Sadiq Khan's London Plan criticized as insufficient for housing crisis

This opinion article by Sam Dumitriu, head of policy at Britain Remade, argues that Mayor Sadiq Khan's draft London Plan is not ambitious enough to address the city's severe housing crisis. London's housing is the least affordable in Britain, with prices ten times incomes. The plan sets a target of 88,000 new homes per year, but the author notes London last built over 60,000 homes in the 1930s and currently builds far fewer. The article compares London unfavorably to Tokyo, Auckland, and Manchester, which have successfully boosted housing supply through policy changes. While acknowledging some positive moves—such as revising rules on golf courses, opening some Green Belt land, and modestly relaxing Strategic Industrial Location (SIL) restrictions—the author argues these are insufficient. The main critique is that the plan fails to lift major burdens on development, including high affordable housing mandates and assessment requirements. The piece concludes by suggesting that if Khan will not plan for London to meet its housing target, the government should intervene.