New mayor needs to recruit a “coalition of the willing” with local authorities across the commuter belt
London – 3 May 2016: London is growing so rapidly beyond its formal boundaries that the office of the London mayor no longer holds the necessary powers to plan and deliver the expansion in housing and infrastructure necessary to maintain the capital’s long-term status as a world-ranking metropolis, says global infrastructure services company, AECOM.
As the election moves into its final week, AECOM highlights how London has “outgrown” the traditional jurisdiction of the capital’s mayor which is defined by Greater London boundary limits put in place more than 50 years ago.
The capital’s housing crisis can only be solved by accelerating the number of new builds, whilst offering a much wider choice of dwelling types and tenures to best match the needs not just of ‘Generation Rent’, but also the growing number of single-person households across the Greater London region, AECOM says.
Any sustainable solution can only be achieved if building is planned in sync with infrastructure, transport and employment opportunities. This kind of integrated approach would, for example, maximise opportunities, such as the next generation of development at rail nodes.
But with surging house and rent prices forcing increasing numbers of people beyond Greater London, the new mayor lacks the powers to orchestrate planning across this wider commuter belt as the mayoral office has no formal authority on a regional basis.
The limitations on the powers of the London mayor now threaten the city’s ability to tackle the housing crisis and ensure that London remains economically competitive to be considered a world-class city.
The new mayor, therefore, will need to build a “coalition of the willing” with those authorities surrounding the capital that want to share in economic growth and are prepared to develop beyond their own localised housing demands, AECOM says. This needs to complement the intensified use of brownfield land in London itself, with initiatives to bring forward public sector land for development. As many as 50,000 new homes need to be built annually in London and AECOM is proud to be part of the Fifty Thousand Homes Campaign.
Patrick Flaherty, Chief Executive, UK & Ireland, AECOM, said: “The debate over London’s housing crisis remains a priority issue in the mayoral campaigns and a major focus for all the main candidates in their manifestos. If London is to maintain its leading status as one of the world’s greatest cities, the new mayor must take a strategic approach that integrates housing with the infrastructure and employment needs of communities across London and, just as importantly, its surrounding region.
“London needs an ambitious, joined-up strategy for housing, infrastructure and employment growth if it is to keep its status among the world’s most successful cities. Consideration must be given to how this can be achieved, taking into account the limitations of the mayor’s authority, which is confined to the formal Greater London boundaries,” Patrick Flaherty continued.
Prospects for London’s economic competitiveness will be determined by improved connectivity so that the capital can draw on the strengths of a wider regional economy. Key to the success of the new mayor will be the creation of opportunities for employment and ensuring it is affordable and accessible for people to commute in and out of London.
Given the level of competition for foreign inward investment from major cities across the world, London must enhance its economic competitiveness to bring in the necessary private investment to support the funding of the new infrastructure projects identified by mayoral candidates as priorities for the capital’s expansion. Schemes considered by candidates include proceeding with Crossrail 2, a consultation on Crossrail 3, new river crossings in East London, expanding London Overground, extending the Bakerloo line, and increasing capacity on the District, Circle, Metropolitan, Northern, Jubilee and Hammersmith & City Lines.
Crucially, action is urgently needed over aviation capacity in the South East following decades of delayed and deferred decisions. The vast majority (91%) of businesses responding to the 2015 CBI/AECOM Infrastructure Survey see a new runway in the South East as crucial or important. With as many as 41% of all businesses – and 50% of London firms – saying they are affected by the lack of runway capacity, the impact of indecision on global competitiveness cannot be overstated.
-ENDS-
Enquiries:
AECOM
Muna Al-Azzawi
AECOM
Direct: +44 (0)20 7798 5158
Mobile: +44 (0)7917 574 766
muna.al-azzawi@aecom.com
About AECOM
AECOM is built to deliver a better world. We design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organisations in more than 150 countries. As a fully integrated firm, we connect knowledge and experience across our global network of experts to help clients solve their most complex challenges. From high-performance buildings and infrastructure, to resilient communities and environments, to stable and secure nations, our work is transformative, differentiated and vital. A Fortune 500 firm, AECOM companies had annual revenue of approximately US$18 billion. See how we deliver what others can only imagine at aecom.com and @AECOM.
