Capital expected to grow by a million in ten years and could be twice as dense as Paris
London is rapidly running out of space to house its growing population, politicians at City Hall have warned.
In a report laying out priorities for the next London mayor, the London Assembly鈥檚 planning committee has said London must build 鈥渦p and out鈥� to meet demand, and could become twice as dense as Paris, Rome or Berlin within 35 years.
The report calculates London needs to deliver between 49,000 and 62,000 homes a year to accomodate a million new people over the next ten years, yet there is only space for 42,000 homes to be built annually.
In order to meet demand while retaining the city鈥檚 boundaries and its green belt, more towers must be built and the suburbs must cram in more homes, the report says. It argues the question of whether to build 鈥渦p or out鈥� in London is 鈥渁 false choice鈥�.
The report also recommends revamping estates and developing towns outside London鈥檚 boundaries.
Nicky Gavron AM, chair of the planning committee, said: 鈥淣ow is the time to start planning for London in the 2020s and 2030s The big question is: how should London grow - and in which direction.鈥�
Labour鈥檚 mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has set a target of building 80,000 homes a year, while Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith has pledged 50,000 homes a year.
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