Affordable homes pledge made by Westminster City Council

Westminster City Council has set out its ambition to build 1,495 new homes every year, introducing policy that insists six in every ten new affordable homes are for middle-income families.

The 1,495 new homes pledge is nearly 50 per cent higher than required under the Mayor of London’s London Plan, underlining the council’s commitment to deliver the most ambitious house building programme and the homes its residents need.

Councils across London prioritise social housing, which already make up 25 per cent of Westminster homes - although the majority of homes in Westminster are currently out of reach for average earners with just 1.5 per cent of homes classed as ‘intermediate’.

The councils has also urged developers to be more imaginative in creating high-quality affordable homes, by looking at modern methods of construction such as modular homes where suitable.

Richard Beddoe, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm, said: “We’re proud that one in four of our homes are social housing, but as a city for all we’re determined to create homes for our residents, especially average earners and middle income families. We’ve laid down the gauntlet for developers by introducing less restrictive rules. Now they need to do their bit and provide the homes for the working families who keep our city moving. Providing social housing remains a priority but the lack of intermediate homes must be addressed.”