The Mayor and Housing
Tony Travers
LSE
The creation of the GLA
• The GLA was created in 2000, re-creating
metropolitan government for London
• The GLC’s demise had resulted (in part)
from outer boroughs’ reactions to GLC
housing policy
• The Blair government was thus cautious
about giving the GLA housing powers,
other than land-use responsibilities
Housing, the GLC and the government’s
approach to the GLA
Source: London’s Boroughs
At 50, Travers, 2015
1999 Act: explicit prohibition of
expenditure on housing
London Plan, 2004 - 1
- Mayor sets targets, densities etc for housing
London Plan, 2004 - 2
Table 3A.1 Provision for additional ‘homes’ targets, 1997-2016
Policy moves on…
• By 2007, the government had developed
more confidence in the GLA
• Moreover, the city’s population was rising
fast
• Recognition of a growing need for mayoral
action to deliver higher housing numbers,
also more power over regeneration
schemes
2007: additional housing powers
2011: further housing powers
2016
Looking ahead
• Population and employment growth continue…
• The 2016 mayoral election saw all major candidates
committed to more, and more affordable, housing
• Will the Mayor now seek additional powers to intervene
in planning decisions?
• How will the boroughs respond to demands for
significantly higher housing delivery?
• Will the government be willing to grant additional powers
to the mayor to intervene and drive through housing
development?
• How to sustain a consensus while changing behaviour?
The Mayor and Housing
Tony Travers
LSE