LONDON, ONT. -- The City of London has seen a 3.9 per cent increase in building permits for new homes.

In the Annual Development Report submitted to the Planning and Environment Committee, staff found residential and industrial development was up in 2019, while commercial development dropped significantly.

As London continues to deal with a shortage of affordable housing, word of an increase in new dwelling permits could be good news.

Of the residential permits, 46.4 per cent were for apartments, 29.2 per cent for single/semi-detached homes and 24.4 per cent for row or townhouses.

The major jump in industrial development is primarily due to the new Maple Leaf Foods poultry processing facility being build in the city's southeast.