Mayor overseeing 'catastrophic' housing progress

Sir Sadiq Khan remains "determined to turbocharge the delivery of housing", his office said

The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has overseen a "catastrophic" rate of progress on his affordable homes programme, according to the shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake.

According to the latest data, construction started on 902 new affordable homes under the programme between October and December last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The mayor's office blamed the programme's sluggish progress on "the disastrous legacy of the previous government", adding Sir Sadiq is "determined to turbocharge the delivery of housing".

It comes as the government announced it would provide an extra £300m to boost affordable housebuilding nationally – of which London will receive £60m.

The increase brings total funding for the programme to £4.16bn, including £4bn of funding handed down by the previous Conservative government.

Under that government the mayor was originally set a goal of starting work on 35,000 affordable homes by the end of the programme, but the target was slashed last year to between 23,900 and 27,200 homes, following a "re-profiling" exercise as costs rose.

So far, however, City Hall has started just 3,026 homes, meaning it is only 13% of the way towards hitting the lower end of the reduced target, despite being more than halfway through the time available since receiving funding in July 2023.

Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake said the poor performance of the scheme demonstrated that Sir Sadiq was "not fit for purpose" as mayor

In a post on X, Hollinrake, who is the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, said the poor performance of the scheme demonstrated that Sir Sadiq was "not fit for purpose" as mayor.

City Hall Conservatives previously said if the mayor continued at the current rate of progress it would take him more than 30 years beyond the deadline to hit the target.

Lord Bailey AM, City Hall Conservatives' housing spokesperson, said: "Six months ago my colleagues and I wrote to the government to ask for Khan to be put into special measures over his appalling housebuilding record."

He added the last government had given the mayor a significant amount in funding to build housing in London, "but his go-slow approach leaves Londoners asking where this money has gone as they wait for much-needed accommodation".

While the October to December figure of 902 homes on which construction work has started is up from the previous two quarters, both of which saw fewer than 200, it still leaves Sir Sadiq a considerable distance from reaching his target.

A spokesperson for the mayor said: "The disastrous legacy of the previous government has meant a slump in housebuilding across the country, but there are welcome green shoots of recovery in these figures, with an increase in City Hall-backed affordable housing starts and completions compared to last year.

"The mayor is determined to turbocharge the delivery of housing in London, and will continue to work in partnership with ministers to tackle the challenges left by the last government, helping to build a better and fairer London for all."