The Mayor of London has announced plans to transform a key London Underground tunnelling site into a “booming” new neighbourhood with 1,500 homes.

Sadiq Khan said Transport for London (TfL) is seeking a partner to develop the Limmo Peninsula in Newham, east London.

The site is currently being used to build the London Underground’s new Elizabeth Line, which is due to open in December.

At 12.3 acres, the peninsula is TfL’s largest land site.

Sadiq Khan said Transport for London is seeking a partner to develop the Limmo Peninsula in Newham
Sadiq Khan said Transport for London is seeking a partner to develop the Limmo Peninsula in Newham (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Six hundred of the 1,500 planned homes will be “genuinely affordable”, the Mayor says.

Mr Khan made a promise of more affordable housing a key plank of his election campaign in 2016.

“The Limmo Peninsula has the capacity to be transformed into a booming new East London neighbourhood,” Mr Khan said.

“It is part of my strategy to free up public land and to use it to build homes that our great city so desperately needs.

“It is no secret that it will take many years to fix London’s housing crisis, and we ultimately need Government support – but schemes such as this prove that we can make a real difference now by delivering high-quality neighbourhoods with a large proportion of genuinely affordable homes.”

Val Shawcross, deputy mayor for transport, said there is “no doubt” that regenerating the peninsula for housing is the “best possible outcome”.