Mayor "Fails to Answer Critics" Over Affordable Housing Targets

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Sep 2002

Mike Tuffrey, GLA Lib Dem affordable housing spokesperson, has accused the Mayor of failing to answer his critics who say his affordable housing targets are unrealistic and will not meet London's housing need.

At yesterday's London Assembly meeting, Mr Tuffrey said the Mayor's affordable housing policy is unachievable, given the conclusion of the recently published 'Affordable Housing in London'1 report that a 50% target 'could not be achieved in nearly two-thirds of London boroughs at present'.

The report also said that the Three Dragons'/ Nottingham Trent University (3DNTU) model 'does not comprehensively reflect the real world behaviour of landowners and developers' and that 'landowners are more likely to withhold land than previously indicated by the 3DNTU study'.

"The Mayor should be doing more to bring the private sector to the table along with the boroughs, Housing Corporation and central government to confront this issue and hammer out a way forward that goes beyond anything the Mayor has so far envisaged," said Mr Tuffrey.

Mr Tuffrey also questioned the credibility of the Mayor's housing policy: "Surely the Mayor must be as appalled as I was to read the results of the survey conducted by the authors of this report?"

"They found that out of 22 London Boroughs, 11 developers, 7 RSLs and 3 landowners, only one respondent believed that the 50% affordable housing target was 'a realistic option'.

"It is time for the Mayor to pull his finger out and get his act together – otherwise the capital's housing crisis will blow away all the gains in economic growth and quality of life promised in his draft London Plan."