A Christmas Wishlist for London
As we enter a London election year, here's 12 planning policies for Santa to slide into politicos' stockings.
We’re coming up to the end of 2023, but also of Sadiq Khan’s second term as Mayor of London. 2024 is an election year, and given it’s Christmas, what better time than now to pull together an urban wish list for any wannabe Mayor.
Money no object, there’s a near endless list of projects with a positive business case that one could put forward for development… but we live in a post-financial crisis, post-Covid world with constrained public finances, so I’ve limited the priorities to 12.
Rail and Underground
London’s new Elizabeth line might be the Mona Lisa of galleried underground metros, but the picture in the rest of the city is far less rosy. All too frequent delays on the Tube, not enough trains to run a full service, and a patchwork of life extension projects for equipment and trains long past their shelf life all represent a network in dire need of investment. Following the Government’s grant last week of £250m in capital spending1, the only major project under delivery today is replacement of the Piccadilly line’s 1973 rolling stock as part of the New Tube for London programme.
1. New trains for the Bakerloo, Waterloo and City, and Central Lines
The Piccadilly line contract conveniently includes options for three other Deep Level Tube lines to have their life-expired trains replaced with modern equivalents2. Such is the condition of the current rolling stock that the central line is undergoing a £500m retrofit and upgrade programme over the next few years (and for that reason it can come last). Actioning the options on the contract will be cheaper and more convenient than having to run new procurements, which would risk the new supply chain for the trains established in Goole, and increase operational costs through a more varied train fleet. The full New Tube for London programme had an estimated Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 4.2:13.
2. Crossrail 2
With the demise earlier this year of HS2, Crossrail 2 now takes the top spot for most expensive capital project in the UK. Despite a strong business case (with a BCR of 2:1)4, that’s been rubber stamped from the Department for Transport5, it remains unfunded. The success of the Elizabeth line showcases the transformational effects that a second underground regional rail line could have on the capital, but the sheer cost (£30bn in 2014 prices)6, combined with political realities mean funding from central government is unlikely to be forthcoming. Any potential mayor will need to look at alternative funding streams, such as business rate levies around stations, uplifted capital contributions from new developments, and potentially land value capture mechanisms. The design for the route itself should also be revisited for potential cost savings, including the need for new tunnelling south of Clapham Junction7.
3. Bakerloo Line Extension
Until the pandemic hit in 2020, the Bakerloo Line Extension was a near-certainty for development. With a BCR of between 2:1 and 3:18, it would have run from a rebuilt Elephant and Castle station under the Old Kent Road to Lewisham, supporting an estimated 25,000 new homes, whilst filling in an inner-London black-spot for the Underground9. Similar to Crossrail 2, development would require novel financing methods and powers for City Hall . One omission in the current safeguarded route is a station at the Bricklayers’ Arms roundabout; a potential station here should be revisited; it’s central at just over a kilometre from London and Tower Bridges, it’s surrounded by low-rise blocks that could be densified, and there’s a large readily available plot where one could build (the roundabout).
4. Elizabeth Line Night Services
If there’s one line that’s well placed to become part of the Night Tube, it’s the Elizabeth line; perhaps with cutback operations running from Heathrow to Romford only. It’s the newest line on the network and should require the least closures for maintenance and renewal over the coming years. It would connect the West End, the City, Heathrow airport, the nightlife hubs in Stratford and Romford, and the 24/7 Thameslink services at Farringdon. From an operational perspective, 7 of the 9 stations in the core from Stratford through to Ealing Broadway (the exceptions being Acton Main Line and Paddington) are already open into the early hours at weekends as they serve night services on other lines. For a candidate concerned about London’s dwindling nightlife, this could be a real winner.
5. A South London Metro
Whereas those north of the Thames are heavy users of the Underground, those in the south are reliant on conventional National Rail services, but the frequency, punctuality, and reliability of these services is far below that which the Tube offers. A 2019 paper looking at the potential ‘Metroisation’ of South London rail services, found opportunities to add up to an extra 39 trains per hour (tph) across the network, enabling turn up and go services on almost all routes. A few targeted investments in infrastructure and rolling stock, and changes to operational practices could enable this step change in transport capacity for £1.7bn in 2014/15 prices10, an absolute bargain when compared to the Elizabeth Line’s £19bn cost for a 24tph base service.
6. DLR Extension to Thamesmead
The Thamesmead area of South East London is vast, and peppered by low-rise sprawling housing estates. There is however, also a large opportunity area, that with the right investment, could provide for 30,000 homes and 20,000 jobs on former industrial land. Aside from the new Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood, the area is not well connected, and TfL has a long-standing ambition to extend the DLR to the area from Gallions Reach with a new river crossing11.
Roads and Buses
The Tube might be the most iconic part of the London transport network, but it’s the bus network that is the true workhorse, moving around 50% more people per year. The Mayor is also responsible for the Key Route Network within London, and wields influence on boroughs through grant funding, the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, and the London Plan. The Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone, and Ultra Low Emission Zone also fall under the Mayoral remit, and should be expected to stay.
7. More Bus Lanes
Compared to the Underground’s modest annual profit, TfL’s road and bus division is expected to lose more than £600 million this year12. Bus lanes are one of the cheapest and most effective interventions to improve the attractiveness and efficiency of the network. At its most simplest, the act of painting the road speeds up bus journeys. The benefits are threefold: faster journeys are more attractive and thus attract additional customers, faster journeys save time and thus increase economic output, and faster journeys reduce costs as less buses and drivers are needed to provide the same frequency of service. On roads with high frequencies of buses, the impact on congestion for other vehicular traffic should be minimal, as the buses are already taking up road space, and block a traffic lane whenever they stop.
8. Pedestrianise the West End
Oxford Street pedestrianisation has been on the cards for many years now, with a handful of candidates having pledged to do so at every Mayoral election for the past decade. The road is actually managed by Westminster City Council and both main parties in the City have blocked or watered down previous attempts to pedestrianise. Any new mayor however just needs agreement from the Transport Secretary to take control of the road him/herself and those years of pledges to reinvigorate the once foremost shopping district of Europe can be realised. Why stop there though? During the summer months of 2020 and 2021, we saw how Londoners were willing to brave all weathers in Soho to benefit from and enjoy Al Fresco dining, whilst also bringing a much needed boost to West End businesses. An ambitious mayor could go one step further, and take control of the entire West End.
9. Support Active Travel
Paris has seen a renaissance in cycling over the past five years, in part catalysed by the pandemic, but also through a wholesale transformation in the streetscape across the city. Active travel increases are great for public health, they take traffic off of the road, and they make for a more attractive city. Targeted investment in cycle lanes and active travel infrastructure, importantly only where communities want them, should continue. Expansion of scooter rental schemes to boroughs would also support last-mile travel, but better control and provision of dedicated parking is needed in order to limit street clutter.
Housing and Planning
London’s population continues to grow, and home prices continue to rise. Any economic stat or indicator points to a need for dramatic increases in home construction if prices are to once again become affordable, or if housing quality or sizes are to improve. Increases in Brownfield development and low-impact densification of existing neighbourhoods is needed if we’re to provide new homes without losing valuable green land.
10. Build on Railway Land
One of the largest landholdings in the city, Transport for London’s estate provides a huge opportunity to provide much needed housing for Londoners whilst building up additional income streams beyond the farebox. In recent years, there’s been a drive to develop on underused railway car parks, and over brand new stations such as those on the Elizabeth line. A new Mayor can take these practices one step further, by decking over existing railway cuttings, and exploring the possibility of doing so over railway depots.
11. Encourage Mansards
Inner London is peppered with gorgeous traditional terraces; Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and even some more modern imitations. Though these are often only around 2-4 storeys tall, in some areas, individual properties have been extended upwards with Mansards - an extra floor with recessed windows and a highly angled roof that hides its appearance from the street. It’s a novel way to add extra bedrooms and residential space to properties without impacting neighbours, views, or access to light. The most recent version of the National Planning Policy Framework, the NPPF, enables these attractive and low-impact developments13, and we should be encouraging them in London with haste.
12. Enable Upwards Extensions
Building on the concept of mansards, Haringey has taken upwards extensions one step further in South Tottenham, an area with atypically large families and severe housing constraints. They’ve trialled a novel planning method by which properties can be extended upwards by building an additional storey of identical design and style to the existing top storey, and moving the roofline up14. Here’s a street view snap of how they look. The properties have been generally well received and allow additional development to blend in well to existing neighbourhoods. These upward extensions should be trialled in other parts of the city, with a focus on areas adjacent to inner London stations.
Honourable Mentions
If you’ve thought of any other policies that I’ve missed, feel free to add them to the comments; here are a few more suggestions to whet your appetite. These didn’t quite make the cut, not that they’re bad ideas, but rather I think any focus is better spent on the above.
Crossrail 3 (and 4, 5, 6). Obviously these should come after Crossrail 2. We should also strengthen our construction, procurement, and management practices before we start building en masse.
Expand Camden Town Station. The station is already congested enough to be exit-only on bank holidays and weekends; it’s not accessible; and upgrading it will finally allow the Northern Line to be split into two, with a spate of frequency, reliability, and punctuality increases following.
West London Orbital. This new Overground line connecting Hounslow to Brent Cross via existing freight lines would connect West London neighbourhoods with the new hub at Old Oak Common and significantly cut journey times across the region.
Rebuild Stratford Station. Now one of busiest stations in the country, with passenger movements growing from 40 million to 120 million passenger movements per year between 2006 and 2019, the station is still the fastest growing in the UK with a further 60% growth expected by 204115. Severely crowded on match days and holidays, it’s in dire need of an overhaul, perhaps with over-site development.
Extend the Met line across the river from Aldgate. I first saw this proposed by Alon Levy, and I think it’s a great idea. Increased reliability and punctuality of the District, Met, H&C, and Circle lines through splitting operations; lots of potential to take over Southeastern routes; and it wouldn’t need new construction through central London.
Relocate the Old Oak Common Depots (they’re huge) outside of London, and use the land to build a new Canary Wharf. Following the completion of the first phase of HS2, the site will have direct connections to Heathrow, the City, Wales, the South-West, Birmingham, Manchester, and Scotland. It’s the ideal site to build a new urban core.
Relocate the Inner London Prisons. HMP Pentonville, HMP Brixton, and HMP Wandsworth sit on some of the most valuable land in the country, yet are used for prisons; a use for which being located in the core of one of the costliest cities in the world is not really necessary. Reuse the land for more appropriate uses, expand Thameside/Belmarsh, and relocate the rest into fit-for-purpose new builds further out in the country.
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20200318-agenda-and-papers.pdf Commissioners Report, Paragraph 54.
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/strategic-case-for-metroisation.pdf Paragraph 9.2.1.