Calls for the Government to build at least one new town inside the Greater London boundary have been issued by a major business group.
BusinessLDN argues that the capital could serve as the perfect “test bed for the new towns policy, given it has the political framework, infrastructure links and range of potential sites needed to establish new settlements at speed”.
As part of its strategy to tackle the housing crisis, Labour promised in its election manifesto earlier this year to “build a new generation of new towns, inspired by the proud legacy of the 1945 Labour government”.
Each of which will have a minimum of 10,000 new homes, with 40 per cent of the properties built in each new settlement expected to be classed as ‘affordable’.
In a new report on last Thursday, December 12, BusinessLDN said that London needs a new town “because of the huge housing need in the capital”.
The Government said in response that the independent New Towns Taskforce will report in 2025 on the proposed locations of new towns, while stressing that ministers are already “taking steps” to accelerate housing delivery in London.
BusinessLDN’s report, authored in partnership with leading consultants, architects and planners, points out that around 60 per cent of London’s green belt is within 2km of an existing rail or Tube station. That would mean that any potential new town would likely already have a decent level of public transport connectivity, the report argues.
Jonathan Seager, BusinessLDN’s policy delivery director, said: ”If the Government wants to move fast on new towns, London has the connectivity, demand and political set-up needed to get spades in the ground swiftly. The city is uniquely placed to house multiple types of these developments as part of the drive by ministers to hit ambitious housing and growth targets.”
He added: “Londoners are at the sharp end of the UK’s housing crisis. A quarter of people living in the city are in poverty after housing costs are taken into account, with challenges around availability and affordability also making it more difficult for businesses to recruit and retain staff. Building one or more new towns in the capital should be a no-brainer for both economic and social reasons.”
The new report suggests that London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, could speed up the process of creating a new town by establishing a new ‘mayoral development corporation’. These are special zones which can be created to oversee the regeneration of a particular area, usurping the planning powers of existing local authorities.
One was created to manage the area around the Olympic Park in Stratford, after the 2012 games had finished, and another is currently overseeing the development of land around Old Oak Common, where a new high speed railway station and thousands of new homes are being built.
Tom Copley, London’s deputy mayor for housing, said: “The mayor and I are determined to leave no stone unturned in boosting housing delivery in the capital, and to make the case for the measures needed to build more homes.
“The scale of London’s housing need and the challenges facing delivery mean we need to think radically about where the homes of the future will come from, including where we can create additional new towns in and around the capital.
“We will continue to work hand in hand with housebuilders and the new Government to turn the tide on the legacy of recent years, helping to create a better, fairer London for everyone.”
According to the Government, its “new generation” of new towns will not only comprise “large-scale new communities built on greenfield land and separated from other nearby settlements”, but will also include “a larger number of urban extensions and urban regeneration schemes”.
A spokesman at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said in response to BusinessLDN’s report: “The independent New Towns Taskforce has been appointed to advise on locations for new towns and will provide its final report next year.
“Demand for housing in London is high and we have already taken steps to support mayor Sadiq Khan and London boroughs in accelerating housing delivery, by launching a New Homes Accelerator, providing the city with £150mn through the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund and by bringing forward strategic sites for development.”
