Pro-housing group urges London to maintain 100,000 homes target

A pro-housing group, PricedOut, has expressed support for the new Labour Government's housing initiatives but is urging a reconsideration of the proposed reduction in London's housing target. The group submitted a response to the National Planning Policy Framework, advocating for the maintenance of the annual target at 100,000 homes instead of the planned 20% cut. Freddie Poser, Executive Director at PricedOut, emphasized the need for London to be prioritized in the government's housing strategy, given its status as the UK's most unaffordable city. The new housing needs assessment indicates a significant shortfall in housing supply, with London needing to build more homes to meet demand. PricedOut highlighted that many London authorities have consistently failed to meet their housing targets over the past decade, with areas like Islington and Barnet falling particularly short. The group argues that the government should focus on increasing the housing target to address the pressing property deficit in the capital. Additionally, PricedOut has called for the National Planning Policy Framework to place greater emphasis on affordability in housing policies. They suggest reintroducing the urban uplift policy, which was previously implemented to boost construction in densely populated areas. This would help maintain the housing target for London at over 100,000 homes annually, ensuring that the needs of first-time buyers and those requiring council housing are met. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has stated that all regions must contribute to the goal of delivering 1.5 million homes over the next five years, with London expected to play a crucial role in achieving record levels of housebuilding and affordable housing provision.