A commission set up by the mayor has rejected the idea of an orbital transport route around outer London.
The Outer London Commission has instead recommended a ‘spoke and hub’ concept, in which routes would feed into transport hubs in the capital’s outer town centres. But the London Assembly has warned that orbital links are also necessary to support sustainable economic development.
The commission was set up by mayor Boris Johnson last year to explore how the outer boroughs could better contribute to the capital’s economic success.
Developing town centres rather than a few economic ‘super hubs’ was the best way to realise outer London’s economic potential, it concluded.
The mayor has pledged to act on the recommendations. ‘I look forward to receiving the commission’s final report, but there is no time to lose and we will begin now to look at how we can align our economic strategies to best support our valuable town centres,’ he said. The commission will submit its final report by December 2011.
William McKee, chair of the commission, said: ‘Outer London has the potential to contribute greatly to the capital’s economic success, but in these challenging financial times we must be realistic about the level of resources available to release that potential.’
Chair of the London Assembly’s planning and housing committee, Jenny Jones, said: ‘Although available funding will be limited for some time, the mayor must protect his vision for growth in outer London by fighting for investment for the new orbital transport links the suburbs also need, if they are to thrive.’
London Councils is also calling for more orbital public transport in outer London so people could commute across suburb boundaries directly.
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