Boris rejects bid to build housing on Green Belt

BORIS JOHNSON today dismissed plans to build on London's Green Belt despite proposals from an independent think tank.

The idea to ease the capital's housing shortage will be studied in a BBC documentary called England's Green and Pleasant Land which will be shown on Easter Monday.

Proposed by the independent Adam Smith Institute, the idea is that woodlands are created alongside housing developments.

But a spokesman for the Mayor said the London Plan banned the practice and that the Mayor was instead concentrating on freeing up land owned by the London Development Agency.

Mr Johnson has promised to create 50,000 affordable homes, including 30,000 social housing units, and to kickstart the flagging property market.