London’s planning rules for new residential properties are set to be eased under “emergency” provisions being drawn up by the government to arrest a rapid decline in development in the capital city.
Housing secretary Steve Reed is in talks with London mayor Sadiq Khan to tweak the rules on windows and bicycle storage to revive housebuilding in the city, where construction has slumped over the past 18 months.
The changes are likely to loosen the application of design standards for apartment blocks, including on the placing of openable windows and on the amount of bicycle storage provided, according to people familiar with the negotiations.