The London Technical Advisors Group (LoTAG) has questioned the Mayor of London’s proposal for more dispersed economic development in a revised spatial plan for the capital.
Boris Johnson’s statement of intent for his revised transportation strategy says that replacing the current strategy of concentrating development in inner London with a more polycentric approach to development could reduce the number of radial trips into the centre.
The final development pattern will depend, however, on the outcome of Johnson’s Outer London Commission, due to report later this month, which is considering the merits of the idea of encouraging ‘strategic outer London development centres’.
A presentation held last month, however, stressed the need to ‘emphasise transport support for outer London’.
London Councils said in its response to the Mayor’s London plan consultation that ‘the greater consideration to the spatial balance of growth and the potential for outer London to accommodate more growth is welcome’.
The umbrella group – then known as the Association of London Government – had pushed the former Mayor to spread new jobs more widely across the capital, claiming that concentrating 75% of new employment in inner and east London would lead to more and longer commuting (Surveyor, 20 February 2003).
However, LoTAG chair Joe Weiss, told Surveyor: ‘The Mayor would be wise to go for the areas where there is proven demand, rather than attempting to create new major employment areas in an Ealing or a Sutton.
‘For employment areas to enjoy the benefits of agglomeration, you need a critical mass, and that’s only provided in the City and Canary Wharf.’ The only outer London location providing anything like this concentration of employment at present was Croydon, he said.
Weiss added: ‘Any transport strategy worth its salt will focus on inner London, which experiences the vast majority of the overcrowding problems, and so that’s where you need extra capacity.’
The consultation on the Mayor’s statement of intent on his transport strategy closes on the 13 July.
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
