Creating the space London needs

According to the Mayor’s London Plan, an extra  5.2 million square metres of office space will be needed by 2031. To meet this demand, especially considering the limited availability of new construction sites in the capital, and issues such as heritage and view corridors around St. Paul’s, we need to start thinking and planning beyond the city centre.

As a polycentric city, we believe we should be placing more emphasis on creating effective strategies and enhancing transport infrastructure for areas such as Stratford, Old Oak Common, Brent Cross, Clapham Junction and Croydon. When we start to map the possibilities for these areas with Crossrail 1, 2, and 3, and Thameslink, we can begin to evolve a network which draws in populations and workers from beyond the London boundary, providing the basis for how a regional strategy could come forward.

The redevelopment of King’s Cross by Argent is a resounding example of this, where we provided program cost consultancy, cost management and masterplanning services. The development has seen redundant former goods yards transformed into a highly sought-after workplace address and transport hub. Through careful planning, the area will provide more than 31,587 square metres of workspace, 10 new public squares and 2,000 new homes.

To develop a plan that accommodates the requisite level of housing and offices that the city needs, we should be looking at London as a city of 20 million or so already, with access to the talents and skills that drive the wider economy, and allow competition with the Asian megacities or São Paulo, Brazil or Mexico City, Mexico.

Ultimately, though, the growth of London cannot be accommodated in the metropolitan area, and the interrelationships between London and the wider South East region should be planned together in a joined-up way.

It’s also imperative that we push for new locations to build as the development of the Opportunity Areas cannot be done at the necessary pace or density, meaning that a green belt review should be looked at.

Only then can we provide an economic strategy for London, and the region, and within that, formulate an effective plan for the provision of offices.