MyCity: LONDON

REGULATORY

BARKING RIVERSIDE

CROYDON

The GLA restated Croydon as a key opportunity area in the 2021 London Plan, with the potential for 14,500 new homes by 2041. While numerous residential schemes have come forward in Croydon in recent years, the major regeneration opportunity sits with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), who bought out Hammerson from their JV in April 2023 and now sit in control of a development site of 26 acres in the centre of Croydon, encompassing the Whitgift and Centrale Shopping Centres, the former Allders, and other adjacent ownerships. It remains to be seen what URW develop at this site, but it commands the majority of a town centre crying out for investment, and represents one of the most significant mixed use growth opportunity areas in Greater London.

With over 10,000 new homes, seven new schools, community infrastructure and 21 hectares of open space and sports pitches, Barking Riverside is one of the largest developments shaping the future of London. Located to the east of the capital, the new town is connected to the centre through a new Overground rail station, along with the Thames Clipper service from Barking Pier. The scheme has over 2km of frontage along the river to the south, with a network of footpaths and cycleways throughout. L&Q and the Mayor of London have partnered to form the Barking Riverside Limited Development Company to deliver the scheme, which also includes commercial and community space. This development is part of significant development across the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, which is a growth area expected to deliver 50,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs over the next 20 years.

PLANNING

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is currently going through Parliament and a number of concerns have already been raised that any benefit to the rest of the country could be to the disadvantage of its capital city. This includes National Development Management Policies (NDMPs), covering ‘general’ development control policies relevant to most local authorities which would not then be repeated in Local Plans. NDMPs would have the same weight as development plans but be given priority where there is conflict. This potentially reduces the scope of the London Plan and Mayor of London and may curtail the ability of the capital to set alternative or more ambitious approaches or targets. There is real concern that the levelling up agenda will treat London as ’just another city’, and not allow its very specific advantages to be exploited fully, and its challenges to be addressed. To be a successful global-scale capital city, these concerns must be addressed and provide London with the agency it requires to thrive.

32

33 MYCITY / LONDON |