Over 1,000 new homes are on track as Transport for London (TfL) releases its largest land site so far for home-building
Plans to transform a key Elizabeth Line tunnelling site into a new neighbourhood have been confirmed today (6 February) by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
TfL is seeking a partner to develop its largest land site – the Limmo Peninsula in East London, with 600 of the proposed 1,500 homes built on the 12.3 acre site pitched as ‘genuinely affordable’.
Since becoming mayor, Khan has worked with TfL to issue sites for development – fulfilling a manifesto pledge to free public land for affordable housing across the capital.
Across sites brought forward since Khan’s election, 50% of homes will be affordable – with individual sites contributing between 35%-100% – enabling TfL to deliver housing and generating hundreds of millions of pounds to reinvest in transport.
Khan says the Limmo Peninsula has the capacity to be transformed into a ‘booming’ new East London neighbourhood.
“It is no secret that it will take many years to fix London’s housing crisis, and we ultimately need government support – but schemes such as this prove that we are can make a real difference now by delivering high-quality neighbourhoods with a large proportion of genuinely affordable homes,” he said.
Khan claims to have inherited a legacy of just 13% affordable homes in planning permissions approved toward the end of the previous mayoralty.
This, he says, has increased across all planning applications in the first six months of last year to 38%.
Government investment was secured for 90,000 new affordable homes, including those based on social rent levels.
The draft London Plan has ambitious targets to boost housing across the city.
Limmo Peninsula is located near Canning Town Tube station, which is served by the Jubilee line and DLR, and forms a key part of the Canning Town and Custom House regeneration area.
The land site will be residential-led, creating a new neighbourhood set next to the River Lea.
Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, said: “This is the biggest site yet that we’ve released to our Property Partnership Framework and is a great example of a high-density development enabled by excellent transport links.
“Limmo Peninsula will make a significant contribution to meeting London’s demand for more affordable homes (and) will secure vital long-term income that we can reinvest in the transport network.”
Melanie Leech, chief executive, British Property Federation, said unlocking new sites for housing is vital in meeting London’s desperate need for more homes.
“In London, working with TfL and capitalising on sites such as this to add to housing supply is critical, particularly when the mayor has an ambitious target of 65,000 new homes each year.”
Sites brought forward for development by Transport for London so far include:
- Landmark Court, Southwark – potential for more than 80 homes – 35% affordable housing
- Kidbrooke, Greenwich – potential for 400 homes – 50% affordable
- Fenwick South, Lambeth – potential for 55 homes, 100% affordable
- Blackhorse Road, Waltham Forest – potential for 350 homes, 50% affordable
- Northwood, Hillingdon – potential for 100 homes, 35% affordable.
