The Greater London Authority (GLA) has released Towards a New London Plan, outlining several significant policy directions that the Mayor intends to pursue in revising the London Plan.
One proposal that has attracted considerable media attention is the potential release of parts of the Green Belt to support much-needed housing delivery. Undertaking a Green Belt review and identifying ‘grey belt’ land for development is, in principle, a worthwhile strategy for addressing (in part) London’s housing crisis. However, the success of this approach will depend critically on how it is implemented, and how it is communicated to the public.
This strategy will fail if it results, as it has in many other places, in a series of poorly planned greenfield housing developments that do little to address the fragmentation of the urban fabric or the car dependency of communities in outer boroughs. Instead, it must be taken as an opportunity to restructure, intensify, and improve outer London, as part of a polycentric city model, delivering a mix of housing at sensible densities that support public transport and the local economy.
New development should ensure active travel and public transport access to local and district centres, employment opportunities, and essential services and infrastructure. Equally important is creating a stronger, more meaningful relationship with the countryside, improving access to greenspace, protecting sensitive landscapes and environmental assets, and delivering genuine biodiversity gains.
Crucially, improvements should not be limited to newly developed areas but should also benefit existing communities, enhancing the overall sustainability and quality of life in London’s outer boroughs.
Our mapping of London’s Green Belt suggests there are approximately 25,000 hectares of Green Belt land that are unaffected by nature conservation, flood risk, or other significant constraints. Of this, around 5,500 hectares lie within walking or easy cycling distance of existing rail or underground stations. If only half of this land were developed at modest densities, it could yield approximately 140,000 new homes.
If we expand the catchment to areas within 2,500 metres of a station – a distance easily covered by bus or bicycle in under 15 minutes, this would encompass a staggering 17,000 hectares. If just half of this land were allocated for housing, it could deliver around 425,000 homes, located close to existing transport infrastructure. This would deliver approximately half of London’s projected housing demand.
Of course, this is a broad-brush analysis, and a detailed strategic planning and Green Belt review would be required to identify the areas most suitable for release and where they could also deliver wider regenerative benefits to outer London communities. Nonetheless, this analysis highlights the significant potential to address London’s housing needs by considering selective, sustainable Green Belt release, while also leveraging investment into the outer boroughs.
At Urban Initiatives, we have long explored opportunities for growth and character-sensitive intensification, including in areas that may be considered for Green Belt release. Our project Heathrow Gateway, focused on the west of the London borough of Hounslow and their vision for deliberately targeted fragmented Green Belt land to deliver a new mixed-use airport city supporting Heathrow, a new industrial park for distribution and airport-related businesses near Hatton Cross, and a new urban neighbourhood fronting onto Bedfont Lakes Country Park. This could deliver up to 5,000 new homes, a mixed use district centre and create 13,000 new jobs. The proposal included a potential new rail link from the Feltham into the airport, as well as new pedestrian and cycle connections to serve the existing community, reducing car dependency and improving access to local centres, employment, and green spaces for both existing and new residents. This vision demonstrated the potential to deliver significant benefits for the local community: essential new homes, economic growth, and the enhancement of green infrastructure.
We welcome the new direction from City Hall and will contribute our expertise to the upcoming consultation on the next London Plan.
Written by Urban Initiatives Director, Matthias Wunderlich