Redbridge is expected to have the second largest housing shortfall of all London boroughs, according to a report due out this week.

Research by property consultants CBRE warns that in the borough only 9 per cent of the new homes needed to meet the projected growth in households are in construction or in the pipeline.

Regeneration schemes in central London mean that inner-city boroughs may see a surplus but there have been few large-scale developments further out.

In response, Redbridge Council has pointed to a number of measures being undertaken to cope with demand.

A council spokesman said it was planning a range of schemes which would deliver 296 new homes including 60 extra care homes and 60 new council homes.

The council also plans to bring 50 empty properties back into use this year.

The report also outlines some of the reasons the city faces these problems. London possess 15 per cent of the nation’s population but just 1 per cent of its landmass. It also faces a 14 per cent growth in population in the next ten years.