them social or affordable.
Khan said much of the green belt is low-quality, inaccessible and underused. Only 13% is publicly accessible parkland. He said tough conditions would be attached to any land release, including biodiversity improvements, green space access and transport-linked development.
Khan’s announcement kicked off consultation on the next London Plan. Infrastructure will be key, with pledges to work with government on the “metro-isation” of suburban rail and major extensions to the Bakerloo Line and DLR.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner welcomed the move, calling it “bold and necessary,” while London Councils and housing campaigners also offered backing.
However, the shift will ignite fierce debate over London’s planning priorities and environmental trade-offs.
London Councils chair Claire Holland said: “London is grappling with the worst housing pressures in the country and there is a desperate need to build new homes, particularly more affordable homes. Boroughs are resolutely pro-housebuilding and are committed to working with the mayor and the government to boost housing delivery across the capital. We look forward to helping inform the development of the new London Plan to achieve this goal and ensure that it meets the needs of our local communities.”
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green MP Florence Eshalomi said: “As both a lifelong Londoner and a south London MP, I see the impact that the housing crisis has on our communities every week. It deprives too many of the basic right to a decent home and prevents young people in particular from building a life of their own. I welcome the mayor’s commitment to building the homes that our city desperately needs and exploring proposals which will make this a reality.”
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey added: “Building new homes where people want to live is vital to protect Londoners from the eye-watering cost of renting. When housing costs are forcing too many of us into poverty and homelessness, it is right that the mayor sets out his ambition to build the homes we need, including in parts of the green belt where appropriate. I encourage renters across the capital to have their say on the mayor’s proposals.”
Sarah Hiscutt, partner in planning at Knight Frank, said: “Sir Sadiq Khan’s commitment to ‘actively explore’ building on select green belt land represents a significant and necessary step forward in addressing London’s housing crisis. At Knight Frank, we have long advocated for a balanced approach to green belt policy. A review of poorly performing undeveloped green belt land would serve to identify even greater opportunity beyond previously developed sites.
“According to our recent Residential Development Land Index Q1 2025 research, greenfield land values have edged lower, with housebuilders citing persistent cost inflation and planning uncertainty. The reality facing London is stark – delivering less than half of its 88,000 annual housing target while rents soared by 11.5% last year. Increased planning certainty through clear criteria for appropriate sites that are considered to be performing poorly would be beneficial despite cost inflation remaining high.
“Strategic green belt release would enable greater scope for suburban expansion, supporting the provision of family housing where it’s most needed and where supporting infrastructure is viable and can be efficiently extended. What’s essential now is establishing criteria for identifying appropriate sites and ensuring developments deliver substantial affordable housing, strong transport links, and enhanced public access to truly valuable green spaces.”
Image from Greater London Authority
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