BL Developments, who bought the site back in 2014 for £370m, had submitted an initial proposal to transform the former Metropolitan Police headquarters into a mixed-use scheme. The plans, which involved tearing down three existing buildings to clear the way for six residential-led buildings ranging from 14 to 20 stories, were approved with full planning permission by the then London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2016. The plans included only 10 affordable homes out of 268. 

In 2017, the developer lodged a 'section 73 application' to increase the total number of homes to 295 without adding to the number of affordable units or payment in lieu. This increase put the level of affordable housing on site at 3%. Due to the lack of sufficient affordable housing on site, London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has rejected the new proposal. The initial planning permission for the Broadway property will not be affected by this decision and development will go on as planned. 

Sadiq Khan, who has made tackling the capital's housing crisis a cornerstone of his term, remarked on the decision stating "this is a site which has only recently been transferred from public ownership and sits within one of the most expensive areas of the country. Having carefully considered the evidence available to me, I have decided to refuse permission for this amended application." 

Khan has stated in the past that residential developments built on public sector land should require that 50 percent of units be made affordable. This decision comes amidst the mayor's plans for tackling the capital's housing crisis, which calls for funneling stamp duty revenues into helping build affordable homes.