Temporary 50% Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) relief for qualifying residential schemes.
Applies to brownfield sites (not Green or Grey Belt) delivering at least 20% affordable housing.
Student and co-living schemes are excluded.
Relaxation of London Plan design standards to support density.
Key changes include:
- Withdrawal of dual-aspect dwelling requirements.
- Removal of restrictive guidance on dwellings-per-core ratios.
- Reduction in cycle storage requirements
New “time-limited planning route” to temporarily reduce affordable housing requirements.
- Applies to schemes with at least 20% affordable housing of which 60% must be social rented.
- No upfront viability assessment required.
- Grant funding available for around half of affordable homes at the benchmark rates.
- Gain-share review if schemes extend beyond March 2030.
- Green Belt sites are excluded.
- Stopping the use of s73 applications for the renegotiation of s106 obligations (although hopefully we’ll get an easier route to revise this otherwise local authorities will be overburdened with full applications).
Implicit temporary removal of Late Stage Reviews.
The document states that schemes which meet the eligibility criteria (where the first floor of the scheme has been built by 31 March 2030), it will not be subject to further reviews. Late stage reviews only appear to apply where the scheme has not been delivered in line with the March 2020 deadline.
Mayor granted expanded planning powers.
- Ability to call in schemes of 50+ homes where boroughs are minded to refuse (down from 150 units).
- New call-in powers for Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land proposals (over 1,000 sqm) - previously they could only direct refusal or review.
- Notably the Mayor refers to 'making the best use of any land released and avoiding low density sprawl', which may be an attempt to enforce City Halls density aspirations through the back door for Grey Belt sites.
Creation of £322 million “City Hall Developer Investment Fund.”
Designed to unlock and accelerate delivery on strategic sites, building on previous GLA investment successes.
Implementation by coordinated Government and GLA consultations (from November).
Consultations on CIL relief, design policy changes, planning route, and Mayoral powers will each run for six weeks, followed by secondary legislation and emergency guidance. We also heard there will be an NPPF consultation before the end of the year, which we assume will be linked to National Development Management Policies.
Support for housebuilding in London - GOV.UK
