House-building in London: number of council homes started at highest level since the Eighties but some borough starts in single figures

Work started on just 15 new affordable homes in the whole of Westminster during the first three months of the year, according to latest figures from City Hall.

A borough-by-borough breakdown of affordable housebuilding provided by the Mayor reveals the yawning gulf in the record of the 32 council areas across the capital.

While Westminster — one of Britain’s wealthiest local authorities — only just broke into double figures, there were almost 1,200 starts in Brent in north-west London between January and March.

The smallest number in any borough area was seven in Lambeth, followed by 10 in Bromley and Westminster’s 15.

However, across London as a whole there were 8,510 during the quarter, making a total of 14,544 in the financial year to the end of March, just passing Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target of 14,000.

The total includes 3,991 homes for social rent and 1,916 council homes, the highest since the mid-Eighties.

However, the Mayor warned he will not be able to make further major progress in tackling London’s housing shortfall without far more support from central Government.

He said: “We currently receive only a fraction of the affordable housing investment needed in London. Ministers must make a real step change in the funding and powers we have in London if we are truly to turn around the capital’s housing crisis.”

Westminster City Council cabinet member for finance, property and regeneration, Rachael Robathan said: “These figures focus on a short three-month window. The bigger picture is that we are well on course to deliver our target of 1,850 new affordable homes in Westminster by 2023.”