House Building London 2026-01-12
2026-01-12
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP notes the significant disparity between housing starts in London and other regions. She mentions that there were only about 370 new housing starts per month in London last year, which is particularly low compared to the south-east.
The Secretary of State mentions a countrywide problem, but numbers of housing starts in London are particularly pitiful. There were only about 370 new starts for every month of last year, which is the lowest level for almost any region for any year that I have been alive. There are nearly six times as many starts in the south-east, even though the housing crisis there is exported from London. It would be good to hear a little more about exactly what the plan involves, what number of starts the Secretary of State expects to see this year, and, if that target is missed, what will happen next.
Because of the time it takes between submitting an application and getting spades in the ground, we are seeing the tail-end of what was going on under the previous Government. We have already changed planning legislation and passed the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which will dramatically speed up the planning process to get more housing through the system faster, lowering the cost for developers of getting those homes built. We have made changes to the national planning policy framework to speed up house building in and around London and across the rest of the country, and we expect to see that upturn over coming months.
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Assessment & feedback
The Secretary did not specify a target number of housing starts for this year or mention consequences if those targets are missed.
Response accuracy