City Hall Conservatives challenge landlord stereotypes and blame Sadiq Khan for London’s housing crisis
10 months ago | 8 comments
Sadiq Khan criticised as London housebuilding plummets
12:01 AM, 4th August 2025, 9 months ago
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has come under fire from housing developers for setting impossible housing targets, as the number of new homes in the capital plummets.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Khan’s targets require private housebuilders to make 35% of homes within each development affordable.
However, housebuilders say the targets are “too high and difficult to make a profit.”
The news comes after the National House Building Council (NHBC) revealed that just 904 new homes were registered in London in the second quarter, down 59% from the same period last year.
Requirements have stymied building
The Telegraph claims the NHBC blames the housing slowdown on mounting costs required to fix fire safety defects in high-rise buildings, after measures came into effect a few years ago in response to the Grenfell Tower fire.
However, housebuilders blame Mr Khan’s 35% affordable homes target, saying the “ambitious and inflexible” requirements have stymied building.
A housing developer told the newspaper: “If the Mayor continues to insist on 35%, he’ll get 35% of nothing, so surely it’s better to get a lower percentage of something.”
The Telegraph reveals that developers are now pushing Mr Khan to lower the affordability quota to 25%.
Even Mr Khan’s 35% target is lower than what he originally proposed, when he pledged in his manifesto that half of all new developments would be affordable.
Golden era of council housebuilding
Housing developers are also concerned about a rule that allows Mr Khan to claim the majority of profits from developments where less than 35% of homes are affordable, potentially leaving developers with no profit at all.
Mr Khan’s mission to deliver a “golden era of council housebuilding” appears to be falling short.
Official figures show that work began on just 1,100 new homes in London during the first three months of the year, far below the target of 88,000 homes annually in the capital.
Tags:
affordable housing London, housing developers criticism, London Housing Crisis, london new homes, sadiq khan
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Member Since August 2016 - Comments: 508
9:53 AM, 4th August 2025, About 9 months ago
Obvious answer to The Khan, Build them yourself!!!
Council Houses. Ever heard of them?
Member Since February 2017 - Comments: 57
10:26 AM, 4th August 2025, About 9 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Blodwyn at 04/08/2025 – 09:53
You can’t force the private sector to provide public sector services for little or no payment.
Member Since August 2016 - Comments: 508
10:35 AM, 4th August 2025, About 9 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert at 04/08/2025 – 10:26
Exactly. So how many paddles does this Dangerous Chump have in his canoe up his crocodile infested creek?
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3544 - Articles: 5
11:01 AM, 4th August 2025, About 9 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Robert at 04/08/2025 – 10:26
clearly, but in the case of the PRS it doesn’t stop the government backing LL’s into a corner to try to get them to do this… while at the same time criticising us for doing exactly the same.
Member Since October 2023 - Comments: 205
10:13 AM, 5th August 2025, About 9 months ago
Its socialism 101.
“Everyone is entitled to have a home they can afford”
Who pays “??????????”
Member Since May 2024 - Comments: 118
2:29 AM, 6th August 2025, About 9 months ago
They may feel they’re succeeding in forcing private landlords to do their bidding but they will come unstuck with the house builders. We may not have legal teams and lobbyists in our camp but they do.