Any oligarchs, tycoons or foreign royalty hoping to build a “mega home” in central London will need to move quickly after Westminster city council published plans yesterday to limit the size of new properties from next year.
The council, which oversees some of Britain’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, including Knightsbridge and Mayfair, will refuse planning permission for homes bigger than 150 square metres (1,615 sq ft), about the size of an average four-bedroom house, to preserve space for “real people”.
The rules, outlined in its latest development plan, will go to James Brokenshire, the local government secretary, for approval. The council expects his consent.
The plan said that the demands of the “prime market” had to be balanced against “strategic housing need”.
