The mayor of London has announced plans to share out £10m among most of the capital’s local authorities to strengthen their planning and housing teams and speed up the delivery of new council homes.

Sadiq Khan said the money from the Homebuilding Capacity Fund would help to “plug the gap” caused by central government cuts to council budgets for planning and development activities.

Thirty councils will receive up to £650,000 each, which can be spent on delivering more council homes, more “genuinely affordable homes” and homes for social rent on small sites, proactive masterplans in parts of the capital that have “significant growth potential” and other planning activities.