Shaping London’s economic future

Havering seems to be a dumping ground for problem housing. There are not enough doctor surgery’s, dentists, hospitals, nurses, doctors to cope in the current situation. Trains are over crowded in rush hour like never before. Theft is normal!! No police presence. Stabbings have increased. Let’s sort out that before expanding and building more homes. 

• How do you see your future in the capital? 

  Can't afford to buy a house. Work for a charity so don't earn enough to get a decent mortgage, shared ownership isn't viable, rents are too high. Saving for deposit regardless so I can't rent my own place because it would eat up too much of my income. So I'm 40 years old and back at mums... It's not ideal and I don't see any prospect of being able to buy in London.

  The last few years have also changed the way the city feels - more divided, dirty, dangerous, Public services are falling apart, SMEs are struggling to survive at the expense of larger businesses with no stake in London's communities. 

  Finally, my work takes me to lots of different parts of the city and one thing I've noticed is that the relative inequality has grown - places like Hampstead, Primrose Hill, etc are lovely. They have so much more given to them than the rougher, nastier parts of the city. It's deeply unfair. The people who need support from the state most, are receiving least. Across the board. You see it on the high street, in hospitals, parks, everywhere.

• What do you need to thrive?  

  Affordable Housing/Subsidised rent/more council housing

• What do you like most or least about your local high street, and why? 

  1 - Most of the pubs have all closed down, there used to be some really good ones in Willesden Green but they're almost all gone and there is no space for people to socialise without having to pay £20-30 for a meal.

  2 - Far more rough sleepers than 5-8 years ago. Really hard for them, bit scary for the rest of us.

• What does a good job or good place to work look like to you? 

  Meaningful employment - something that has a purpose/impact. Opportunities for growth. Fair Wage. Inclusive. Agile

• What does successful economic growth look like to you? What would make you feel like you’re benefitting from it too?  

  Need to se it in real life, on the high street, not in boardrooms, FTSE. Rich are rich enough already, need to support people whose needs are greatest

Mia, I’m not going to tell you about my job or anything else that you have asked about in your new post, as what needs to be addressed first and foremost, as commented on in many of the posts here, is the unreliable and expensive transport; the unused cycle lanes; councils that carry out planning consultation and then just go ahead and do what they want anyway even when locals are overwhelmingly against the project…and the developers get away without building the agreed number of affordable units; the pests on mopeds and scooters; the out of control crime that is simply not being dealt with, etc etc etc. These are the things that concern us Londoners.  London is deteriorating. If these things aren’t addressed properly we won’t have jobs to tell you about! 

Stop spending money on pointless virtue signalling and spend it on things that matter.  More visible policing is needed and firm action on low level crime and anti social behaviour is required. Currently there is no/minimal recourse and so these criminals (petty or worse) simply carry on mugging people and stealing shelves worth of stuff from shops because they know that they can get away with it. I find it amazing that the two-tier system has somehow managed to act swiftly to deal with ‘criminals’ from the recent riots and yet there is no police and/or court resource for the crime that blights Londoners EVERYWHERE EVERY DAY. Why isn’t this a priority? Why should we constantly feel unsafe? Your questions and further questions just seem to be another virtue signalling survey / consultation for the sake of it, perhaps until you get the answers you want, rather than really wanting to address the issues raised by all these contributors. 

I started life on a council estate, single parent, free meals.

I have worked very hard and sacrified so much and now earn a good salary. I still can’t afford to get a 1 bedroom flat. I am a Londoner, I love London, I don’t want to leave my home but with house prices constantly going up it just seems that London does not serve Londoners. 

Mr Khan, please look into a making housing accessible for hard working Londoners. Full ownership, not shared ownership. 

Thank you. 



 

I'm worried that with the new UK Government messaging (of growth, growth, growth) and the Mayor of London's 'growth plan' it is all focused on continued economic growth (i.e. GDP) but this is incompatible with a socially just and environmentally safe world in the future. We know traditional (/neoliberal) economic theory is failing our society and our ecosystems, so why are we not progressing the conversation on towards how we can have reasonable prosperity, that is at least agnostic to traditional economic growth indicators, and that is based on a much broader understanding of what a 'good life' means for people. London could really be a leader in this space, and create thriving communities that allow people to live fulfilling, purposeful lives with shared resources, public luxuries and private sufficiency.

A significant issue in the outcomes of exercises of this nature is the failure to consider the different parts of Greater London.  One size does not fit all.  Central, Inner and Outer London are different.  The broad characteristics across the area vary significantly including transport, population density, building density and pollution.  The Initiatives that may play well in Inner London can and do cause problems when dogmatically applied to Outer London. 

We have lived in London for over 20 years, but will be selling our property and leaving. The last drop is the corruption and incompetence of Camden council and Sadiq Khan’s office, who fast tracked massive local developments of thousands of flats in small areas where the local infrastructure will simply be unable to cope. Existing residents have zero rights in London. Consultations are a pretence as the proposals are ushered through anyway regardless of massive objections. One of the developments will bring 1800 flats into the area right near Finchley Road station (yes, 1800!), with laughable amounts of money allocated by the developer to local transport improvements (a step free access!).  Another one near where I live will bring 140 flats without parking with yet another of over 100 flats near West Hampstead station (and others planned nearby!). During the years I have lived here I have witnessed the continued deterioration of transport especially in the morning, which is unable to cope with the massive influx of people due to constant building of flats without any thought for the local residents and infrastructure. The old and tiny tube stations of Finchley Road and West Hampstead will NOT be able to accommodate this amount of new residents and the cumulative impact has never been considered together with other planned developments in the area when the council and the mayor approved the developer planning applications. There is zero local support for the plans, and the locals are far from nymbys, but the local infrastructure simply cannot cope! What this area lacks is local parks and schools, GPs, nurseries and not more flats. We will move from the area but Sadiq Khan has made London unliveable for everyone who lived in and loved this city for many years. In the meantime Sadiq himself travels by ULEZ-exempt bullet proof Range Rover and complains about feeling unsafe. You cannot make it up. Others have commented on the unsafe streets and crime so will not cover it

London needs a mixed use planning policy. What this means is mixed neighbourhoods, so ppeople live in urban areas. To many areas where there is no or little housing.

We need to rebuild all the old council housing, is disintigrating. Get developers  to rebuild Londons suberbs and make better use of the space.

Invest in the roads, Oxford street is a disgracefull mess

Ironically the mayor’s ULEZ policy doesn’t cover the myriad of hugely polluting learner motorbikes speeding and driving in an agresive and unsafe manner while emitting suffocating fumes! These should be banned if you really want to tackle pollution, they are the single biggest source of road emissions in London at the moment. 

I often witness crime in the high street and surrounding areas, housing and rental prices have driven out the native population, there are care homes being  turnt into asylum seekers' living spaces whilst we cannot get appointments at our GP or save enough money to better out prospects. 

Generally, there persists varying degrees of pessimism in my community, both economic and social for London and London boroughs have become a deeply unpleasant, unsafe place to live and work and, like many young people, I am leaving, evidence of the so-called 'brain-drain'.

I think a lot needs to change to make London a place I want to be and my area a place I want to visit.

I live in an area of South London and we have had a cycle lane put in. I'm all in favor of environmental fuelled changes but the cycle lane comes at a cost of the road being halved and an entire bus route taken out of the area and rerouted nowhere nearby. The bus left behind is always late due to traffic and always over crowded when it does arrive. I can't drive so this has meant getting anywhere by bus is a nightmare. 

But what I don't understand is; along that same route, parallel to the same cycle lane is a far more scenic bus route along the river. Both were built at the same time, if I were on a bike I know which I would choose and it seems most cyclists have done the same as the cycle lanes are always empty. I don't blame the cyclists- I wouldn't choose to cycle on such a heavily polluted road when there is a far less polluted option about 100 meters away!

This is just an example but one which stands out to me as every day my 20 minute journey now never takes any less than an hour. I'd walk if I were not disabled and needing to rely on public transport. 

The buses though, these also need to change! I am sick and tired of hearing "this bus is being held here to even out the service" making me late, meaning the bus then piles up with even more people and more than it can take and results in everyone being irate and stressed. This shouldn't be allowed to happen; if a bus runs early it runs early, not my fault for getting to the bus stop and finding a bus arrives, I rarely wait less than the expected time before that bus should arrive. If a bus is running early it should be clearly indicated on the bus countdown system or app, at least that way you know not to bother, maybe wait for another bus or given the choice of 2 buses you avoid the one where the driver has decided to pause and read their paper... !

Crime and safety are my biggest concern, and I worry whenever my partner leaves the house to go somewhere local, especially at night.

I have never had to phone the police in my life until I had moved to London, and found myself phoning several times since I've been here; only once did they manage to have the resource to show up.

I hear about a lot of victims around my area on Nextdoor, I witness crimes on about a fortnightly basis, and some of my friends and neighbours have also been victimised.

If the situation doesn't improve within the next few years, this will be the reason I leave London for good.

The opportunities are not available for people in lower income jobs, housing is a huge problem with social housing costs increasingly unaffordable.  Many housing estates are being sold off to developers who's aim is profit not housing, in our borough we have new housing being built with the bare minimum falling into the affordable housing category, however at prices set to 20% below the market rate the prices are still totally out of the normal workers price range.  Neither of my children can afford to rent or buy in London, one has had to leave London completely.  Profits over people is rife and the wealth divide is very apparent.

I found the survey very narrow and felt like there was a predetermined desired outcome.  

Having lived in London my whole life I see the following issues 

1- street crime. Phone snatching and drug dealing openly happening in day light. If people don’t feel safe they won’t go out and spend. Need police budget spent on tackling street crime not policing online spats or providing marshals to the endless numbers of protest marches   

2- transport . Too many years of prioritising bikes and walking over everything else has been particularly harsh on disabled and elderly.  Too much of red routes and bus routes given over to cycle lanes when they should be down side streets for both cyclist safety and to enable bus lanes to be maintained . 
Some disastrous layouts such as the new layout at Surrey Quays are causing traffic chaos everywhere . Whilst it may be desirable to have fewer cars on the road , we can’t have growth if commercial deliveries can’t move ( food , office supplies etc ) and also it’s a disaster for disabled , elderly and poor if the buses are made slower ( and that often leads to routes being reduced in distance ) 

3. Business support.  Londoners do well and London does well when the City does well.  The financial district is becoming a ghost town. New change / Cheapside etc full of empty shops . Needs a boost. Needs staff back in office too . 
4.  Shops - Oxford street is horrible these days . The rickshaws blaring music , American sweet shops etc . Need to encourage some quality names back or it will die too .

I have loved London my whole life but the last 4-5 years has seen a noticeable deterioration.

I live in quite a nice area where there is a ok standard of living (though the food bank is still too busy), green space and good schools. Am very lucky but have worked hard to be here.  

The blight of it is being constantly worried about being mugged for my phone by young thugs on bikes, having my car stolen or being burgled, e scooters and delivery drivers driving dangerously.  Bikes are always been stolen. All of this is now easy pickings with no recourse. The police are not able/not interested. Even if you have footage.

Every quarter, there are gangs of young girls who have been beating up grown men and women, even children and filming it. Nothing happens to them though the offenders are well known and are often are in some type of trouble. 

The latest wave is having a bike purposefully hit your car. With their friends as witnesses filming, you are accused of causing an accident and poof your insurance is paying out for damage. 

I know some areas of London are worse and are effectively lawless. Something needs to be done. 

My wages have also decreased by 30% -40% since the pandemic. Even the GLA does not treat contractors fairly. 

 

There is more violence and gang and criminality than ever. The gig economy is not helping in some respects - the people who are allowed to whizz around London on e-scooters and bikes with no respect for other people is terrible why can’t we follow Melbourne and Paris and ban them

Why aren’t local communities encouraging people to look after their local area - some incentives might work if there was a borough wide competition - cleanest or prettiest or safest wins something 

Let’s start engaging with the youth of today as they are idle as nothing to do for them causing mayhem is a basic past time - just watch Freddie’s field of dreams 

My local Borough high st lacks nationally known brands, inundated with mosques and muslim only community centre every time anything closes, betting shops &  fast food takeaways and car washes. Used to be a vibrant place to live with bars pubs, cinemas, branded shops great travel links but its a mono cultural slum hostile lacks integration, no one speaks English in public. Foreign language  on signd displayed on exterior of homes and businesse sometimes hard to tell what the business is for! I work in the city hadn't realised how much everyone hates each other locally until lockdown and wfh. Multiculturalism definitely doesn't and hasn't worked. This Borough, London and Britaian seriously need to stop demonisin  being British and  get integration of culture just like it was when i grew up. Fyi im brown and proud to be British but the moment you London forgot what binds us, its not diversity its division.

Very  concerned that free speech is being eroded and police too busy wwith prejudice policing. 

3 stabbings around me locally. Fear safety for myself and children. All authorities should do their jobs unbiased but for whatever reason certain demographics are favoured over others. 

Will definitely leave London in 3-5 Years may even leave Britian for a country where there are more practicing Christians. Alot of British values based on Christianity has been watered down to appease. It's wrong and has already seen a decline in the capital  city of a country that was once close to being a superpower despite our size. There are lots of brown and black people different religions educated who feel the same but choose not to say anything for fear of reprisals and negative labels. 

I have lived in London all my life and have raised my children here. I used to love central London and my local area but now find both over populated, with ugly high rise flats cramming more and more people into small spaces; congested, with overcrowded and unreliable transport; and out of control crime that is simply not being dealt with. More visible policing and action on low level crime and anti social behaviour is required to make me consider remaining in London; catering for more people will just push us out.

Our local high street is now unappealing with nothing to make me want to shop there. As, what is supposed to be, the borough's premier shopping centre it should have a greater variety of good quality retail instead of endless coffee shops and overpriced ice cream outlets, catering for unsuspecting visitors. A complete lack of public toilets also leads me to shop elsewhere. 

London does not need more people; the country's economy should be spread more evenly and good quality jobs need to be made available across the country, not concentrated in London and the south. You should be working with other areas of the country to support this objective so that people don't have to move to London. This would ease some of the pressure on housing that would benefit existing, native, londoners