Sadiq Khan has been accused of “failing south Londoners” after it emerged that only a handful of Greater London Authority-funded affordable homes were started in Merton during the last financial year.

Statistics show that of the 14,544 homes started by the Mayor in 2018/19, only 21 – or 0.01 percent – were in the borough.

This comes in sharp contrast to other boroughs such as neighbouring Wandsworth, where 1,078 GLA affordable homes were started over the same period.

GLA Conservatives housing spokesman Andrew Boff said the mayor is "simply not delivering."

“At best this mayor’s approach has been inconsistent, with boroughs like Merton being seriously neglected," he said.

"It is entirely unacceptable for Merton to be missing out on homes while other boroughs benefit from the Mayor’s multi-billion-pound housing budget.

“Getting more homes built in Merton wouldn’t just help to help to make the cost of living more affordable, but also help to bring about the regeneration which would benefit many parts of the borough. By failing to get homes built, Sadiq Khan is failing South Londoners in so many ways”.

But a spokesman for the London mayor hit back at those comments.

He said that a lack of space to build on was the reason for the low number.

“Since the Mayor took office he has worked tirelessly to deliver the affordable housing Londoners desperately need, securing more money from Government and resolutely focusing on building council and social rented homes," he said.

"Last year, he started more affordable homes than in any year since City Hall took control of housing investment in the capital, with a quarter of these located south of the river Thames. "Some boroughs, including Merton, have much less space to build on than others, which is why the Mayor’s draft London Plan is encouraging the development of smaller sites in outer London, and City Hall is providing funding to support the council in this.

"Future development and regeneration is also planned on estates throughout the borough and in Morden Town Centre, as well as the new Wimbledon stadium.”

Since the Mayor came to office in 2016 he has funded just 364 affordable homes in Merton out of a total of 34,515 across the whole of Greater London.