Affordable housing must not come at the expense of London businesses

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to work with the Mayor of London to ensure businesses retain all important access to land for industrial and employment use in London.

In the Secretary of State’s speech this morning, it was intimated that the Government could change the Mayor’s planning policy to meet affordable housing targets – which could impact land needed for jobs.

In response, LCCI has written to Michael Gove and urged him to work with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to ensure that a policy of no net loss of industrial land is included in the updated London Plan and the need for land for jobs is not excluded in favour of meeting the need for the greater provision of affordable housing in London.

In the letter, LCCI communicates feedback it has previously received from its membership that the existing lack of available logistics land has already forced firms to move further out of London which has exacerbated already high levels of pollution and congestion on London’s roads.

This is an issue LCCI has previously raised with Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, in a letter which is available to read here.

Richard Burge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said: “If London’s businesses are to continue to thrive in the future, London’s planning strategy must make enough industrial and employment use land in inner London available. We agree with Michael Gove’s remarks this morning that there is a pressing need to provide affordable homes for Londoners.

However, the Government and the Mayor of London must work together to ensure affordable housing does not come at the expense of London’s economy. Industrial and employment use land, which is so vital to powering the capitals prosperity, cannot be sacrificed haphazardly.

To do away with industrial land would be to undermine the efficacy of businesses and their ability to meet changing consumer needs, and would also do away with vital employment opportunities.

In a global city, economically important sites must not be overlooked or London’s economy will suffer. To that end, we urge the Government and the Mayor of London to work together to ensure the future prosperity of London, its businesses and the people who both live and work here.”