London mayor pushing ahead to permit 4-storey stacked townhouses [Video]

Despite calls for public consultation, Mayor Josh Morgan pressed the Planning and Environment Committee to support his proposal to get more aggressive removing barriers to residential density in London.

On Tuesday, Morgan and Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis brought forward a motion to beef up recommendations made by city staff to increase the local housing supply more quickly.

Among the five changes being suggested to the Official Plan, Morgan wants to permit developers to build stacked townhouses up to four-storeys in height along all streets classified as Neighbourhood Connectors.

The mayor believes it will immediately create new opportunities for denser and more affordable forms of housing citywide.

His motion suggests that stacked townhouses have become one of the most popular forms of housing in London, especially as a new form of “starter home”.

They are also, in many cases, faster to build than other types of housing.

“For us to create a permissive framework, it …