Shared 16 June, 2026
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has launched a ‘Singapore-style’ housing development arm for the capital, marking a shift in how City Hall supports and delivers new homes.
As part of this, the Greater London Authority (GLA) will invest £100m to become part of the Silvertown Partnership and deliver 7,000 new homes on a key site in the Royal Docks, East London. Around 1,000 of the new homes are expected to be under construction by 2028. The announcement was made during the Mayor’s trade mission to Singapore and Japan, where he is promoting London as a global destination for investment.
This marks a step towards City Hall becoming an active developer, intervening in London’s land market to maximise affordable housing delivery and accelerate the speed of building, rather than solely funding or supporting third parties.
The approach is part of the Mayor’s new City Hall Developer initiative which is being supported by nearly £2bn from government in grant and low-interest loans at 0.1 per cent for the first time, helping housing associations boost the delivery of much-needed new homes. Silvertown is first in a pipeline of sites that Mayor plans to unlock through this initiative.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “I am delighted to be launching our groundbreaking ‘Singapore-style’ housing development arm for the capital today. I’m proud to be investing £100m – one of the largest investments made by any Mayor of London, to help build and deliver thousands of new, high-quality and affordable homes at Silvertown.”
Ed Mayes, Executive Director of Development for the Silvertown Partnership, said, “Today’s agreement is an important step forward for Silvertown and reflects the strength of our new partnership with the Mayor of London. This investment provides the certainty needed to unlock a complex site that has remained dormant for decades, allowing us to accelerate new homes, including affordable housing, alongside a vibrant new town centre for the Royal Docks.”
Catriona Simons, Group Chief Executive at The Guinness Partnership, said, “The Guinness Partnership welcomes the Mayor’s announcement. We are delighted to be delivering 734 much needed affordable, energy efficient homes in Newham. We have already welcomed 47 residents into the first 106 newly completed affordable homes, which will be part of this vibrant new neighbourhood, in the heart of East London. Along with partners and contractor Lendlease, we look forward to being part of Silvertown’s exciting future.”
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