Brent is struggling to meet its affordable housing targets, councillors heard at a Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee meeting on Tuesday, 02 September 2025.
During a discussion of the Brent local plan review, Councillor Liz Dixon noted that the council is struggling to meet its affordable housing targets. She asked what targeted mechanisms are being explored to increase the delivery of genuinely affordable housing.
David, whose last name was not provided, responded that the council is looking at the threshold approach that the Mayor of London has, which says that you do not have to undertake a financial viability appraisal of the scheme itself if you are over a certain proportion of affordable housing. He added that the council is also looking at what intermediate housing products are out there.
Councillor Rita Conneely, Chair of the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, asked what the alternative approaches and opportunities are for delivering affordable housing. Alice, whose last name was not provided, responded that the council is doing everything it can to facilitate confidence and the attraction, and to make it as simple as it can.
Several factors are contributing to the challenges, including viability issues, construction costs, and fire safety regulations. Ken, whose last name was not provided, said that the new fire safety regulations, particularly the requirement for two staircases in buildings over 18 metres, have had a huge impact on development viability. He explained that this is because it means there is less sellable or rentable space on each floor of the building.
Councillor Paul Lorber, Leader of Liberal Democrats Group, raised concerns about the quality of life for both existing and new residents, and the impact of tall buildings. David responded that the housing numbers are based on what the calculations have shown are needed, and that the plan must be based on some evidence to inform what is needed in an area. He added that the council is trying to provide homes for people, and that it wants good quality homes.
The local plan review aims to address these challenges and ensure that Brent can meet its housing needs in a sustainable way. Councillor Benaiah explained that the plan supports the government's ambitions for growth while also helping deliver the council's priorities. He noted that the plan must address a rapidly growing population, the cost of living crisis, a shortage of affordable homes, and the urgent need to respond to climate change. He also noted that the plan must be in line with the London Plan, which sets out the Mayor of London's strategic planning policies for the capital.
The committee also discussed the importance of balancing new builds with investment in existing stock and infrastructure. Councillor Shah asked if the local plan would strike a balance between driving new builds and investing in existing stock and, crucially, infrastructure. Paul, whose last name was not provided, responded that the council will be producing an infrastructure delivery plan as part of the local plan process. He explained that development generates income for the council through the community infrastructure levy, Section 106 obligations, the new homes bonus, and council tax payments.
The committee confirmed the establishment of a budget scrutiny task group to review the council's financial proposals. Councillor Paul Lorber raised a concern about the way the council approaches the budget, saying that it seems to be just reviewing the cabinet's proposals rather than the budget itself. He added that he does not believe that the pack of information that councillors receive is adequate and capable of proper scrutiny.