London needs to build 40,000 homes a year to meet demand in the capital, according to London mayor Boris Johnson.<br> <br> Launching his publication – 2020 Vision – which sets out the mayor's agenda for achieving growth in London, the mayor said that the capital's population was due to reach ten million by 2030. Another 1 million homes would be needed by the mid-2030s. <br> <br> "To address this crisis we need to act urgently and boldly," the mayor said, outlining a series of measures that should take place. He pledged to accelerate the public sector land release programme, stating that since the mayoral elections of last year, City Hall had released £1 billion worth of land.<br> <br> The 180,000 planning consents that are currently stalled must be unblocked, the mayor said. He stated that developers "sitting idly on their land" should face compulsory purchase.<br> <br> The mayor also said that councils should be able to borrow more money for housebuilding, and that pension funds should be "mobilised" to build more homes in London, particularly homes for the private rented sector which has reportedly almost doubled in the past ten years.<br> <br> "Living in the capital is perhaps toughest of …