Kingston Council has been asked to build twice as many homes in the next 10 years as it planned to.

Figures released today by the Mayor of London suggest the borough should build 1,364 homes a year, as part of an effort across the capital to return building levels to 2009/2010 – before the coalition government got into power and cut budgets.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I cannot overestimate how terrible a situation we inherited. Successive Prime Ministers have failed to invest anywhere near enough in building new affordable homes. The previous Mayor stopped investing in homes for social rent altogether and cut the number of new affordable homes he funded to the lowest level since records began.”

Council leader Kevin Davis has hit out at the suggestions.

He said: “Kingston is a borough keen to shape the growth of our population and support it with significant and appropriate infrastructure.

“The figures published by the Mayor today are about double our own estimates of housing need and therefore our initial response is huge scepticism as to their appropriateness for Kingston or the ability of the Mayor to deliver enough infrastructure to support them.

“Until we see the detail of how the Mayor has arrived at these enormous figures, it is difficult to comment further, but we will be engaging with our residents and responding to the Mayor in due course.

“Creating ‘good growth’ is about creating ‘appropriate growth’ and ensuring that the quality of life of our existing residents is maintained. This is the test we will be applying to the Mayor’s figures.”