Luisa Porritt, the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor, has made a new policy announcement, pledging to create a London housing company to take control of building residential properties in the capital, if she is elected.

A London housing company would allow City Hall to “take control of building the homes we need directly”, the Lib Dem candidate said yesterday, as she launched her campaign in Camden, ahead of the election for mayor of London, which will take place on 6 May.

On her plans to create a London housing company, Porritt said: “No more desperate deals with developers or selling off public land for someone else’s benefit. The London Housing Company will take control of building the homes we need directly.”

In further details, she reveals one of the first tasks of the London housing company will be to commission a study on the potential to convert offices into homes: “In the coming years, we’ll have more empty office space come onto the market than ever before. This is a generational opportunity.

“We must seize the agenda and challenge ourselves to convert these spaces into quality, affordable, zero-carbon homes.”

At the launch of her “take London forward” campaign yesterday, Porritt said that “there’s space for a new challenger” to Sadiq Khan, with homes, jobs and clean at the heart of her campaign.

The Lib Dem candidate vowed to “give Londoners what they need, so that every person can thrive in our recovery beyond the pandemic”.

On her plan to Take London Forward, she said: “Jobs. Homes. Clean Air. Those are three basic needs – and we’re being let down on all three. My plan to Take London Forward will give Londoners what they need so that every person can thrive in our recovery.”