Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has recently published ‘Planning a better London’ which sets out his intentions to revise the city’s statutory planning document, the London Plan, and to abolish the 50% affordable housing target.

The key feature of the report is a proposal to change the previous mayor’s affordable housing target of 50%. Johnson plans to completely abolish the idea of a percentage target and instead focus the supply of affordable housing on the provision of 50,000 homes over the next three years. He proposes that the total target will then be broken down on a borough by borough basis with each borough negotiating an achievable target with the Mayor.

It is hoped that further changes to the Capital’s planning system will help to improve the quality of life for Londoners. The report sets out the mayor’s belief that there needs to be stronger policies which ensure that new developments are better designed to cut down on crime and anti-social behaviour.

Johnson said: “I want to see a slimmer London Plan, which deals with genuinely strategic issues, but this won’t be at the expense of London’s need for more homes and economic success. In future, both inner and outer London will be equal priorities, and I’ll be working more collaboratively with local boroughs, especially to see that we get the 50,000 affordable homes we need to build over the next three years.”