The mayor or London says the capital must build on green belt land to help fix the capital’s housing crisis.

Sadiq Khan said City Hall will actively explore releasing parts of London’s green belt.

He said his position on the green belt has changed because "bold solutions" are required to fix London’s housing crisis – which is having a profoundly damaging impact, particularly on families and younger Londoners.

To meet demand, he said the capital needs 88,000 new homes a year over the next decade - close to a million homes.

He said London’s current approach to only build on brownfield - previously developed land - will never be enough to meet the scale of the challenge.   

Given the extent of the housing crisis and the nature of much of London’s green belt, he said the status quo is “wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable”.

Khan said the right transport and infrastructure will play a pivotal role in his new approach, enabling higher density developments near public transport connections.

The announcement comes as the mayor has launched a consultation to help shape the next London Plan, which sets out his vision for how the capital will develop over the next 20 to 25 years. The key objectives of the next London Plan will be fixing the housing crisis and delivering sustainable economic growth while protecting and improving the environment.

He said: “A generation of Londoners now simply can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a home. We have young professionals stuck living in their childhood bedrooms for years on end; Londoners having to endure cold, damp accommodation that isn’t fit for human habitation; couples reluctantly moving out of the capital to start a family; and London primary schools closing because young families have been priced out of the area.

“At the sharpest end of this crisis, Londoners are being forced to sleep rough on the streets and over 90,000 children are officially homeless.”

He said the capital faces an “extraordinary challenge” and added: “The perception many people have is that the green belt is all beautiful countryside, green and pleasant land, rich with wildlife.

“The reality is very different. The green belt can often be low-quality land, poorly maintained and rarely enjoyed by Londoners. Only around 13% is made up of parks and areas that the public can access.

“So given the quality of parts of the London’s green belt and the extent of the housing crisis, I believe the status quo is wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable.

“Development on carefully chosen parts of the green belt - done in the right way - would allow us to unlock hundreds of thousands of good quality new homes for Londoners. This would not only go a long way to ending the housing crisis but provide a huge boost to our economy.

“As mayor, I’m not willing to ignore such a prospect just because it might be politically difficult – not when the life chances of the next generation of Londoners are on the line.”

London Councils chair Claire Holland added: “London is grappling with the worst housing pressures in the country and there is a desperate need to build new homes, particularly more affordable homes.

“Boroughs are resolutely pro-housebuilding and are committed to working with the mayor and the government to boost housing delivery across the capital. We look forward to helping inform the development of the new London Plan to achieve this goal and ensure that it meets the needs of our local communities.”

Click here to read the Towards a new London Plan which is available for responses by 22 June. Following this public consultation, the draft London Plan will be published in 2026 for another examination process, with formal adoption expected in 2028.