The government’s target of delivering 88,000 new homes each year in London is bold, and rightly so. It reflects the scale of the challenge facing the capital. Yet as any planner knows, ambition alone does not build homes. In my experience, delivery is held back by viability problems, layers of regulation and an uneven set of priorities between boroughs.

It is encouraging to see ministers finally acknowledging this. The recent package of measures for housebuilding in the capital including temporary relief from CIL, relaxed design standards and a fast-track planning route at 20% affordable housing all suggest a willingness to get things moving. But for me, the real question is not only how London can build more homes, but who should be leading that effort.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced earlier this year, may provide part of the answer. It proposes new Strategic Authorities with expanded powers over housing and planning. The Greater London Authority (GLA) is expected to fall into the most powerful category, giving the Mayor of London scope to request further devolved powers and take greater control of major planning decisions.

One of the most significant changes is the ability to prepare spatial development strategies. These would enable long-term planning across borough boundaries, linking housing with transport and infrastructure in a way that could make the London Plan more agile and responsive.