The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced that around 3,500 new homes will be built on public land that has been unlocked for development across London.

The Mayor, who is on track to deliver a record 50,000 affordable homes by spring 2012, is accelerating the release of Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) owned plots of land as part of a commitment to help get more homes built for Londoners and support the capital's economy.

Along with local councils, housing associations and developers, the Mayor and the HCA are working to bring forward a number of publicly owned sites - including four former hospital sites - which are highly suited to housing development and which will act as a catalyst for wider community regeneration schemes.

At a meeting of the HCA London Board the latest release of land, 8.1 hectares on the Lymington Fields site in Dagenham was confirmed. The site was formerly home to a further education college until its demolition in the 1980’s.

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Countryside Properties and Metropolitan Housing Trust are already delivering 193 mixed tenure homes on the site. Developers on the HCA’s Delivery Partner Panel will now be invited to submit proposals for high-quality homes in a further phase of development.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "At a time of tough financial belt tightening and a need for more affordable homes, releasing these sites for development boosts housing supply and provides a welcome shot in the arm for jobs and the capital's economy.

"Crucially we must work closely with boroughs to ensure that we develop these schemes in such a way that complements their broader regeneration plans, as well as involving local people in shaping the delivery of the homes and communities they want."

Jackie Jacob, HCA London Director, said: "By taking forward these sites that will create around 3,500 new homes using the Delivery Partner Panel, we control the disposal of our land to ensure that London-wide and local housing priorities are met.

"The Panel also means that, working in partnership with local authorities, we are able to establish design, sustainability and quality standards for new developments and influence the community engagement process with the aim of creating places of the highest quality that integrate with the surrounding area."

The Localism Bill will transfer the functions of HCA London to the GLA from April 2012.

(CD/GK)