London council sets out new protocol for developer commitments across the borough

Wandsworth has also asked organisations to stop hiring consultants “to speak on your behalf” and to contact the council directly instead.

Simon Hogg, leader of Wandsworth Council, explained that the protocol was launched following a meeting with a number of house builders earlier this month.

He said: “The meeting was a great opportunity for the council to clearly convey our position on building social rent homes.

“The protocol allows us, as a council, to be clear about how we intend to work with developers to deliver desperately needed affordable homes to local people, but also to understand their needs.”

A number of developers have already backed the move.

Declan Higgins, chief executive of house builder Higgins Group, said: “The protocol clearly defines the council’s key objectives and provides a great overview of the partnership approach we’ve adopted at the former Atheldene Health Centre, a development that delivers 83 genuinely affordable, sustainable homes alongside a high quality NHS facility.”

Darragh Hurley, managing director at developer Mount Anvil, added: “We believe that our best chance of building the number of high-quality new social rented homes that Londoners need is through partnership. So we really welcome the open, collaborative approach that Wandsworth is taking to engaging and sharing their priorities and ways of working.”