{"id":1182451,"date":"2026-09-02T12:29:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T12:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1182451\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T12:29:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T12:29:24","slug":"think-tank-urges-government-to-give-city-hall-control-of-railway-land-to-boost-homebuilding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1182451\/","title":{"rendered":"Think tank urges government to give City Hall control of railway land to boost homebuilding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Centre for Cities says low density of housing adjacent to travel hubs is a significant blocker to economic growth, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"CityCity Hall (credit GLA) and (inset) Sadiq Khan<\/p>\n

Handing over control of Network Rail land in London to Sadiq Khan could see 535,000 homes built around stations in inner boroughs and over a million across the city, ministers have been told.<\/p>\n

Chronically low density of housing adjacent to travel hubs compared to G7 peers such as Paris and Tokyo is a significant blocker to economic growth, according to the Centre for Cities think tank.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has backed \u201chigher density residential development\u201d in his bid to solve Britain\u2019s housing shortage, while the government has recently introduced new \u201cminimum density\u201d requirements for new developments near well connected train stations.<\/p>\n

However, railway stations are primarily under the control of Network Rail, which is a body concerned with transport rather than housing.<\/p>\n

This means that opportunities to invest by building densely at suitable locations around the stations can be delayed or missed. A key example of this is Manchester Mayfield next to Manchester Piccadilly Station, a site that has sat derelict for decades.<\/p>\n

In contrast, handing over control of stations to bodies like the Greater London Authority (GLA) would allow local leaders to use mayoral development corporations (MDCs) and development order powers to regenerate land around stations densely.<\/p>\n

\u201cControl of their stations and the land around them will be the first step to regeneration for many urban neighbourhoods,\u201d the report, released today<\/a> (Wednesday 2nd), reads.<\/p>\n

\u201cMayoral control of stations and surplus land adjacent to them is the greatest opportunity for devolution to help cities to densify around more stations than they are today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solving this \u201cdensity gap\u201d around urban stations would reduce Britain\u2019s housing shortage as a whole by around 25%, as well as cutting commute times and rejuvenating high streets.<\/p>\n

Anthony Breach, director of policy and research at Centre for Cities, said: \u201cBuilding a lot of homes around existing stations is one of the most effective ways to boost city economies. In a low growth economy like Britain, it is one of the most glaringly obvious problems to fix.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing big on homes around stations will make a significant dent in the housing shortage. It\u2019s worth around a million homes in Britain. It makes public transport far more efficient and cuts commuting times. It expands the labor market which is good for productivity. It regenerates areas that residents have seen fall into disrepair.<\/p>\n

\u201cFixing this uniquely British problem will deliver significant returns. But the government must also be clear eyed that without speedy planning reforms and rail devolution \u2013 good intentions will get stuck in the swamp of delay, red tape and inter-agency bureaucracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report recommends the government create a \u2018fast track\u2019 to give mayors control of stations without having to go through the \u201cfull rail devolution\u201d application process that could take years.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecuring greater local control more quickly makes it much easier for mayors to pursue densification and more likely that the Government can achieve its wider urban housing agenda,\u201d the authors added.<\/p>\n

\u201cMayors would be able to assume control of stations on a rolling basis, starting with stations identified as simpler and with promising development opportunities by the audit, before expanding their scope to more complex stations at a pace that suits the mayor and the regulator.\u201d<\/p>\n

With control, mayors can utilise MDCs \u2013 like Sir Sadiq Khan has used in Old Oak and Park Royal, and Oxford Street \u2013 to deliver major regeneration projects on underused land around stations. They could also used mayoral development orders (MDOs) which can help developers proceed faster through the planning process to densify current buildings.<\/p>\n

Sem Moema, Labour\u2019s housing spokesperson on the London Assembly, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): \u201cTransferring this land could unlock thousands of homes Londoners desperately need.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would also help us make better use of land across the capital and build on the mayor\u2019s work to deliver homes on public land.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should use public land to build the homes London needs and help fund the infrastructure needed to support them.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Khan said: \u201cThe mayor recognises that Londoners need more homes in the right places, with connections to jobs and other local services.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis draft new London Plan makes clear that housing delivery and economic growth is only possible with investment in transport and other crucial infrastructure. That\u2019s why he continues to make the case for transport projects and rail devolution across London that could bring substantial benefits to local communities, in addition to supporting significant housing delivery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mayor will continue doing everything in his power to drive vital investment and sustainable growth across the capital as we build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Platform4, wholly owned subsidiary of Network Rail established to lead the regeneration of surplus railway land across the UK, added: \u201cPlatform4 was established in November 2025 to unlock rail-led and rail-adjacent brownfield land at pace, enabling well-connected homes, workplaces and public value across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew homes have been established as a strategic priority under GBR, embedding housing delivery into the heart of the rail network\u2019s future direction and supporting faster, more joined-up decision-making on the release of land for development.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last five years, Network Rail\u2019s property development team and LCR, now both part of Platform4, have unlocked 33,000 new homes. \u201c<\/p>\n

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