London’s industrial land needs to be protected in order to keep the city moving, a new report by SEGRO and London planner Turley has warned.
The Keep London Working report shows the role the industrial sector has in supporting the capital’s future economic and population growth.
Read an EG briefing on the findings of the Keep London Working report >>
As the capital grows, the demands placed on businesses to get their goods and services to their customers increases, with consumers expecting certain deliveries within the hour.
London’s population is projected to increase from 8.7m to more than 10m by 2031, the equivalent of the populations of Birmingham and Coventry moving to the capital. This, combined with technology, has led to an explosion of e-commerce, driving the demand for industrial land to ensure goods get delivered.
Logistics plays an increasingly important role in linking people and businesses to goods. However, the evidence suggests that with population growth, the scale of activities will need to increase, and this will prove difficult if the critical land needed to create the necessary facilities remains scarce.
Population growth also puts an additional strain on the availability of housing. However, industrial land is being lost rapidly, frequently to residential use, at a rate three times greater than the Greater London Authority had expected.
At the current rate of decline, the GLA’s 2031 expected release of industrial land could be reached this year. The loss of industrial land is happening across all London boroughs, with the greatest impact in Newham, Greenwich, Bexley and Wandsworth. The boroughs that have experienced the greatest estimated losses since 2001 are Newham, Havering and Tower Hamlets.
David Sleath, chief executive of SEGRO, said: “A robust and flexible logistics infrastructure is key to keeping London working. It’s very important to halt the loss of industrial land to provide employment opportunities and a landscape for new businesses to arise.
“As a result of the report, our call to action, endorsed by the British Property Federation, is to immediately undertake a strategic review of industrial land coupled with a full and comprehensive demand assessment.
“There needs to be a thorough review of industrial land designation, which recognises the locational requirements of urban logistics operators to be able to respond to last mile activities.
“We need to ensure the industrial and logistics sector has a voice within London policy decision making to ensure that the rapid loss of industrial land is reversed and intensification of industrial and logistics uses is possible when practical.”
Read more from David Sleath on the importance of industrial space >>
Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of London First, said: “London’s industrial land is home to e-commerce businesses, technology start-ups and companies vital to keeping the city supplied with goods and services. So we must ensure London has capacity to house these companies alongside the people they support and employ.”
Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “The industrial and logistics sector is an important part of our modern economy, but the vital part it plays in our everyday lives can often be overlooked. The provision of industrial land does more than just ensure that online deliveries arrive on time – it also creates skilled jobs and delivers significant economic growth. The competition for land in London is intense with an acute shortage of housing, but we need a balanced approach. Sustainable communities require both homes and the right infrastructure to provide services, facilities and jobs. We therefore fully support this initiative and SEGRO’s recommendations.”
Briefing: London’s industrial time bomb >>
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