Why isn’t London building?
Account Director Sam Griffiths writes in City A.M. on how over-regulation is stalling London’s housing supply.
London is delivering just a fraction of the homes it needs. Figures from the Home Builders Federation show only 30,000 completions in the year to June – barely a third of the government’s 88,000 annual target. In his latest piece for City A.M., Concilio Account Director Sam Griffiths explores the forces behind this slowdown.
From the Building Safety Regulator’s lengthy delays to new requirements like mandatory second staircases, Sam highlights how well-meaning rules are jamming up the system, adding costs, and ultimately making homes less affordable. Combined with strict affordable housing targets from City Hall, developers are increasingly deciding London simply isn’t worth the effort.
Sam argues it’s time for both the Mayor and government to take bold steps to attract investment back, cut through counterproductive red tape, and restore confidence in London as a place to build.