Accelerating Housing Delivery: What the GLA's Planning and Housing Practice Note (December 2024) Means for You

The “Accelerating Housing Delivery” practice note outlines strategies to address London’s urgent housing needs. It emphasises affordable housing, social rent and intermediate housing for key workers and middle-income earners. It is now a material consideration in determining planning applications and aligns with the London Plan and the Mayor’s Housing Strategy.

Key Highlights:

1. Context: The Policy Push Behind Accelerating Housing Delivery

   The guidance responds to London's growing housing crisis - with over 183,000 people in temporary accommodation and a need for 43,500 affordable homes each year. It supports the Mayor of London's priorities, including:

   • Building more council homes

   • Delivering Rent-Controlled Key Worker Living Rent Homes.

     
     

2. Incentives to Speed Up Affordable Housing Approvals

   To help accelerate housing delivery, the GLA is reinforcing the Fast Track Route (FTR) for developments meeting affordable housing thresholds to speed up approvals. There’s also added flexibility around viability reviews, making it easier to switch homes from market sale to social or intermediate rent where needed.

   
   

3. Financial Support to Accelerate Delivery

   A key part of the the strategy involves unlocking funding. New tools such as the Accelerated Funding Route (AFR) are designed to encourage affordable housing delivery. Other financial measures include:

   • An additional £100 million funding for London

   • The ability for councils to retain Right to Buy receipts

   • Enhanced grants for councils and Registered Providers (RPs).

   These measures aim to make schemes more financially viable, particularly in today's challenging market.

   
   

4. Supporting Key Workers and Middle-Income Households

   The practice note places more emphasis on intermediate housing, including Key Worker Living Rent Homes. It encourages more flexible use of grant funding to convert less viable tenures, like shared ownership, into rent-based affordable homes that better meet current demand.

   
   

5. Tackling Market Challenges Head-on

   The GLA recognises the current challenges, such as high interest rates, inflation and limited capacity among social landlords. The guidance encourages institutional investment and aims to boost supply in a way that stabilises delivery costs over time.

   
   

6. Balancing Design Quality with Housing Need and Sustainability:

   Accelerating housing delivery doesn’t mean compromising on quality. The note backs the use of Housing Design Standards to ensure new homes are well-designed, sustainable and make the most of available space.

   
   

7. Encouraging Innovation in Housing Delivery

   The GLA is also open to new ideas. The note supports:

   • Meanwhile housing - temporary homes on development sites

   • Faster build-out rates

   • Early delivery incentives

   • Flexibility in review mechanisms to adapt to market conditions.

     
     

What This Means for You

Whether you’re a developer, land promoter, local authority or community organisation, the message is clear: the GLA wants to work with you to accelerate housing delivery in London. This new guidance creates opportunities to:

• Expedite housing delivery

• Address long-term housing shortages

• Diversify housing options for various income groups

• Support councils, RP's and developers in achieving housing goals.

It serves as a strategic framework and a proactive step towards tackling London’s housing crisis - and one that offers practical tools to support both private and public sector players.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London