An independent commission convened by think-tank Centre for London has proposed the creation of a new representative body to champion industrial space in the capital, as concerns mount over the loss of industrial land in London and the UK’s biggest city regions.
The Industrial Land Commission has also urged the mayor of London to appoint a “powerful champion” for industrial land in City Hall and support local authorities to upskill staff working with land in the sector.
Other key proposals include more co-investment from the mayor of London and London boroughs in upscaling existing industrial developments; improving evidence about supply and demand for floorspace; more intervention from London boroughs to enhance local planning and protection; subsiding developments in new locations; and more powers for planners to devise London’s land use strategy accordingly.
The commission’s final report found that London has lost 24% of industrial space over the past two decades. Inner London bore the brunt of this, with more than 40% of total industrial space converted to other uses.
Hackney lost 62%, while Camden, Islington, and Westminster each recorded a 52% decline. There was a 51% drop in Hammersmith and Fulham.
Outside the capital, Greater Manchester experienced a 20% decline, and the West Midlands saw a decrease of 19%.
The Industrial Land Commission said much of the capital’s industrial space has been released to build more housing, which will create a domino effect on how the city functions. It underlined that industrial space for critical activities such as waste removal, delivery depots and repair and maintenance facilities is needed in or near the city centre, rather than the fringes.
Liz Peace (pictured), chair of the commission, chairman of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and chair of Trustees at Centre for London, said: “The demand for homes in London clearly must be satisfied, but sacrificing the city’s industrial land to meet that demand is shortsighted and ignores the need for jobs for the people living in those homes and for all those vital services required in a thriving city.
“The pressure on London’s industrial land represents a potentially serious crisis for the city. That’s why the Industrial Land Commission believes that the mayor and London boroughs must do more to protect, intensify and provide new industrial spaces, while also championing the critical functions that industrial land enables in our city.”
See also: Industry warns industrial planning flaws undermine levelling up
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