Elephant, London Bridge and Waterloo to be housing hubs

The Elephant & Castle, London Bridge and Waterloo and Vauxhall are earmarked for major house building projects as part of a drive to provide 33,000 new homes. Vauxhall on the SE1 boundary is also being targeted by the Mayor of London's Plan.

Ken Livingstone's London Plan, the first planning and development strategy for London in a generation, includes an extensive range of policies on transport, housing, employment and the environment that will set the statutory context for the London boroughs in making planning decisions.

Announcing John Prescott's endorsement, Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "The London Plan addresses the greatest single challenge facing our city: how to accommodate growth in London's economy and population at the same time as creating a more open and equitable society and preserving and improving London's heritage and environment. 

"I am absolutely delighted that these policies were endorsed by the extremely thorough consultation process and have now been agreed by Government." 

• Lambeth Council has given the go-ahead for a 13-storey hotel behind the General Lying-in Hospital in Waterloo.