Growth areas
With London’s population projected to reach 11 million inhabitants by mid-century - a 37 per cent increase from 2011 - the need to house our growing population, and provide them with transport links, will continue to intensify.
New growth areas, new transport schemes
66,000 new homes need to be built every year to cater for this growth and meet the backlog. A number of ‘growth areas’ have been identified in the draft New London Plan – areas where significant numbers of houses can be built. Transport has a vital role to play in making these growth areas a success.
Under the Mayor’s current powers, the GLA is able to plan transport and housing together. The Mayor’s London Infrastructure Plan 2050 sets out in more detail transport schemes that will enable growth. Part of our plans for Housing Zones will earmark funds for transport-related upgrades to support housing growth.
Some areas in the capital benefiting from new transport schemes are listed below.
Barking Riverside
Barking Riverside is London’s largest housing growth area, with 10,800 homes planned. But this will only be realised with improved transport links to Barking and central London.
We’re working with Transport for London (TfL) and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham to extend the Gospel Oak-Barking London Overground line to Barking Riverside. We hope to complete the extension by 2021.
The potential for the line to extend south under the river to Thamesmead and Abbey Wood is also being explored. This would create a direct link to the Elizabeth line currently being built by Crossrail Ltd. Work is also underway to accommodate growth through enhanced bus and cycling services and access to the A13.
Upper Lee Valley
The Upper Lee Valley has huge potential for growth with improvements to the West Anglia Main Line.
The Lee Valley Rail Programme, which is part funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the London Economic Action Partnership, will introduce a third track on the West Anglia Main Line up to a new station at Meridian Water. This will allow a four trains per hour service between Stratford and Meridian Water.
The additional track will support the unlocking of considerable homes and jobs growth at Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park and Angel Road (Meridian Water). The new service is expected to start in 2019.
More improvements to the West Anglia Main Line are needed to unlock the full growth potential of the Upper Lee Valley. The West Anglia Taskforce was established in 2015 to make the case for the infrastructure required to improve journey times and reliability between central London, Stansted Airport and Cambridge and increase service frequencies in the Upper Lee Valley.
Through the Taskforce, we’re working with partners both inside and outside London.
Brent Cross Cricklewood
We’re working with the London Borough of Barnet to fund a new train station on the Thameslink line at Brent Cross Cricklewood, Brent Cross West.
This new station will support new housing on London’s largest brownfield site. It would also bring the area to within 12 minutes of central London.
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