Capital Letters by JBP provides an insight into the world of London politics and development.
Government bets on planning shake-up to spur housebuilding
The publication of the Government’s Productivity Plan earlier this month included a key initiative to “kick start” housebuilding, with George Osborne identifying it as “the challenge of our lifetime”. It is a challenge to solve the housing crisis, and the Chancellor has made it clear that he is willing to force local communities to build homes even if they are opposed to it.
Among the proposals is fast-track and automatic planning permission for brownfield land under a new ‘zonal system’. It is an idea closely floated by Labour mayoral candidate Tessa Jowell in her pledge for a London housing agency emulating Transport for London. In fact she plans to use redundant land owned by TfL to develop housing on. But critics argue there is not enough brownfield land to meet housing needs – would a further and wider urban sprawl on the greenbelt within and beyond the M25 be necessary? Osborne would surely be dragged into battle to ‘force’ the forces of Nimbyism into allowing development should this be the case.
In order to speed up the planning application process, the plan also includes a commitment to "legislate to allow major infrastructure projects with an element of housing to apply through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Regime (NSIP)".
Additionally, developers who want to extend buildings to the height of neighbouring properties also look set to get the green light without the need for planning permission. With Ministers saying this will "add dynamism" to house building in the capital, has a trend away from ‘localism’ been firmly set?
Zac Goldsmith way in front, while Labour race still too close to call
A poll revealed this week that seven out of ten Tory supporters would name Zac Goldsmith as their choice for the Conservative mayoral candidate. The YouGov poll showed that Goldsmith was favoured by 69 per cent of Londoners that voted Conservative at the General Election in May of this year. Interestingly, this figure does not change a great deal when the wider London public were asked the same question; 63 per cent of them would choose Goldsmith.
Though it seems it is all but decided in the Blue camp, it is not over yet. 47 per cent of Londoners said they do not know who they will back. This leaves the door wide open for the likes of Tessa Jowell, the leading Labour candidate in the race, and her fellow Labour hopefuls.
The Red camp seems to have more of an actual contest between candidates. Last week a YouGov poll revealed that Tottenham MP David Lammy had overtaken Sadiq Khan in second place, behind Tessa Jowell. The fact, however, that it was not voters who were polled, but Labour supporters, places a serious question mark over the findings.
Voting papers for Labour’s mayoral candidate will be sent out on August 14, with the ballot closing on September 10. They hope to announce the winner sometime around their autumn conference.
Mayor launches London Land Commission
London Mayor Boris Johnson and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis have launched the London Land Commission, in an attempt to free up excess public land in London to help with the capital’s housing crisis. This is the first time that City Hall, the Government and the boroughs have coordinated their efforts to unlock surplus land.
Real estate research firm Savills has been chosen to pull together the first stages of a “Domesday Book” of all brownfield public land in London, which is due to be completed by the end of 2015.
Speaking about the new Commission, Johnson said that it “will build on the great efforts we’ve already made at City Hall” and will be “vital in co-ordinating the efforts of a whole raft of public bodies to achieve this important goal, helping to cut through the red tape that has kept valuable land tied up for too long”.
London’s Royal Docks and the former Cane Hill hospital site in Croydon are just a couple of the sites that have already been released by the Mayor.