The London Borough of Bexley has urged the Mayor of London to reconsider proposed plans for growth in Bexley that fail to recognise and protect our green belt and that will result in local people having less say in new housing developments.

In our wide ranging 56-page response to the draft London Plan, that sets out the Mayor’s housing and development targets for London, the Council has argued that the approach to growth proposed ignores transport needs in Bexley, will result in fewer homes than the Borough requires for families and in the loss of some of our green belt, adversely affecting the character of our great Borough.

The Council is calling for the draft London plan to be revised to ensure that the right balance is struck between respecting Bexley’s character and meeting our development needs.

Some of the key proposals in the draft London Plan that will affect future growth in our Borough negatively include;

• Plans for 12% of new homes to be three or more bedrooms, compared with Bexley's local need for six in ten homes to be family sized.
• Identification of green belt land near Sidcup and Bexley Village that should be developed for housing within 20 years.
• Identification of green belt land north of Maidstone Road for industrial release within 10 years.
• Establishing a fast-track route for developers meeting a lower affordable housing target of 20 per cent; Bexley has previously achieved 41% over 6 years and this lowering of standards will reduce the quality of any new housing.
• The plan identifies no major transport investment in the Borough. It suggests that Bexley is a lot better connected by public transport than it actually is – pushing up expected densities and driving down parking standards all of which threaten the Borough’s character, reduces amenities and impacts on road safety.
• The draft plan suggests that there is a substantially increased need for gypsy and traveller pitches in Bexley despite local evidence to the contrary.

Councillor Cameron Smith, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Infrastructure said: 

The draft London Plan will not deliver the homes Bexley desperately needs.

The draft plan says nothing about extending the DLR or the Elizabeth Line into Bexley to support regeneration and unlock more homes. It could also stop Bexley from pushing developers to build more family-sized homes so people can start and grow their families here.

Instead, the Mayor of London proposes future green belt releases for poorly connected developments and warehouses despite Bexley having vacant industrial land.

We need a draft London Plan that enables Bexley to meet its local needs, protects our green spaces and delivers much-needed transport investment, not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The London Borough of Bexley has a statutory duty to incorporate the Mayor’s London Plan into its local Development Plan that sets out how the Borough meets its development needs.

The draft London Plan was published for consultation in July 2026 for a three-month period which ran until 15 October.

Responses from Local authorities including the London Borough of Bexley’s will be considered and then the Mayor’s draft London Plan will be independently examined in summer 2027.

If you would like further information on our response to the draft London Plan, please email SP&GTeam@bexley.gov.uk.