Hillingdon Council fights Mayor’s Green Belt housing plan – Hillingdon 2026

Key Points

• Hillingdon Council has formally opposed the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan, warning it places a disproportionate development burden on the borough.
• The council says the draft would require Hillingdon to accommodate more Green Belt development than any other London borough.
• Leader of Hillingdon Council, Cllr Steve Tuckwell, criticised the plan as City Hall dictating the borough’s future with “little regard” for residents.
• Hillingdon supports building new homes but insists they should be on brownfield land and in suitable locations, not protected Green Belt.
• The council highlights the unresolved uncertainty around Heathrow expansion as a major flaw in the Mayor’s planning assumptions.
• The draft London Plan, published on 16 July 2026, sets a 10-year target of 558,000 new homes for London, with 90% on brownfield sites and around 56,000 on Green Belt land across eight boroughs, including Hillingdon.
• The plan is open for public consultation until 15 October 2026, with an Examination in Public expected next year and final sign-off targeted for early 2028.

Hillingdon (West London News) August 3, 2026 – Hillingdon Council has launched a strong challenge to the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan, warning it could place a disproportionate amount of development on the borough’s Green Belt. The council says it supports building new homes but believes they should be delivered on brownfield land and in suitable locations, rather than at the expense of protected open spaces. According to the council, the draft London Plan would require Hillingdon to accommodate more Green Belt development than any other London borough.

What is Hillingdon Council’s position on the Mayor’s draft London Plan?

Hillingdon Council has announced its opposition to the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan, warning that it would place a disproportionate burden on the borough by requiring more Green Belt development than anywhere else in London while failing to address the uncertainty surrounding Heathrow expansion. Hillingdon argues that the plan singles out the borough for the largest share of Green Belt housing delivery in the capital.

Leader of Hillingdon Council, Cllr Steve Tuckwell, said:

“This draft London Plan is another example of the Mayor trying to dictate Hillingdon’s future from City Hall, with little regard for the people who actually live here.”

He added:

“No-one disputes that London needs more homes. The question is where they should go. The Mayor’s answer appears to be ‘Hillingdon’, expecting our borough to sacrifice more green belt than anywhere else in London while other boroughs are expected to do nowhere near as much.”

Cllr Tuckwell continued:

“There is no evidence to justify placing such a disproportionate burden on Hillingdon and its residents.”

He stressed that the council’s priority has “always been Hillingdon homes for Hillingdon people”, delivered through the borough’s own Growth Plan, which aims to provide homes local families need “in the right places, while protecting the character of our borough and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth”.

Why does Hillingdon say the Green Belt should be protected?

Hillingdon Council has repeatedly emphasised that its Green Belt is not “spare land waiting to be built on”. In its public statements, the council argues that the Green Belt “protects our communities from urban sprawl, supports wildlife, improves air quality and provides the open spaces that residents value”.

It warns:

“Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.”

The council says it will:

“Always prioritise brownfield land first, make sensible use of appropriate grey belt where justified by the evidence and ensure development is shaped by local people, not arbitrary targets imposed from City Hall.”

This position aligns with earlier council documents stating that the main purpose of Hillingdon’s Green Belt is to keep land open and free from development, maintain the character and identity of individual settlements, and provide a clear distinction between rural and urban environments.

How does the draft London Plan propose to use Green Belt land?

The Mayor of London published the draft London Plan on 16 July 2026, setting out a blueprint for development across the capital over the next two decades. The plan rejects the government’s target of 85,000 new homes a year for London, instead proposing 558,000 additional homes over the coming decade, based on what City Hall describes as difficult economic conditions for housebuilding in London.

Under the draft Plan’s policies, 90 per cent of new development would still be on brownfield sites. However, the document identifies potential space for around 56,000 homes on Green Belt land in eight boroughs:

• Barking & Dagenham
• Barnet
• Croydon
• Ealing
• Enfield
• Harrow
• Havering
• Hillingdon
• Redbridge

Green Belt housing targets for individual boroughs range from 1,140 homes to 14,750.

Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning, said:

“The draft London Plan identifies a target for 558,000 new homes over the next decade, based on the evidence, and securing key transport infrastructure investment. This is the most ambitious and credible plan for delivering more homes now, while also setting out how London can unlock significantly more homes over the longer term.”

The draft Plan also introduces a three-tier system of affordable housing thresholds, with different minimum percentages for inner, middle and outer London boroughs, and higher thresholds for Green Belt and publicly owned land.

The consultation remains open until 15 October 2026, with an Examination in Public expected next year and government sign-off targeted for early 2028.

What role does Heathrow expansion play in Hillingdon’s objection?

A central element of Hillingdon’s objection is the draft London Plan’s failure to resolve the uncertainty surrounding Heathrow expansion.

Cllr Tuckwell said:

“What makes this even more extraordinary is that the Mayor is asking Hillingdon to absorb thousands more homes while failing to address the enormous uncertainty surrounding Heathrow expansion and the profound impact it could have on our borough.”

He added:

“You cannot produce a credible plan for Hillingdon’s future while ignoring what, if approved, would be the largest infrastructure project in Europe.”

The council has also called on the government to provide sustained funding and meaningful engagement to protect communities and council services from the impact of Heathrow expansion proposals.

Cllr Tuckwell said:

“Our opposition to Heathrow expansion has never wavered. We have always stood with our residents, and we will do so again.”

The draft London Plan itself continues to oppose Heathrow’s third runway unless unacceptable environmental, transport and congestion impacts can be avoided. Hillingdon argues that this leaves the borough’s long-term planning environment uncertain while still expecting it to accommodate significant Green Belt housing.

Explore More Hillingdon Council News

Hillingdon Councillor Questioned on Deville Debt Write-Off

Hillingdon Council Earns Top ‘Green’ Road Rating in London

How have other boroughs and stakeholders responded to the draft Plan?

The draft London Plan’s Green Belt proposals have attracted opposition in several outer London boroughs. The plan identifies eight boroughs for potential Green Belt housing, and some areas have already seen local opposition to specific schemes, including proposals for a New Town at Crews Hill.

BusinessLDN has called for Whitehall to devolve powers and resources so London can invest in the infrastructure needed to unlock more housing development across the capital.

The draft Plan states that its housing targets will require investment in transport and community infrastructure, including projects such as the Bakerloo line extension and the West London Orbital rail scheme.

Background of the development

The draft London Plan published on 16 July 2026 replaces earlier versions of the Mayor’s strategic planning document and responds to changing economic conditions, including high interest rates, rising construction costs, the long-term effects of the pandemic, skills shortages and Brexit. It reduces London’s 10-year housing target from the government’s 850,000 homes to 558,000 while allocating housing delivery targets to each of the 33 London boroughs.

Hillingdon’s own Local Plan process has been underway for several years. The council previously carried out a Green Belt review to identify areas that no longer meet Green Belt purposes and could potentially be released, alongside areas suitable for Green Belt extension.

The council’s Growth Plan, adopted in July 2026, is intended to guide economic development and regeneration while prioritising brownfield land and locally led development.

Prediction: How could this affect Hillingdon residents and the borough?

If the draft London Plan’s Green Belt housing targets remain in the final version, Hillingdon could face increasing pressure to release protected land for residential development over the next two decades. This could result in more housing on previously open land, potentially changing the character of communities while reducing Green Belt space that supports biodiversity, recreation and air quality.

Residents could experience changes to local landscapes, increased housing density and greater demand on roads, schools, healthcare and other infrastructure unless supporting investment is delivered.

The continued uncertainty around Heathrow expansion could further complicate long-term planning, potentially exposing parts of the borough to both major housing growth and airport-related impacts such as increased noise, traffic and environmental pressures.

If the council succeeds in securing greater emphasis on brownfield and suitable grey belt sites, or if the Green Belt allocations are reduced following consultation and examination, development could become more focused on previously developed land and town centres. The final outcome will depend on consultation responses, the Examination in Public and any changes made before the London Plan is approved in 2028.