Islington Council has become the latest Labour-run local authority to oppose Mayor Sadiq Khan's emergency reduction in affordable housing targets, though it has distanced itself from a legal challenge launched by other councils. The north London borough will lobby against the policy instead of pursuing court action.
Council rejects legal challenge approach
At a council meeting on 2 July 2026, Islington's Labour majority passed an amended motion rejecting the Mayor's emergency housebuilding measures announced in October 2025. The motion reaffirmed the council's commitment to a 50% affordable housing target for developers in the borough, well above the proposed temporary reduction.
Cllr Hannah McHugh (Labour) said the council “had to challenge the Government and the Mayor where we disagree” but criticised the legal challenge lodged by Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Lewisham councils. “Our job is to be serious, practical and focused on delivery. Not to turn every disagreement into a press release or a court threat,” she stated.
Background to the quota cuts
Under current rules, developers in London must allocate 35% of new developments for affordable housing to fast-track planning permission. The Government and City Hall proposed reducing this threshold to 20% until 31 December 2028, aiming to boost housebuilding amid a slump in construction starts caused by high interest rates, rising material costs, and labour shortages.
Islington's position follows Brent Council, which warned in January 2026 that the quota cuts risked reducing the number of affordable homes delivered. The borough has a social housing waiting list exceeding 16,000 and some of the highest private rents in London.
Green opposition criticises Labour stance
The original motion from Islington's Green opposition group had welcomed the judicial review, but the Labour group backed their own version praising Mayor Khan's housing record while pledging to “monitor” the legal challenge. Executive Member for Planning, Cllr James Potts, said: “The only thing that [the Greens'] motion would do is waste money on legal challenges that may not even be needed.”
Green councillor Sheridan Kates accused Labour of lacking ambition and “watering down” the motion. “All we’re left with is lobbying,” she said.
Support for legal challenge
Lambeth, Southwark, Waltham Forest and Haringey councils – all controlled fully or partially by the Green Party – have declared formal support for the High Court challenge. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London defended the measures, stating: “There’s now a perfect storm facing housebuilding in London due to a combination of high interest rates, the rising cost of construction materials, the legacy of the pandemic, a shortage of skilled workers and the lasting impact of Brexit.”
The spokesperson added: “This is a measure to get shovels in the ground now. In terms of affordable housing numbers during this difficult period, 20% of something will be more than 35% of nothing.”
