Boris Johnson has urged the property industry to embrace a “golden age” and build more homes for Londoners.
Opening the London Real Estate Forum in Berkeley Square, W1, last night, the mayor of London said: “We are on the verge of a golden age of construction in London – we must use this to build more homes for Londoners that will be loved and venerated in years to come.
“The landscape of London resembles a speeded up time-lapse David Attenborough ‘return of the spring’ documentary. London is bulging and sprouting with growth and astonishing things are happening at all points of the compass.
“It is an extraordinary time to live here. The future of London is transparently bright.”
Speaking last night, Westminster council leader Philippa Roe said the borough would continue to lobby government on business rate reform as Crossrail would increase the number of people travelling into the borough “exponentially”, placing greater pressure on services.
She also pledged to look at planning policies around Chruch Street, NW8, to drive regeneration of the area and said that pressure to live and work in Westminster meant “we are going to have to look increased density and we are going to have to do it sensitively”.
Some 1,400 people representing nearly 600 companies are expected to attend LREF over the next two days.
