Housing Secretary Steve Reed is facing accusations of double standards after it emerged he tried to stop a major housing development in his own south London constituency, despite publicly championing a nationwide building drive.
Reed’s call to block Streatham flats
The Telegraph reports that Mr Reed, who became Housing Secretary after Angela Rayner resigned earlier this year, wrote to London Mayor Sadiq Khan urging him to overturn local approval for a 14-storey, 237-flat scheme on a former Homebase site in Streatham Vale.
In a now-deleted social media post, he shared a letter expressing concerns from residents about the “bulk and massing” of the four towers and their potential to overlook and overshadow neighbouring homes. Although the local council approved the plan, the Mayor had the power to “call in” the application but ultimately chose not to intervene, allowing the project to proceed.
Conservatives cry foul over “housing hypocrisy”
The move drew sharp criticism from the Conservative Party, which has long pressed Labour on housing delivery. Sir James Cleverly, shadow housing secretary, called it “yet another blatant example of Labour’s housing hypocrisy,” noting that Mr Reed’s stance conflicts with his pledge to “build, baby, build” and deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.
Reed has repeatedly vowed to “double down on plans to unleash one of the biggest eras of building in our country’s history” and to back developers in tackling the housing shortage. The contradiction between those promises and his objection to a local scheme has given political opponents fresh ammunition.
Ministry defends need for local input
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government defended Reed’s actions, saying: “We inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory. The Housing Secretary has already been clear his mantra is ‘build, baby, build’, so families have access to an affordable home. Local say is critical but this is about how, not whether, new homes are built.”
For landlords and investors, the row highlights the tension between national housing targets and neighbourhood concerns—a dynamic that often slows delivery of new supply, sustaining upward pressure on rents and property prices.
Editor’s view
Political skirmishes aside, this episode underscores a challenge familiar to many landlords: balancing growth with local sentiment. National pledges to expand housing stock can clash with community resistance, influencing where and how quickly new rental opportunities emerge. For buy-to-let investors eyeing London and the South East, the lesson is clear—planning politics can move as unpredictably as the market itself.
By Ian Adams, Property Correspondent
Published 24 September 2025
Sources: The Telegraph report; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government statement.
