Mayor to bring forward GLA land for housing

  The mayor of London this morning declared he was “putting his land where his mouth is” and bringing forward Greater London Authority land for housing development.   In return, Boris Johnson called for developers and investors to put forward new cost-effective measures to maximise delivery.   At the opening of the mayor’s Housing Investment Summit today, in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency and the City of London Corporation, he said a new London-wide housing company was to be set up by the London Development Agency.   The company, headed by housing advisor Richard Blakeway, will look at submissions for residential development proposals on GLA land and consider ways to reduce the costs for boroughs and other public land holders.   Johnson said: “We’re already on track to deliver 50,000 affordable homes which will benefit thousands of Londoners but this success cannot be an excuse to take our foot off the pedal.   “The GLA is sitting on hundreds of potential housing sites that could be used to build more than 32,000 new homes.   “London’s councils, private institutions and HCA can all do the same but the cost and red tape involved is suffocating. I want to change this.   “To do this we need innovative ideas that will reshape how we invest, build and deliver affordable homes in London and in return I’ll put my land where my mouth is.”   The mayor said he was confident he could “use his influence” to persuade other public landholders such as the NHS and the Ministry of Defence to bring forward land for housing.   Johnson also said he would use the results of today’s meeting with developers, agents, housing associations, investors and local councils to prepare a submission for government to set out what is required to maintain housing delivery.   He said he would put up a “Stalingrad defence” if central government tried to reduce the residential budget in London, but that they had to “face the reality of what happens when public funds dry up”.   helen.roxburgh@estatesgazette.com