Investing in infrastructure works
Since the 1920s Metroland era, infrastructure has played a vital role in connecting London’s housing needs with jobs. This legacy continues with the regeneration of former industrial sites into thriving mixed-use areas like King’s Cross, Stratford, and Nine Elms. Canary Wharf has evolved since its 1980s inception, with strategic energy planning now central to its growth and goal of becoming a carbon-neutral neighbourhood. This is unlike parts of west London, where a lack of access to the grid network in boroughs like Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Ealing, is causing delays to residential development.
What next? Work is underway at Old Oak and Park Royal for the new HS2 station, a crucial interchange for reducing congestion in central areas like Euston, with plans for up to 25,500 new homes and 56,000 jobs. Brent Cross West station helped facilitate Related Argent’s Brent Cross Town, with a vision for 6,700 new homes and workspaces to accommodate over 25,000 people. But essential projects that facilitate potential large-scale delivery, such as the Bakerloo Line extension and the DLR extension to Thamesmead, remain unfunded and uncommitted – preventing up to 50,000 homes and 20,000 jobs.
Furthermore, the recent London Plan consultation proposes dropping Crossrail 2 due to unlikely funding within the next decade. Major infrastructure projects require long-term planning, creative financing, and political commitment, often spanning decades. Positive developments are underway, such as the British Library’s 2026 construction, which will incorporate initial Crossrail 2 elements, even as the wider project awaits full approval and funding.
This is more than just rail connections. New bus routes, roads, sewage networks, electricity and water all need to be provided for, requiring investment and strategic planning.