Zac Goldsmith pledges ‘housing czar’ to deliver more homes for Londoners

Mayoral hopeful: Zac Goldsmith
Glenn Copus
Pippa Crerar23 March 2016
WEST END FINAL

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Zac Goldsmith today announced he would appoint an architecture czar for London if elected mayor, to help deliver his pledge to build 50,000 more homes a year.

The Tory mayoral hopeful said the chief architect would plan new development, drive high-quality design and make developers accountable to local communities. They would also work with City Hall “flying planners” to give expert support to the boroughs.

Mr Goldsmith is understood to be concerned that many of the 436 tall buildings planned — such as the 72-storey “Paddington Pole” — are unpopular locally and will not deliver sufficient homes. As he published his housing manifesto, he also gave an explicit commitment to help more Londoners on average salaries — like teachers, nurses and police — onto the housing ladder.

The London Plan, the capital’s planning guide, would be amended to make sure developers build a wider range of homes to support “genuinely mixed” communities. The Tories hope his pledge shows he has listened to concerns about the Government’s starter homes initiative which offers discounts for properties up to £450,000, but which critics claim is still too expensive.

WHAT TORY MAYORAL HOPEFUL’S MANIFESTO OFFERS

- Require developers to build more homes for Londoners on average pay.

- Double the rate of house-building to 50,000 homes a year by 2020.

- Appoint a chief architect and “flying planners” to provide expert support to boroughs.

- Consult Londoners on what style of new homes they want to see built.

- Help communities draw up their own local design guide for developers.

- Guarantee homes built on TfL land are ring-fenced for Londoners.

- Help more Londoners buy off-plan through a new “Mayor’s mortgage”.

- Offer small builders first refusal on any public sector sites. 

- Set up a housing fund to match public and private investment.

- Strengthen the London Rental Standard.

Housing experts say that much of the new building in the capital falls at either end of the price spectrum — affordable homes which go to social tenants or too-expensive new properties. Mr Goldsmith has warned of the effect on the social and economic fabric of the capital if too many people on average incomes are priced out. His manifesto set out plans for every borough to review the proportion of homes available to middle and low-income Londoners. They would then be asked to set out how they propose to maintain balanced communities. He would also strengthen Boris Johnson’s London Rental Standard scheme to accredit landlords and letting agents.

Mr Goldsmith announced plans for a new nine-month “Mayor’s mortgage” for first-time buyers to help people locked out by shorter high-street mortgage deals to purchase properties off-plan. He said new homes should meet the needs of local people rather than being sold abroad, and he wants to to make it easier to build Victorian-style terrace homes or red-brick apartment blocks instead of new “ugly blocks”.

Mr Goldsmith said housing “is the most important issue facing London” and added: “I will not just build more homes, but build better homes too.”

A spokesman for Labour rival Sadiq Khan said: “We need a Labour mayor to fix the housing crisis.”

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