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Infrastructure still needed to support Thames Valley growth


TVPF ‘Southern Powerhouse’ keynote speaker Lord Adonis, a former Labour cabinet minister, praised recent Thames Valley progress – but only in some areas.


He highlighted the rebuilding of Reading Station, the advent of CrossRail and electrification of the Great Western mainline, and The Madejski Academy a pioneer of the continuing national Skills Agenda educational campaign.


“Great things have happened. Infrastructure affecting Reading and the Thames Valley is improving, but there’s no place for complacency. There’s still a lot more to do.


“Connections are so important in the infrastructure world,” he noted, mentioning the need to ensure improved future Thames Valley connectivity through the proposed Western Rail Access to Heathrow (WRaTH), and linkage to the north-south High Speed 2 line from the planned London junction at Old Oak Common.


“A number of key infrastructure decisions will take place over the next four to five years that will crucially affect the Thames Valley economy and its prosperity. While they are being debated you should be lobbying very hard.”


Direct HS2 connections with Heathrow and the Great Western line were still under discussion, he pointed out, as were CrossRail links to Old Oak Common.


Strongly supporting Heathrow expansion, Adonis highlighted that more than half the new UK companies being established through inward investment, were locating within 45 minutes of Heathrow. “Heathrow remains remarkably well positioned economically for the UK. But, it should have both western and southern rail access.”


Housing was his other key Thames Valley concern.


“We are only building half the new homes we need to keep pace with population growth and household formation, and even fewer, possibly a third, in Greater London.”


While private-sector development volumes had sustained over the years, public-sector housebuilding and development of ‘new towns’


Lord Adonis


had now largely vanished, Adonis pointed out.


“My view is that we will only make housebuilding progress if the State – central and local government – gets into significant developments such as new towns or major urban extensions, particularly in southern England.”


Making land available for housing development was another change required, Adonis suggested. Apart from “getting developing on their own account” local authorities needed to have “much stronger incentives to overcome NIMBY pressures when it comes to planning” rather than acting simply as “development control authorities.”


“Unless this happens we will have this chronic housing problem in London and the southeast for the foreseeable future.”


Uplifting quote of the day


“We used to say: ‘When I see the steel, I’ll know it’s real.’ Well it’s real now, and I’m thrilled, proud and super excited.” – Victor Nicholls, assistant chief executive, Bracknell Forest Council, commenting on piling work at the long-awaited but now ongoing town-centre regeneration of ‘The Lexicon’ Bracknell, opening Spring 2017.


With London’s lack of housebuilding and high property prices ironically aiding the Thames Valley in attracting new resident workers, Robert Lynch of Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Kim Cohen of Barton Willmore, posed an urgent question ...


Where will our future workforce live?


“With our own rising property prices, we may be seeing people working here, but not living here, which is crazy and puts pressure on our transport infrastructure,” Lynch highlighted.


Use of outdated projections within the 2009 South East Plan had obscured true demand. Recession and recent planning-focused issues had slowed down new housing delivery even further, noted Cohen.


“This is not a new residential crisis but a worsening one that has been brewing for decades, and we are heading for a perfect storm. Some of the unnmet London needs will inevitably come to the doorsteps of eastern Thames Valley local authorities.”


What can be done to provide the houses that support the jobs and economic growth, which make the Thames Valley the powerhouse it is today, Cohen asked.


She suggested starting by planning to meet the correct demand figures. “We are playing catch-up and clearly need to get things right and make some difficult political decisions, with Green Belt reviews being front and centre, I suggest.”


Green Belt was an extremely emotive issue, but “... it’s not all green spaces and rolling hills today. We need to grasp the nettle and consider what should be in or out.”


Consideration of diverse and inventive solutions was needed too within, for example, the rental sector, to accommodate an ageing population, attract talent, make homes affordable, site new settlements, plus developers had to deliver the right type of accommodation.


Everyone had an important role to play in resolving the crisis. “Building the relationship between the development industry, politicians (central and local) and local people has to be the way forward.


“Now is the time for considered action, but brave steps,” concluded Cohen.


Later in the Urban Logistics session it became clear that there is also something of a ‘race for space’ with residential developers contesting brownfield land equally in demand for commercial purposes, not least for storage and distribution related to online shopping growth.


Details: Matthew Battle, chair TVPF matthew@ukpropertyforums.com www.ukpropertyforums.com


Each TVPF key presentation was followed by a Q & A panel session THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – OCTOBER 2015 www.businessmag.co.uk


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