Opinion: Labour have lost control of development in Southwark, and residents are the ones paying for it

Southwark has 21,000 households waiting for a social home. You’d think that would shape every major decision the council makes. Instead, Labour have let some of the biggest schemes in the borough slide into a state where local voices no longer matter and affordable housing is being stripped out at pace. 

Canada Water is the clearest example. It started with a 35% affordable housing commitment, a promise which people took in good faith. Yet under a Labour council, Mayor, and Government, somehow the affordable share has now collapsed to 3%. It is quite literally a new low for Labour’s housing record. 

For residents who took part in consultation after consultation, who genuinely engaged in the hope these plans would deliver for their communities, it’s a slap in the face. Southwark Labour promised to stand up to developers, but what we’ve seen is dither, delay, and decisions drifting away to City Hall or the Secretary of State. 

Worse still, the Mayor’s cozy deal with the big developers is slashing affordable housing requirements. Instead of using London’s weight to secure more homes people can actually afford, Sadiq Khan has brokered agreements that let developers off the hook. 

The Liberal Democrats would take a firmer line with developers and set a clear standard: 50% affordable housing on all developments. Southwark is a strong borough with significant demand from developers. We have the leverage, we just need the political leadership willing to use it. 

This Labour council’s own record on council housebuilding is also shameful. At the rate it is currently building council homes, it will take 210 years to clear the 21,000+ social housing waiting list, and last year it failed to start even a single council home. 

The national government also needs to back councils to build again. The last time this country kept pace with housing need was when local authorities were properly funded and empowered to get on with the job. Southwark deserves the chance to do the same. 

Instead, the Labour Government has failed to take the action necessary to make this happen. They have failed to meaningfully back council housebuilding, and once again have failed to fund the Bakerloo Line Extension, which could unlock hundreds of thousands of homes across London. 

Labour keep making big promises about housing. What residents see is their rent soar year after year, and nothing done to solve this housing emergency. Southwark needs a council that will rebuild trust, and only the Liberal Democrats can provide that. 

Cllr Victor Chamberlain's monthly Southwark News Column