London's housing system is set for a major overhaul as City Hall plans to simplify the city's main planning rulebook to accelerate homebuilding. The next London Plan, which guides development across the capital, will be significantly shortened and made easier to navigate, aiming to cut delays and unlock stalled housing projects.
Key Changes to the London Plan
The updated plan, expected to be published this summer and adopted in 2028, will be "nearer to half the length" of the current 2021 version, according to the deputy mayor for planning, as reported by the BBC. Officials stated that the goal is to remove duplication and make regulations more understandable, thereby facilitating more home construction.
City Hall acknowledged that the Greater London Authority (GLA) is currently falling short of its affordable housing targets and broader housebuilding goals set by the government. The new approach aims to simplify planning rules for developers, making projects—especially on smaller sites—more financially viable.
Streamlined Rules for Developers and Councils
Officials emphasized that the revised plan will be "clearer and easier to navigate for the housing industry and councils, stripping away duplication and simplifying policies that have been interpreted oppressively by boroughs." They added, "Alongside the mayor's wider efforts, this will mean more homes are built, particularly social and affordable housing, and it will encourage a diverse range of innovative builders to deliver more homes in the capital."
Greater Mayoral Intervention
City Hall is also expected to adopt a more "interventionist" approach when planning applications are rejected. The mayor will gain increased power to step in and make final decisions in many cases, potentially expediting the approval process.
A previous review of the London Plan, commissioned by Michael Gove, had noted that there was "just so much to navigate and negotiate that it should come as no surprise that wending one's way through the application process is expensive and time-consuming." That review was later dropped by the Labour government, which instead proposed a "partnership approach" to improve housing delivery in London.
Housing Crisis Context
Over the past decade, house-building in London has plummeted by 84%. The ongoing debate over the housing crisis often centers on whether it is driven more by lack of supply or by a "design disconnect" in new developments.
Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley noted that new powers under the English Devolution and Community Act, passed in April, will enable City Hall to intervene in more planning applications at an earlier stage. He also mentioned that the mayor will be able to grant planning permission through mayoral development orders. Officials are also exploring major brownfield sites near transport hubs that could be developed for housing.
