London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s administration is reviewing golf courses as potential sites for new housing to address the capital’s ongoing shortage, according to comments from his deputy mayor for the environment.
In a London Assembly session on Thursday (5 March), Deputy Mayor Mete Coban said golf courses are a key focus for redevelopment, describing them as less essential than public parks, nature reserves, or allotments.
“Our main target is golf courses – I believe we have 131 golf courses in London, which is equivalent to the space in the Royal Borough of Greenwich,” Coban told assembly members. He added: “We have a huge housing crisis in the city. We would rather that people have affordable housing rather than car parks.”
The remarks come as City Hall prepares a revised London Plan. The plan must identify sites for around 880,000 new homes over the decade starting April 2026.
Khan’s team has previously signaled openness to reclassifying some Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) designations, which protect many golf courses.
A consultation document highlights that certain courses have limited public access and biodiversity benefits, potentially making them suitable for housing if offset by improvements to other green spaces.
London has over 100 golf courses covering thousands of hectares. Proponents of redevelopment argue that selective building on these sites, particularly those in high-accessibility zones, could yield up to 33,900 new homes, potentially housing over 100,000 people.
Khan has already shifted policy on green belt land. In May 2025, he supported building on low-quality or inaccessible portions to supplement brownfield development, as the city falls short of its annual target of 88,000 homes.
Khan’s housing record is something of a mixed bag. He is on track to miss affordable housing targets for 2021-2026, with starts well below goals. However, his Land Fund has delivered over 8,000 new homes ahead of schedule.
You can watch the full assembly meeting here.
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