London council to adopt 50% affordable housing target for new schemes

Under its current rules, developers in Wandsworth have to provider 35% affordable housing on schemes, in line with an original target set by Mr Khan in 2016. 

Simon Hogg, leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “For too long, Wandsworth Council’s priority has been on expensive homes which are out of reach for local residents. 

“We want to change this – residents’ needs and their views will be at the heart of our considerations. The council’s top priority is the delivery of genuinely affordable homes for local families.”

In 2021, Mr Khan set a strategic target for half of all new homes in London to be “genuinely affordable”. However, no formal timetable for the target to be achieved was set. 

As part of its proposals, Wandsworth Council is also aiming for the new rules to cover all developments, including those with fewer than 10 homes.

The proposals are part of a shake-up of the local authority’s housing policy since Labour took control following last year’s local election. 

Writing for Inside Housing in July, Aydin Dikerdem, cabinet member for housing at Wandsworth Council, revealed that all tenures in the council’s 1,000-home infill programme will now deliver 100% council rent homes on council land.

In the past, this was a cross-subsidy scheme delivering only 40% council housing, according to Mr Dikerdem.