New developments on public land in London will have to provide at least 50% affordable housing to benefit from faster planning rules, the mayor has announced.

Sadiq Khan has set out new Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to help boost affordable housing in the capital and speed up planning decisions.

In order to benefit from a fast-track route through the planning process, developments without public funding will have to meet a minimum requirement of 35% affordable housing.

For councils - and developments on public land - at least half of new housing must be affordable.

All London councils have also been urged to make use of the mayor's expert viability team if developers try to reduce affordable housing levels after planning permission has been granted.

Mayor Khan, said: ‘I’m determined to ensure we don’t have a repeat of what happened at Battersea Power Station, with developers unacceptably reducing the number of affordable homes on site after planning permission was granted.

‘That’s why I’ve written to all councils offering City Hall’s expertise in robustly scrutinising applications to ensure we see the new and genuinely affordable homes built that Londoners desperately need.’