Affordable housing and viability SPG
On 17 August 2017, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan published new Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) aimed at raising the bar for affordable housing provision in London.
‘Affordable Housing and Viability’ illustrates the long-term aim of the Mayor to ensure that half of all new homes are affordable, raising the level from 13% at the point when he took office in 2016.
The SPG provides a practical first step at raising the amount of affordable housing coming through the planning system in advance of the new London Plan in 2019. The Mayor aims to embed the requirement for affordable housing into land values, in addition to making the viability process more consistent and transparent, with robust and well-scrutinised development appraisals.
The SPG requires that at least half of the new homes built on public land in the capital will need to be affordable to be eligible for a new fast-track route through the planning process. Developers of private land will be eligible for the fast-track route if a minimum of 35% affordable housing provision is provided (without public funding).
The SPG goes on to stipulate that developments should get underway within two years of planning permission being granted. There will be greater scrutiny of the plans and the financial modelling behind them if this is not achieved, or if the minimum affordable thresholds are not met.
Greater transparency is to be achieved by publishing the financial details in the application, with the reinvestment of a share in any unexpected profits in more affordable housing.
Sadiq Khan said:
“I’m determined to ensure we don’t have a repeat of what happened at Battersea Power Station … with developers unacceptably reducing the number of affordable homes on site after planning permission was granted. That’s why I’ve written to all councils offering City Hall’s expertise in robustly scrutinising applications to ensure we see the new and genuinely affordable homes built that Londoners desperately need.”
For more information, and to download the SPG, see here.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.