Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, wrote to the Mayor of London on 29 January finally authorising the adoption of the new London Plan which now formally becomes part of the development plan for London. In his letter, Jenrick refers to the gap between London’s objectively assessed housing needs and what the Mayor has planned to provide. As Jenrick observes:
Now that you are in a position to be able to publish your London Plan I fully expect you to start working to dramatically increase the capital’s housing delivery and to start considering how your next London Plan can bridge the significant gap between the housing it seeks to deliver and the actual acute housing need London faces. I would again ask you to work closely with those authorities that surround London to develop a strategy to help alleviate the housing pressure that is faced both inside and immediately outside the capital.
Resolving the issue of London’s housing needs is a politically sensitive issue. Few authorities in the wider south east are willing to cooperate with the Mayor to take some of the capital’s overspill (i.e., add more housing figures to their own plan), and the Government is not enthusiastic about the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation that the Mayor undertakes a strategic review of London’s green belt (reflecting an argument made by HBF at the examination). The problem is compounded by the absence of any substantial references to role of strategic planning in the Planning White Paper. However, HBF is in discussion with MHCLG about options for strategic planning, focusing initially on the powers conferred on the combined authorities.