Sutton leads the way on new council housing

Data released last month shows that Sutton broke ground on more housing for social rent than any other London borough between April and September of this year - with 220 new units beginning construction over the period. It puts Sutton second only to Ealing by total number of new houses for social rent begun in 2025.

It comes after the Mayor of London and Labour government confirmed last month that they would be watering down targets for new social housing across London - a move that has been met with widespread criticism for failing to address the true nature of the housing crisis in London and for “kneecapping” councils’ abilities to collect funds to manage the impact of new developments through the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Sutton’s Liberal Democrat councillors also reaffirmed a commitment to the highest possible housing standards for the people of Sutton at a recent full council meeting - outlining a new licensing scheme will mean that from spring, all HMOs in the borough will require a license. Inspectors will be able to visit and enforce the rules where standards are not being met, and all existing HMO landlords will need to apply for a license - with the costs of the scheme recovered this way. All new HMO conversions will also require planning permission.

Responding to the figures, Councillor Jake Short, Chair of Sutton’s Housing, Economy and Business Committee, said:

“Lib Dem councils are leading the way to deliver much needed affordable, council homes. In Sutton we have started on more genuine council homes than any other London borough in Q2 this year, to help our most in need residents into a permanent home. But there always more to be done, and the Government watering down affordable housing requirements for private developers is a real concern. If the government doesn’t want private developers building actually affordable homes, councils like Lib Dem Sutton must step in and be given the funding to deliver council homes at scale.”

Luke Taylor, MP for Sutton and Cheam, said:

“It’s great to see Sutton continues to lead the way in building the kind of homes we need to actually address our housing crisis.

“This is what the Sutton Liberal Democrats are doing - investing in a secure future for everyone in our community.

“These new homes won’t just help with short-term pressures caused by growing housing waiting lists. They will also enable the next generation of people who have grown up in Sutton to stay in Sutton - preserving our strong community and providing economic stability and opportunity long into the future.”